[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.
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