<TITLE>06. Par 19-22</TITLE>L-19 Let's give a little drama here for a moment. I see it's on Monday morning. Let's say Monday morning or after the Sabbath, whatever it was. And eight days after His birth, His mother came to the temple to offer a sacrifice of purification. Usually a peasant offered a turtledove, and a--a rich baby, they could offer a lamb.
But Him being a peasant... Let's see it in the temple. Thousands of people have gathered on Monday morning, and the sacrifice was being offered. But over here on this line is this long string of women that... Oh, several million, three or four million people in Israel that time. So we imagine many babies is born within the space of every twenty-four hours. And so there'd be a line of mothers every day, lined up there to offer for purification, circumcision of the child.

L-20 Let's drama just a moment, look down along the line yonder this morning. I see a little lady, a little girl, maybe not over eighteen years old. The first thing, she had a--a horrible name to begin with, because that--she was a little virgin to begin, of course. But she was to be a mother, and the people thought that this--her just husband, that she was a pre-wed mother. Well, so they thought, "My this is horrible." And here she was with a baby in her arm, not yet married, holding this baby in her arm, walking down along.
Now, could you imagine the dignity of those Jewish people? Said, "Don't get near her." Just exactly like a little church today that's despised and rejected, because they in their heart... Like Mary knew in her heart that was God's son. And the people today can be laughed at, made fun of, or anything, as long as you know in your heart you're right with God. See?

L-21 And she's holding this baby. I can imagine seeing He's wrapped in swaddling cloth, the King of Glory, wrapped in swaddling cloth. They tell me that's what they take off the back of a yoke of an ox. When it's--keep it from rubbing its shoulders, they take this cloth off. And there's nothing to put on around the baby, so they just wrapped Him up in this cloth.
And here she stands with two little turtle doves as an offering. The people stand back, keeping their space from her, like she was something that was going to bother them.

L-22 But the Holy Spirit was there at the temple that morning. I can see Simeon setting back in a prayer room somewhere, reading the Scriptures, maybe like over in Isaiah: "All we like sheep have gone astray. The Lord has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all."
Now, if God had promised Simeon. God's under obligation to bring Simeon to the place and to see the Person that He'd promised him he'd see. Is that right?
Now, I can see Simeon setting there reading. And all at once the Holy Spirit speaks to him. He jumps and says, "Yes, Lord."
"Rise to your feet, Simeon." I can see Simeon start walking, don't know where he's going. He's moving out into the temple. Here he comes out the door, walks down along the side, comes down to where this bunch of mothers are standing, walks right down along the side of that bunch of mothers, till he comes to this little woman standing there with a veil over her face, holding her little baby in her arms like that, reached over, tears running down his cheeks like this and over his white beard, picked up the little baby, tears running down his cheeks, said, "Now, Lord let Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy Word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation."


<A HREF="P7">Next Page</A>