Does God reward us when we watch faithfully for Him to work? When Jesus was presented at the temple, He met two people who were watching for Him. In this devotion, we will discuss Anna.
Nuggets
- Circumcision was the way man showed they agreed with the covenant God established with Abraham.
- Firstborn males also had to be presented to God and redeemed on the eighth day.
- At this same time is the purification of the mother, but it lasted 40 days for a son.
- Jesus followed all of God’s instructions, including circumcision.
- Anna worship because what she had undoubtedly prophesied had come to fruition.
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I originally planned on doing one devotion entitled The Faithful Watchers. Well, I wrote it as one. It was one of those that I wondered if I would have enough to say.
It turns out, I have enough for two plus. I thought about leaving the context information out, but that really isn’t the problem.
Simeon is the problem.
So, what I am going to do is give the context information about Jesus’ circumcision and Mary’s purification. Then we’ll talk about Anna, even though she doesn’t come next. (I know. My CDO is having a fit. [That is undiagnosed OCD.])
Anyway, I’ll work on Simeon for the next devotion. We are going to wait and do the Making the Connections and How Do We Apply until after we discuss Simeon.
Let's Put It into Context
“This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised” (Gen. 17: 10 NLT)
God entered into a covenant agreement with Abraham. “I will set up my covenant between me and you, and I will multiply you greatly” (Gen. 17: 2 CSB).
We talked about that covenant recently. God’s covenant with Abraham — which He initiated — has three parts: land, kids, and blessings (Gen. 12: 1-3; 13: 14-17; 15: 1-21; 17: 1-27; 18: 9-15).
Circumcision was the way man showed they agreed with the covenant. This occurred eight days after birth. “From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased” (Gen. 17: 12 NLT).
By having the male babies circumcised, the Israelites showed that they had faith in God. Faith is the belief that the doctrines stated in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them.
Firstborn males also had to be presented to God and redeemed. This happened on the eighth day, also.
At this same time is the purification of the mother. “Tell the Israelites: When a woman becomes pregnant and gives birth to a male child, she will be unclean seven days …” (Lev. 12: 2 CSB). However, the new mom would continue in the purification process for 33 more days after she had a son (Lev. 12: 4).
Once that time has passed, the mom was to offer a lamb (Lev. 12: 6) or two turtle doves or pigeons (Lev. 12: 8) for a burnt offering. A pigeon or turtle dove would also been offered as a sin offering.
Presenting Jesus
“Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised, he was named Jesus, the name given him by the angel even before he was conceived. Then it was time for their purification offering, as required by the law of Moses after the birth of a child; so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (Lk. 2: 21-22 NLT).
I know. If Jesus was God, why did He submit to circumcision?
We’ve talked before about how Jesus obeyed God’s laws. He submitted to baptism and celebrated Passover.
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If God said do it, Jesus was going to do it. He followed all of God’s instructions.
If Jesus was going to identify as a human, He had to do what humans do. Otherwise, He wouldn’t really be one of us.
Another reason Jesus had to be circumcised was for acceptance by the Jews. “If any male is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that man will be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant” (Gen. 17: 14 CSB). What good would it have been for Jesus to come to the Jews if they wouldn’t even talk to Him?
Remember, in Why Mary?, we talked about Mary being from the line of Judah (Lk. 3: 33), making her a descendant of Abraham. That is important because “God gave the promises to Abraham and his child. And notice that the Scripture doesn’t say ‘to his children,’ as if it meant many descendants. Rather, it says ‘to his child’ — and that, of course, means Christ” (Gal. 3: 16 NLT). If Jesus was Abraham’s Child, He needed to go through the circumcision instituted with Abraham.
I had always thought that Jesus’ circumcision and Mary’s purification offering happened at the same time. In fact, one of the commentaries I read said that was the case.
It does read kind of funny if they don’t happen at the same time. “Eight days later, when the baby was circumcised … Then it was time for their purification offering … so his parents took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord” (Lk. 2: 21-22 NLT).
