LUKE 2:22-38
By this point, Mary's 40 days of purification were completed, after the birth of Jesus, in accordance with the law of Moses. The requirements that followed were two-fold; sacrifices must be offered, and the infant must be presented to God in the temple. Ever faithful, Joseph and Mary traveled with their young baby the six miles from Bethlehem, where they'd remained since the birth, to the temple in Jerusalem.
Interestingly, given that she was still ceremonially unclean until the sacrifices were offered, such a woman would typically ride an oxen to the temple. The idea was that the body of the animal was large enough to ensure that the feet of the unclean woman would not touch, and thus defile, any burial place along the road. (Vincent's Word Studies, 1887 ➚)
A Burnt Offering and a Sin Offering
Though the set number of days of purification differed according to whether the mother gave birth to a boy or a girl, the offering required thereafter was the same. Leviticus 12:6-8 states the following: "And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean."
From this, we see that there were various options allowable, according to availability and the mother's financial situation. It appears that, if the recipient was too poor even to bring pigeons or turtledoves, she could bring "the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering." (Leviticus 5:11) rather than a second pigeon or turtledove.
Given that Mary offered two pigeons or turtledoves, it is indicative that she and Joseph were rather poor - not so destitute as to necessitate bringing flour, but still lacking in funds to purchase a lamb. Rather than bringing the birds themselves, they would have placed the coins into "one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped chests in the Court of Women." (Vincent's Word Studies, 1887 ➚)
Some other indications that Jesus' family was poor, even later in life, are:
- His father's occupation was that of a carpenter
- Jesus was born in humble surroundings
- Jesus easily identified with humble fishermen
- He rode someone else's donkey when He entered Jerusalem near the end of His life
- He was buried in a tomb owned by another man
Every Firstborn Son Belonged to the Lord
Luke 2:23 states that "every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord". The basis for this dates back to Old Testament times, when the firstborn sons of the Israelites were preserved, while those of the Egyptians died. This was the tenth plague upon the Egyptian Pharaoh and his people, needed to convince him to let the Israelites leave, free of bondage. After this, the Lord said that the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to Him. The same applied to firstborn animals. It was a reminder that God had preserved His people and brought them out of Egypt.
Other Biblical references include:
Exodus 13:2
"Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine."
Exodus 13:12-13
"That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem."
Exodus 13:15
"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem."
Exodus 22:29
"Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me."
Exodus 34:19-20
"All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty."
Numbers 3:12-13
"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD."
Numbers 18:15-16
"Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs."
Nehemiah 10:36
"Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:"
In general terms, the firstborn male of clean animals was to be offered up for sacrifice. The firstborn male of unclean animals were to be redeemed, since they were unfit for sacrifice, but still good for other uses. Firstborn boys belonged to the Lord, and must be presented to Him to serve in sacred duties. However, by this time the Levite tribe had been dedicated to service in lieu of this. Still, firstborn boys must be presented to the Lord, recognizing that they belong to Him, after which they could be redeemed, or bought back, for five shekels.
The text does not clarify whether Joseph and Mary paid the lawful five shekels. Some speculate that they didn't, because He would continue to belong to God for the rest of His days. Others suggest that they paid it, but that Luke just neglected to mention it. It is even possible, in the case of extreme poverty, that the priests were allowed to accept less than the five shekels, or no payment at all.
It is hard to visualize just how much money that was, and how difficult it might have been for Joseph to come up with the amount, if they did in fact pay it. For the sake of context, the denarii was Roman currency, 1 denarii being a laborer's typical daily wage at that time. 4 denarii = 1 shekel (Hebrew currency). Thus, to earn 5 skekels it would have taken 20 days of common labor. Perhaps, with Joseph's carpentry profession, he was able to earn it more quickly than that. The shekel was the only coin accepted in the temple in Jesus' time. Money changers exchanged Roman coins for the required shekels, as upon Roman coins were stamped images that were repulsive to the Jews.
Encounters in the Temple
Both Simeon and Anna had been eagerly awaiting the Messiah. Both were devout, God-fearing individuals, advanced in age.
Simeon is a Hebrew name which means "hearing". Obviously, he was accustoming to listening to the influence of the Holy Ghost, who had told him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. The Spirit also moved him to go to the temple courts that day, the very day on which baby Jesus was brought.
This is a rather personal feeling account. Not did he only acknowledge the babe in passing, but he took Him in his arms and praised God. What a special moment this must have been! Mary and Joseph marveled at his message. Simeon declared that he could now die in peace, and that Jesus ...
more to come...
