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As Simeon enters the
temple, he sees a family presenting their first-born son
before the priest. Their appearance bespeaks poverty; but Simeon
understands the warnings of the Spirit, and he is deeply impressed
that the infant being presented to the Lord is the Consolation of Israel, the One he has longed to
see. To the astonished priest, Simeon appears like a man
enraptured. The child has been returned to Mary, and he
takes it in his arms and presents
it to God, while a joy that he has
never before felt enters his soul. As he lifts the infant
Saviour toward heaven, he says,
"Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace,
according to Thy word: for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation,
which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel."
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So ardent as his years ran on had
Simeon's faith and hope become, that this one thing had he desired
of the Lord, that before his eyes closed in death they might rest
upon his Saviour. And he was heard as to that which he had so
longed. It was revealed to him that the desire of his heart
should be granted, but how and when he knew
not. That forenoon, however, a strong desire to go up
into the temple seizes him. He was not accustomed to go there at
that hour, but he obeyed that inward impulse, which perhaps he
recognized as the work of the Divine Spirit, by whom the gracious
revelation had been made to him. He enters
the temple courts; he notices a little family group
approach; he sees an infant dedicated to the
Lord.18 That infant, an
inward voice proclaims to him is the Messiah he has been waiting
for, the Consolation of Israel come at
last in the flesh.18 Then comes into his heart a
joy beyond all bounds. It kindles in his radiant looks;
it beats in his swelling veins; the strength
page 37
of youth is back again into his feeble limbs. He hastens to Mary,
takes from the yet wondering yet
consenting mother's hands the consecrated babe, and clasping it to
his bosom, with eyes uplifted to heaven, he
says, "Lord, now lettest thou they servant depart in
peace, according to thy word; for mine eyes have seen thy
salvation,which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people; a
light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people
Israel." [The remaining 40% of this
paragraph is used by Rea in the comparison for paragraph 19.]
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And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and
the same man was just and devout, waiting for
the consolation of Israel:
and the Holy Ghost was upon him. . . .
And he came by the Spirit into the temple: . . .
Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before
the face of all people; A light to lighten
the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel. (Luke 2:25-32)
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