Temple – What Does This Mean?

The Presentation of our Lord

[Fiftieth in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: Childbirth was an exciting and frightening event at the time of Jesus. Many children and their mothers died soon after birth. When both mother and child survived the ordeal, God’s law required male children to be circumcised on the eighth day following their birth. After forty days, when the greatest danger to the life of the mother and the child had passed, they were to present themselves at the temple to make a sacrifice. For the woman, this sacrifice made her clean again and allowed her to return to worship God.

During the time of Jesus, rabbis gathered in the temple in the court of the women, the closest to the Holy of Holies, a woman was allowed to go. They would take each child in their arms and bless them. It was thus that the Holy Spirit directed Simeon to Joseph, Mary, and Jesus. The Spirit revealed to Simeon that Jesus was the coming Messiah. By the prophecy given to him, Simeon pointed to Jesus’ mission to save both Jews and Gentiles, as well as to the cross. Simeon’s song of joy is still sung by the church in worship.

Anna was a prophetess, like Miriam and Deborah, one of the very few women God used to speak to His people. She likely served in the temple to assist with various tasks. In her devotion to God, she also saw Jesus and had the privilege of telling everyone that the Messiah had come.

On February 2, the Church celebrates the presentation of Jesus in the temple and the singing of Simeon’s song, known as the Nunc Dimittis. We also sing this song every time we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Ezekiel, A Prophet in Exile

[Thirty-Eighth in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: We actually know a good bit about Ezekiel because he tells us as much about himself. He was the son of a priest in Jerusalem. Having that connection, he probably had great knowledge about the temple. He was married and lived in Tel-Abib near the Chebar canal, where he had his own house. He paid attention to the words of the Lord, that the exile was not going to be a short venture.

Judah was facing her worst defeat ever. People were being ripped from their homes and sent into exile. And we know why this was happening. God let it happen because of their manifest sin against him, particularly running after other gods.

This was Ezekiel’s message: Judah was ripe for the Lord’s judgment. One vision that he saw was that of the Lord’s Spirit leaving the temple. This may or may not have happened in “real life,” but what is clear in the vision is that the gracious presence of the Lord was leaving the people of Jerusalem. The people would recognize that a prophet was among them. And this came to be known as Ezekiel’s prophecies came true. The exiled community recognized their sin and need for forgiveness.

And the Lord, through Ezekiel, showed mercy to the people. Ezekiel’s vision of the Glory of the Lord at the beginning of the book shows a throne with wheels within wheels, implying that the Lord is mobile. While the gracious presence of the Lord was not seen by Judah for a time, it did not mean that the Lord was far from them. The Law was doing its work, bringing them to repentance, making them ready for the Gospel.

What we see in Ezekiel is the promised hope found in Jesus, the Good Shepherd who would come and seek the lost. He would bind up the injured and strengthen the weak. He would be the one to feed the sheep on good pasture.

Ezekiel, a prophet of the exile, gave comfort and hope to those people who had little hope. Through Ezekiel, the Lord promised comfort and future peace, peace that would come to full fruition in the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, IN

Blog Post Series

King Hezekiah Celebrates Passover

[Thirty-Fifth in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: Every year, Jewish people celebrate Passover. This festival remembers the time when God freed the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt and led them through the Red Sea to safety. It recalls the night when God commanded their ancestors to sacrifice a lamb, place its blood on their doorposts, roast and eat the lamb with unleavened bread, and prepare to leave Egypt. That evening, God sent the Angel of Death through the land to kill the firstborn son of every Egyptian, from the Pharaoh to the lowest slave. When the angel saw the blood on the doorpost, he passed over the home.

When the father of King Hezekiah died and he became king of Judah, he resolved to restore the worship of God according to the traditions of his ancestors, David and Solomon. (2 Chronicles 29-30) His father had neglected the worship of God and allowed the people to worship the gods of other nations. King Hezekiah ordered the priests and Levites to perform the rituals commanded by Moses to make themselves holy, to cleanse the temple, and to make it holy according to the rules set down by Moses, Solomon, and David. He ordered a large-scale sacrifice to atone for the people’s sins and to restore regular prayers and sacrifices. Because the priests were caught by surprise by this, not enough of them were ready.

