One question that stands out in this story of Simeon and baby Jesus in Luke 2 is, “How did this old priest recognize that the baby in the arms of a man and a woman like any other parent of that time, was the promised child?” Don’t forget this is a custom in Israel. Parents bring in babies all the time. It is not like now when we have specified days for baby dedications. Then, it was required on the 8th day which means everyday for different families.
One of the things we don’t realize is that God’s promises are precious. When we receive the promise, there is a preparation time that comes between when the promise was made and when it is physically delivered. We call that time in between “Waiting time,” because that is primarily what we are doing but to God, it is more like “Preparation time.” It is the process of preparation that equips us with what we need to know for handling that promise. Of course, God did not tell Simeon what to say when He carried “baby God” in his mortal hands. Having been duly prepared, the right words flowed out of a ready heart. When we have been prepared, we are not limited by customs and traditions, we follow the path that has been charted for the promise and everything and everyone else falls in place.
Because he had been prepared, Simeone took one look and he recognized, “This is it! This is the promise!” To everyone else in the temple that day, Jesus and his parents were like every other family showing up for the rituals of tradition. But to Simeon, that Baby was different. That moment was different. That experience was the culmination of a lifetime’s hope and dream. Of course, people passed them by and had no idea what was going on because they were not promised. Neither were they prepared. But everyone who had been promised and prepared took one look at that child and knew, “I have seen the immortal God as a baby with my eyes!”
We didn’t hear from the Bible if and when Ana, the old prophetess was informed or prepared about this Baby but at that very moment that seemed like coincidence, she walked in and immediately recognized Him also. What does that say to us: remain faithful to God. Don’t serve God because of what you stand to benefit. Serve God because He is God and He is good. Don’t serve God for the promise, serve Him because He is God and He is good. What is it that God has called you to do? Keep doing it. Obedience to that very seemingly insignificant thing holds the key to your experiencing the promise. No matter how unrewarding it appears, remain diligent. Don’t despise little things that God calls you to do – how you do them hold they key to the big events of your life. Don’t get discouraged and quit because it is not working or producing as expected. God is using it to prepare you. God is preparing to launch you through that seed that doesn’t appear as much right now.
Blessings
Glory!