" At the fulfillment of the eight days for the boy he was circumcised, and they named Him Yeshua, just as the angel had called Him before He was conceived in the womb.
When the days of their purification were fulfilled according to the Torah of Mosheh, they brought Him up to Yerushalayim to place Him before Hashem- as it is written in the Torah of Hashem, " every male that opens the womb will be called holy before Hashem.", and to bring korban according to the mitzvah in the Torah of Hashem" two turtledoves or two young pigeons."
There was a man in Yerushalayim whose name was Shim'on. He was a righteous and devout man, waiting for the consolation of Yisrael , and the Holy Spirit was upon him. To him it had been revaled by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death until he saw the Maschiach of Hashem. He came by the Spirit to the Temple, and when his parents brought the boy Yeshua to do him what the statute of the Torah says, he took him up in the arms and blessed God. He said:
" Now you may let your servant pass away according to your word, my Master, in peace..
For my eyes have seen your Salvation, that you have prepared before all the peoples: light to illuminate the eyes of the nations and the majesty of your people Yisrael."
His father and his mother were amazed at the words that he spoke about Him. Shim'on blessed them and said to His mother Miryam:
"See, this is affixed as an obstacle and restoration for many in Yisrael and as a sign of contention.
And a sword will pierce your soul, so that the hearts of many will be revealed.
A woman who was a prophetess was there: Channah bat Penuel, from the tribe of Asher. She was elderly abd had lived with her husband for seven years after her virginity. She had been a widow for eighty-four years and had not departed from the Temple. She served God through fasting and supplications night and day. She arose at that hour and approached to give thanks to Hashem. She spoke about Him in the ears of all who were waiting for the redemption in Yerushalayim.
They completed everything after the Torah of Hashem. Then they returned to Galil, to their town in Netzeret. The boy grew and became strong in spirit and was filled with wisdom.
The kindness ( Hesed) of God was with Him."
Luke 2: 21-39 Delitzsch Hebrew Gospels
A Torah-observant family
I sometimes smile when I see people asking on the internet: was Yeshua an orthodox Jew?
Anybody who reads the Gospels with an attentive eye will understand that Yeshua our Messiah comes from a Torah-observant family ( not only Miryam and Yosef, but also Zechariah and Elisheva, the parents of Yohanan the Immerser, John the Baptists were all obedients of the laws of Hashem).
The importance of the Brith mila
If you have assisted to a brith mila at the synagogue, you will probably know that a Jewish child receives his name on the very day of his circumcision. Nobody is allowed to reveal his name before the brith mila has been done. The child enters the alliance of Hashem on the day of the brith mila.
Presentation of the first born at the Temple and observance of the purification laws
The Torah establishes very clear and precise rules of conduct after the birth of a child, especially when for the first-born male in a family.
Exodus 13:2 states: " Consecrate every firstborn male to me, the firstborn from every womb among the Israelites, both man and domestic animal; it is mine."
About the sacrifice of purification, the Book of Leviticus specifies:
"If she cannot afford a lamb, then she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons; the one for a burnt offering, and the other for a sin offering: and the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean." ( Leviticus 12:8)
This part of Scripture indicates us that Yeshua's family was of modest social condition.
Hebrew wordplays that point at a face to face encounter with the Lord
Names of individuals are always very important, especially in Hebrew culture.
The Hebrew words that come out of Shim'on's mouth at the Temple leave space for a dual translation. In fact, a subtle wordplay is created on the Name Yeshua:
כּי־ראוּ עיני את ישׁוּעתך
Ki ra'u einei at yeshuatekha
Because my eyes have seen your Salvation ( or your Yeshua).
Shim'on's eyes have been granted to see Hashem's Yeshua and this is not just a figure of style: it is a physical encounter with the Messiah.
Also the name שׁמעון, Shim'on in Hebrew has a profound meaning. It comes from the verb לשׁמוע, to listen, to to hear. It means "The Lord has heard our prayers". The same root, shin mem, ayin שׁ,מ,ע is present in the Shema Israel.
Shim'on's prayers have found a favorable ear in Hashem and he was able to see the Messiah before he died.
Hannah ( or as spelt in the Delitzsch Gospels as Channah) is the daughter of Penuel, a name that means Face of the Lord ( פנוּאל). Hannah is led by the Spirit and her eyes are granted to see the One who will save people from their sins, Yeshua our Messiah.
Shim'on's bitter sweet prophecy regarding Yeshua
Shimon's prophecy indicates that our Messiah has a role to play with the Gentile nations and with Israel. He is Salvation to whoever repents and believes in Him. Yeshua loves each and everyone unconditionally.
Yeshua is described as " or goyim", a light to the nations from Shim'on 's mouth and also in the Book of Isaiah, chapter 49, verse 6. He is the " majesty to Israel', the King of the Jews.
Shim'on foresaw Yeshua's tremendous Suffering and His mother's pain. He also underlined that our Messiah's character would raise controversy among people.
Yeshua is still the object of division and disputes within families and different assemblies.
Following Yeshua our Messiah can be very demanding.
Some people abandon everything to be able to follow Him.
To the persons who would still be tempted to doubt that Yeshua has ever been raised as a Jew, please note that the Bible says: " they completed everything after the Torah of Hashem ( where you translation says " Law" it is meant "Torah" in Hebrew.)
Copyright© by Isabelle Esling
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