The next verses don’t help much, either. “The law of the Lord says, ‘If a woman’s first child is a boy, he must be dedicated to the Lord.’ So they offered the sacrifice required in the law of the Lord — ‘either a pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons’” (Lk. 2: 23-24 NLT).
It does look like Luke jumps around. Look at this:
Verse 21: Jesus’ circumcision (Day 8)
Verse 22: Mary’s purification (Day 40)
Verse 23: Jesus being presented as firstborn (Day 8)
Verse 24: Mary’s purification offering (Day 40).
I don’t see Mary going to the temple when she is ceremonially unclean. I see her following God’s laws and commandments.
I did find this explanation that seems doable. In the The Law of the Firstborn article, it says, “Mary was ceremonially unclean on Jesus’ eighth day of life, when the firstborn and circumcision ceremonies were performed at home, not at the Temple (see Luke 1:57-59 regarding the circumcision of John the Baptist). Ceremonial purity was not necessary for these latter rituals” (Bible Tools).
I can see the naming and circumcising ceremony happening in the home. I can especially see this since Leviticus 12: 4 says, “… And she must not enter the sanctuary until her time of purification is over” (NLT). There is no way Mom is going to miss this!
Why is all of this important? It is important because Mary and Joseph had an encounter while they were in the temple. Let’s check it out.
Anna
“Anna, a prophet, was also there in the Temple. She was the daughter of Phanuel from the tribe of Asher, and she was very old. Her husband died when they had been married only seven years. Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer. She came along just as Simeon was talking with Mary and Joseph, and she began praising God. She talked about the child to everyone who had been waiting expectantly for God to rescue Jerusalem” (Mt. 2: 36-38 NLT)
We don’t know much about Anna. She was described as being a prophet. Prophets are called to pass on prophecy: the “reception and declaration of a word from the Lord through a direct prompting of the Holy Spirit and the human instrument thereof.”
We know Anna was old. “Anna … was very old. … Then she lived as a widow to the age of eighty-four” (Lk. 2: 36-37 NLT). Now, the King James Versions says she “… was a widow of about fourscore and four years …” (Lk. 2: 37 KJV) after being married seven years (Lk. 2: 36). If she got married at 13, was married 7 years, and was a widow for 84 years, that would make her 104.
Anna was old.
If Anna was from the tribe of Asher, she was a Galilean. She had that connection with Jesus.
We have to find our connections with Jesus. No, it is probably safe to say most of us are not Galilean.
But that isn’t just what Jesus — and God — are after. We are to imitate them.
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We do know that Anna was just and devout. “… She never left the Temple but stayed there day and night, worshiping God with fasting and prayer” (Lk. 2: 37 NLT).
It didn’t say that Simeon was a prophet, so why did he get to prophecy when the prophetess worshiped?
I really liked what Whyte had to say. “Simeon had come up by special revelation; Anna needed no such token. Surely her leading was the best. Simeon needed the message, but if Christ had come as a thief at first, as He will at last, Anna would have been there.”
Simeon was waiting, but he got distracted. He would go home and do other things. It doesn’t say Anna was waiting, but she was. She was there 24/7/365. She didn’t have to be told to come; she was there.
So, maybe that is why she got to worship. What she had undoubtedly prophesied had come to fruition. When what you are waiting for is the Messiah, that is great cause to celebrate!
Yes, the fasting and prayer is Old Testament. But Anna was an Old Testament person. She had the promise of the Messiah. She had the Old Testament faith.
In the next devotion, we will discuss who Simeon waited for the Messiah to come.
Lord. You have established laws and commandments so that we can grow to be like You. We want to imitate You. We want to watch for Jesus’ return. Amen.
What do you think?
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There have been speculations regarding Anna and Mary connection. Like Grandmother!
Possibility is not far fetched at all.
Thank for this study. Hugs.
I don’t think I have heard that one. I didn’t run into anything in my research that even hinted that. But them again, there wasn’t a whole lot — at least where I looked. Thanks for the comment. Hugs. Elaine.
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