Anna was 84 years old, thus surely menopausal. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she was allowed to remain in the temple both night and day; she would not have been periodically unclean due to menstruation. Perhaps the shepherds, when coming to the temple to bring sacrificial lambs, had also told Simeon, Anna and others that the Messiah had been born.
 |
| Joseph and Mary took baby Jesus to present Him at the temple Photo Source ➚ |
Interestingly, given that she was still ceremonially unclean until the sacrifices were offered, such a woman would typically ride an oxen to the temple. The idea was that the body of the animal was large enough to ensure that the feet of the unclean woman would not touch, and thus defile, any burial place along the road. (Vincent's Word Studies, 1887 ➚)
A Burnt Offering and a Sin Offering
Though the set number of days of purification differed according to whether the mother gave birth to a boy or a girl, the offering required thereafter was the same. Leviticus 12:6-8 states the following: "And when the days of her purifying are fulfilled, for a son, or for a daughter, she shall bring a lamb of the first year for a burnt offering, and a young pigeon, or a turtledove, for a sin offering, unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, unto the priest: Who shall offer it before the Lord, and make an atonement for her; and she shall be cleansed from the issue of her blood. This is the law for her that hath born a male or a female. And if she be not able to bring a lamb, then she shall bring two turtles, or two young pigeons; the one for the burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make an atonement for her, and she shall be clean."
 |
| Bringing the burnt offering and sin offering Photo Source ➚ |
| Burnt offering: a lamb of the first year, or a young pigeon or turtledove |
Sin offering: young pigeon or turtledove, or 1/10th of an ephah of fine, unscented flour |
Given that Mary offered two pigeons or turtledoves, it is indicative that she and Joseph were rather poor - not so destitute as to necessitate bringing flour, but still lacking in funds to purchase a lamb. Rather than bringing the birds themselves, they would have placed the coins into "one of the thirteen trumpet-shaped chests in the Court of Women." (Vincent's Word Studies, 1887 ➚)
Some other indications that Jesus' family was poor, even later in life, are:
- His father's occupation was that of a carpenter
- Jesus was born in humble surroundings
- Jesus easily identified with humble fishermen
- He rode someone else's donkey when He entered Jerusalem near the end of His life
- He was buried in a tomb owned by another man
Every Firstborn Son Belonged to the Lord
Luke 2:23 states that "every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord". The basis for this dates back to Old Testament times, when the firstborn sons of the Israelites were preserved, while those of the Egyptians died. This was the tenth plague upon the Egyptian Pharaoh and his people, needed to convince him to let the Israelites leave, free of bondage. After this, the Lord said that the firstborn sons of the Israelites belonged to Him. The same applied to firstborn animals. It was a reminder that God had preserved His people and brought them out of Egypt.
Other Biblical references include:
Exodus 13:2
"Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine."
Exodus 13:12-13
"That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S. And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem."
Exodus 13:15
"And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem."
Exodus 22:29
"Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me."
Exodus 34:19-20
"All that openeth the matrix is mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male. But the firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb: and if thou redeem him not, then shalt thou break his neck. All the firstborn of thy sons thou shalt redeem. And none shall appear before me empty."
Numbers 3:12-13
"And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine; Because all the firstborn are mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they be: I am the LORD."
Numbers 18:15-16
"Every thing that openeth the matrix in all flesh, which they bring unto the LORD, whether it be of men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn of man shalt thou surely redeem, and the firstling of unclean beasts shalt thou redeem. And those that are to be redeemed from a month old shalt thou redeem, according to thine estimation, for the money of five shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, which is twenty gerahs."
Nehemiah 10:36
"Also the firstborn of our sons, and of our cattle, as it is written in the law, and the firstlings of our herds and of our flocks, to bring to the house of our God, unto the priests that minister in the house of our God:"
In general terms, the firstborn male of clean animals was to be offered up for sacrifice. The firstborn male of unclean animals were to be redeemed, since they were unfit for sacrifice, but still good for other uses. Firstborn boys belonged to the Lord, and must be presented to Him to serve in sacred duties. However, by this time the Levite tribe had been dedicated to service in lieu of this. Still, firstborn boys must be presented to the Lord, recognizing that they belong to Him, after which they could be redeemed, or bought back, for five shekels.
The text does not clarify whether Joseph and Mary paid the lawful five shekels. Some speculate that they didn't, because He would continue to belong to God for the rest of His days. Others suggest that they paid it, but that Luke just neglected to mention it. It is even possible, in the case of extreme poverty, that the priests were allowed to accept less than the five shekels, or no payment at all.
It is hard to visualize just how much money that was, and how difficult it might have been for Joseph to come up with the amount, if they did in fact pay it. For the sake of context, the denarii was Roman currency, 1 denarii being a laborer's typical daily wage at that time. 4 denarii = 1 shekel (Hebrew currency). Thus, to earn 5 skekels it would have taken 20 days of common labor. Perhaps, with Joseph's carpentry profession, he was able to earn it more quickly than that. The shekel was the only coin accepted in the temple in Jesus' time. Money changers exchanged Roman coins for the required shekels, as upon Roman coins were stamped images that were repulsive to the Jews.
Encounters in the Temple
 |
| Simeon finally gets to see the promised Messiah Photo Source ➚ |
Simeon is a Hebrew name which means "hearing". Obviously, he was accustoming to listening to the influence of the Holy Ghost, who had told him that he would not die before seeing the Messiah. The Spirit also moved him to go to the temple courts that day, the very day on which baby Jesus was brought.
This is a rather personal feeling account. Not did he only acknowledge the babe in passing, but he took Him in his arms and praised God. What a special moment this must have been! Mary and Joseph marveled at his message. Simeon declared that he could now die in peace, and that Jesus ...
more to come...
Anna was 84 years old, thus surely menopausal. Perhaps this was one of the reasons she was allowed to remain in the temple both night and day; she would not have been periodically unclean due to menstruation. Perhaps the shepherds, when coming to the temple to bring sacrificial lambs, had also told Simeon, Anna and others that the Messiah had been born.