1 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:13,600 Speaker 1: Life Audio. Hello, and thank you for listening to your 2 00:00:13,760 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 1: Daily Bible Verse, the podcast that examines one verse each 3 00:00:17,320 --> 00:00:19,639 Speaker 1: day to help us learn more about God and his 4 00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,040 Speaker 1: will for us. I'm your host, Shatka Heinz, and after 5 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,440 Speaker 1: a brief message from our sponsor, we'll continue with our 6 00:00:26,480 --> 00:00:30,840 Speaker 1: advent series experiencing Christ this Christmas. Today we're going to 7 00:00:30,920 --> 00:00:45,080 Speaker 1: discuss Luke two, verses twenty seven and twenty eight. Our 8 00:00:45,159 --> 00:00:47,879 Speaker 1: verses today are about a man named Simeon, whom the 9 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,960 Speaker 1: Bible describes as righteous and devout. He was obedient to 10 00:00:52,040 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: God's laws, and the Holy Spirit had promised him that 11 00:00:55,520 --> 00:00:58,760 Speaker 1: he would live to see the consolation of Israel. He 12 00:00:58,920 --> 00:01:02,760 Speaker 1: would see God send a savior to his subjugated and 13 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:07,679 Speaker 1: harassed people, as prophesied in Isaiah. Today we're looking at 14 00:01:07,760 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 1: Luke two, verses twenty seven and twenty eight. It says, 15 00:01:11,880 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: moved by the Spirit, he Simeon went into the temple courts. 16 00:01:16,880 --> 00:01:19,520 Speaker 1: When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do 17 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:23,240 Speaker 1: for him with the custom of the law required, Simeon 18 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: took him in his arms and praised God. Now the 19 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: Bible doesn't tell us how old Simeon is, but when 20 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:35,200 Speaker 1: he joyfully tells God in the next verse, you can 21 00:01:35,240 --> 00:01:39,319 Speaker 1: now dismiss your servant in peace. I imagine an older 22 00:01:39,400 --> 00:01:42,800 Speaker 1: man who's been awaiting the promise of God for a while, 23 00:01:43,000 --> 00:01:45,280 Speaker 1: and now he is just ready to go home to 24 00:01:45,319 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: be with the Lord. What we can glean about Simeon 25 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:52,400 Speaker 1: is that he was a man who longed to see 26 00:01:52,440 --> 00:01:57,320 Speaker 1: the restoration of Israel. He'd been raised on this diet 27 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:02,840 Speaker 1: of the fantastic feats of his forefathers. You know, spiritual 28 00:02:02,880 --> 00:02:06,880 Speaker 1: giants like Abraham who received the promise to become a nation, 29 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:11,799 Speaker 1: Moses who received the covenant terms and led the Israelites 30 00:02:11,840 --> 00:02:15,760 Speaker 1: to the promised land, Joshua, who conquered the land promised 31 00:02:15,760 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 1: to Abraham. You know King David and then King Solomon. 32 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,360 Speaker 1: They were the height of Israel's political power, and the 33 00:02:23,400 --> 00:02:27,639 Speaker 1: Temple at that time was saturated with God's presence as 34 00:02:27,639 --> 00:02:31,440 Speaker 1: he dwelled in this glorious building built just for him. 35 00:02:32,400 --> 00:02:36,359 Speaker 1: But Simeon, he also knew a history of heartache. There 36 00:02:36,400 --> 00:02:40,160 Speaker 1: was the disobedience of God's people to their covenant relationship 37 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,440 Speaker 1: with God, and the kingdom fractured beneath the reign of 38 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:50,079 Speaker 1: Solomon's son Rahoboam, then the steady decline of Israel as 39 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:54,280 Speaker 1: they strayed further and further from God, leading to Israel's 40 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:58,200 Speaker 1: exile and their brutal oppression by the Assyrians, and then 41 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:02,079 Speaker 1: Jerusalem's conquest by the Babylonians and the loss of their 42 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:06,359 Speaker 1: magnificent temple. Simeon, he would have known of four hundred 43 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: years of silence in which Amos's prophecy came true. There 44 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:14,840 Speaker 1: will be a famine of hearing the words of the Lord, 45 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:19,239 Speaker 1: Amos said in Chapter eight, verse eleven. And for all 46 00:03:19,280 --> 00:03:22,359 Speaker 1: of Simeon's life, Israel has been subject to the Romans, 47 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:26,959 Speaker 1: and God has been silent. Simeon is hungry for the Lord, 48 00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:31,680 Speaker 1: and in that hunger God positions him for promise. God 49 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,600 Speaker 1: makes known to Simeon that he will see the Savior 50 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: come in his lifetime. And when Joseph and Mary bring 51 00:03:38,720 --> 00:03:42,600 Speaker 1: Jesus to the Temple to complete their ritual obligations that 52 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: were required by the Law of Moses, the Holy Spirit 53 00:03:46,240 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: prompts Simeon to enter the temple courts, promises is about 54 00:03:51,480 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: to be replaced by presents. He is coming, becomes he 55 00:03:58,440 --> 00:04:02,560 Speaker 1: is here, And one of my favorite parts of the 56 00:04:02,560 --> 00:04:08,120 Speaker 1: scripture is Simeon took him in his arms. God did 57 00:04:08,200 --> 00:04:12,920 Speaker 1: more than Simeon even expected. Simeon didn't just see the promise. 