Week 11 - Devotional 1 - Simeon e Anna See the Baby Jesus – Jesus' Presentation at the Temple

Monday (12/05/2014) – Read Luke 2:21-24 ;Exodus 13:2,12; Leviticus 12:2-4,6-8

1.    Luke 2:22 says “When the time of their purification...had been completed...” Purification of what (see Lev. 12:2-4)? Who was unclean? How long a woman having given birth had to wait until she was completely purified? See note below.

2.    Why was Jesus taken to Jerusalem after the days of purification were over? What does it mean to be consecrated to the Lord (Exo. 13:2,12,13)?  How did the firstborn were redeemed (Numbers. 18:15,16)?

3.    Why did Joseph and Mary have to offer a sacrifice (Lev. 12:6-8)? Why did they offer two pigeons or two doves instead of a year-old lamb and a pigeon or dove? The two pigeons or doves would be used in what kind of sacrifices? What are a burnt offering and a sin offering?

4.    See notes 2 and 3, then think of ways the burnt offering and the sin offering could be translated for today’s language. Nowadays we don’t use to kill and burn sheep to worship God or to ask forgiveness for our sins. So, how do we do that?

Notes:

1)- God being a Holy God established a series of rites wishing to emphasize holiness and the need for people to come to Him in a proper way, with no uncleanness, thus becoming a holy people. The uncleanness mentioned in the text was not caused by a moral fault, but by “ritual” uncleanness which turned a person unable to be part of the service. This uncleanness could be caused by different reasons, such as sexual relation, child delivery, diseases, etc (see Lev. 15).

2)- Everything that was consecrated to the Lord belonged to the Lord and could not be used but for God’s service. All the firstborn male were to be consecrated to the Lord, but God gave a way for them to be redeemed.

3)- The burnt offering was offered to God as an act of worship. The offer was totally burnt upon the altar. Most of the other sacrifices were preceded by the burnt offering.

4)- The sin offering seeks to reestablish the relationship with God, that was broken by  unintentional sins or being found unclean.