Eager to celebrate Passover again, Hezekiah and the people celebrated it late, in the second month, rather than the first (April into May). He invited everyone in Israel, including the survivors of the Assyrian invasion of the northern kingdom of Israel that had been conquered. The people celebrated so joyfully that they extended the festivities into a second week.

For Christians, Jesus is the Passover Lamb, whose blood saves us from eternal death. In the Lord’s Supper, He gives us His body in the bread and His blood in the wine. In it, we receive the forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. So we celebrate it with joy, because God set us free.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Solomon Asks for Wisdom

[Twenty-ninth in a series of posts on Bible Stories] Encore Post: When God invited Solomon to ask for a blessing, Solomon asked for wisdom. Solomon’s request pleased God for several reasons. First, he was humble, realizing his limitations. He was still very young and had little experience in governing. Second, he sought to serve God first. He asked for wisdom — the ability to use knowledge well to meet needs — and discernment, the ability to tell right from wrong. He sought first God’s kingdom and righteousness. God granted him what he asked for — and riches, fame, and a long life as well.

King Solomon was the son of King David and Bathsheba. His life shows how completely God forgives, since David committed great sins with and because of Bathsheba. They deserved to die, but God forgave them, let them live, and gave them a second son. Solomon would be an ancestor of the Messiah.

Under Solomon, Israel became a prosperous and powerful nation. Solomon was a superb organizer. He reformed the kingdom’s bureaucracy, making it more efficient and effectively channeling its prosperity. He built God’s Holy Temple and numerous other buildings. He became a collector of proverbs, many of which appear in the Book of Proverbs. According to tradition, the Books of Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs were written by the King, although there is much debate among scholars about this.

As great as he was, Solomon was a sinner also. He married hundreds of wives, mainly to secure treaties. He allowed them to worship the gods of their fathers and even constructed temples for them. For this reason, God caused the kingdom to be divided during his son’s reign. Yet, for the sake of the one greater than Solomon, his sins are forgiven, along with ours.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Jesus Faces Off With His Opponents

Encore Post: From Monday to Wednesday of Holy Week, Jesus taught in the temple. His opponents challenged him several times. He told parables against them and warned people about him. First, the priests asked by what authority he did the things he did. Jesus countered by asking them whether John the Baptist was from God. Because they would not answer, neither would he. (Matthew 21:23-27)

Jesus’ three parables were his last attempt to call his opponents to repentance. They were the Parable of the Two Sons, the Parable of the Wicked Vineyard Tenants and the Parable of the King’s Wedding Feast. The point of all three was that his opponents pretended to serve God, but really were disobedient. (Matthew 21:28-22:14)

His opponents responded with several test questions: should we pay taxes to Caesar? Who will be the husband of a woman in the resurrection who was married to seven brothers without having a child? What is the greatest commandment? His answers were so profound, they did not follow up. (Matthew 22:15-40)

He then posed a question to them: if the Christ is David’s son, why does David call the Christ Lord? They did not answer.

The majority of what Jesus taught that week, however, was about his second coming and eternity. In this way, he prepared his disciples for his approaching death. One on the evenings of this week in Bethany, Jesus’ friend Mary anointed him with expensive perfume for his coming burial.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Jesus and the Money Changers

Encore Post: When Jesus entered Jerusalem, it was through a gate that opened into the temple. In the Court of the Gentiles, he saw many businessmen in booths they set up to sell goods to the pilgrims arriving for Passover. In Jesus’ day, the High Priestly family allowed businessmen to sell sacrificial animals there, just outside the temple proper. They would, of course, do this for very high prices and pay the High Priestly family for the privilege.

Another business, money changing, also went on in this area. Roman money bore images of the Emperor and pagan gods. These could not be carried into the temple, the High Priests ruled, since they broke the first commandment. Naturally, these moneychangers would charge a fee to change money into temple money.

When Jesus arrived, he saw this going on. He saw it for what it was — stealing from God’s people as they came to worship. He drove these people out of the temple with a whip made of cords. This made a deep impression on the people — and stiffened the resolve of the priests to see him killed.

After he did this, Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany, likely to spend the night with Mary, Martha and Lazarus.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Concordia Theological Seminary

Fort Wayne, Indiana