58 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:17,359 Speaker 1: He held the promise in his arms and proclaimed, my 59 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: eyes have seen your salvation. God gives Simeon a holy 60 00:04:23,080 --> 00:04:27,880 Speaker 1: hunger that positions Simeon for promise. Simeon desires to see 61 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: Israel rescued, and God promises he will send the rescuer 62 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:36,640 Speaker 1: in Simeon's lifetime. In faithfulness, Simeon goes where the Holy 63 00:04:36,680 --> 00:04:39,920 Speaker 1: Spirit tells him to go, and this divine meeting takes 64 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:45,479 Speaker 1: place that goes beyond Simeon's wildest dreams. I want to 65 00:04:45,520 --> 00:04:48,880 Speaker 1: ask you what holy hunger has God birthed in you 66 00:04:49,040 --> 00:04:54,400 Speaker 1: this season. Perhaps it's a desire for significance or purpose, 67 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:02,000 Speaker 1: or family, or healing or hope or just change. That 68 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,839 Speaker 1: hunger positions you to receive the promise. And the promise 69 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: is wild. He is the same promise that Simeon embraced 70 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,480 Speaker 1: in his arms. Isaiah says, for to us a child 71 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 1: is born, to us, a son is given. And then 72 00:05:20,320 --> 00:05:23,919 Speaker 1: in him there's forgiveness of sins. In him, there is 73 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: emotional and physical healing. In him, there is belonging and 74 00:05:28,360 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: peace and hope. In Him is the power to live victoriously. 75 00:05:33,120 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: All of this within the baby held in Simeon's arms 76 00:05:37,080 --> 00:05:43,359 Speaker 1: that beautiful day in Jerusalem. So today I want to 77 00:05:43,480 --> 00:05:47,760 Speaker 1: invite you to embrace the promise. I want you to 78 00:05:47,839 --> 00:05:53,839 Speaker 1: try this advent exercise. Take a moment and slow your breathing. 79 00:05:54,800 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 1: Invite the Holy Spirit's presence. You can say something as 80 00:05:57,800 --> 00:06:03,080 Speaker 1: simple as Holy Spirit. Come, ask yourself quietly, what am 81 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: I waiting on this advent season? What longing has God 82 00:06:07,400 --> 00:06:10,520 Speaker 1: placed in my heart? I want you to recognize that 83 00:06:10,640 --> 00:06:14,200 Speaker 1: hunger is not an accident. God use Simeon's hunger to 84 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: position him for promise. So, like Simeon, listen for where 85 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:24,640 Speaker 1: the Spirit is leading you today. Pause, take your time, 86 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: sit with God for a while. Now, imagine taking Jesus 87 00:06:29,800 --> 00:06:34,680 Speaker 1: into your arms. Imagine gazing on the salvation of the 88 00:06:34,720 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: world this advent. Open your heart to Christ. The promise 89 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: you are waiting for is not distant. He is here. 90 00:06:48,120 --> 00:06:53,640 Speaker 1: Let's pray, Father, what a glorious promise you have given 91 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:58,360 Speaker 1: through your son. Help us to understand as Simeon understood 92 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:02,480 Speaker 1: the gift he held in his arms. Jesus is the 93 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:06,880 Speaker 1: gift freely given for all who will accept him. Father, 94 00:07:06,880 --> 00:07:10,119 Speaker 1: would you highlight the holy hunger you've engendered in each 95 00:07:10,160 --> 00:07:13,760 Speaker 1: of us and open our hearts to follow the spirits 96 00:07:13,840 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: leading that we also might have a divine encounter with 97 00:07:17,400 --> 00:07:20,520 Speaker 1: your son. I pray for all of us who carry 98 00:07:20,560 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: burdens or disappointments, sadness, illness wounds to your presence. 99 00:07:29,200 --> 00:07:36,320 Speaker 2: Meet each person with your glorious presence this advance season. 100 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 2: Help us to hold fast to your promise. We love you, Lord, 101 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 2: and we ask these things in Jesus's name. Amen.