Progress and Preservation
25 And, behold, there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon; and the same man was just and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel: and the Holy Ghost was upon him.
26 And it was revealed unto him by the Holy Ghost, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord's Christ.
27 And he came by the Spirit into the temple: and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him after the custom of the law,
28 Then took he him up in his arms, and blessed God, and said,
29 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word:
30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people;
32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.
33 And Joseph and his mother marvelled at those things which were spoken of him.
Luke 2:25-32
Simeon is an Old Testament man, on New Testament pages. The Holy Spirit was upon him, a unique presence afforded to only a selected few in this era between the covenants. The last prophet had spoken four hundred years previous. The words of the Lord had been shut up for over 16 generations. For some equivalent sense of reference, this is the same amount of time between now and the first Thanksgiving, or about the time of Shakespeare’s death. The history is alive, but the luster has faded. Things once manifested and visions clear have become increasingly blurry around the edges, or maybe downright illegible.
Since the final Spirit-inspired words of the prophet Malachi, Israel enjoyed a short period of peace under the rule of Persia, even rebuilding and restoring worship in their temple. But Alexander the Great would soon conquer Persia, Hellenizing the ancient world. The Old Testament would be translated into Greek, the Septuagint. While Israel would still enjoy religious freedom, Alexander intensely promoted Greek culture across his dominion, exerting a worldly, humanistic, and ungodly influence upon them.
Following the death of Alexander, various new leaders rose to rule. Of note, Antiochus Epiphanes would rise to rain fear and ruin on the Jewish nation. His name meant “God Manifest” and he would embody the cruelty and capriciousness of the worst of the Greek gods. The Jews would come to call him “Epimanes,” or “Crazed One.” He made circumcision a crime punishable by death, looted and desecrated the temple, then set up an altar to Zeus inside and sacrificed swine upon it. When the Jews reproached his vile behavior, he slaughtered them en masse, and sold thousands into slavery. The remainder, he forced to worship the Greek gods with pig sacrifices in their own temple and eat the flesh of the swine offered, or be killed. He set out to utterly annihilate Jewish culture and religious heritage, a foreshadowing of anti-Christ. This gave rise to the famed Maccabean revolt which saw the Jews win miraculous victories and reclaim their temple and tradition in 165 B.C. But Israel would be divided within, as traditionalists and liberalized hellenists commingled, giving rise to each of their respective elites, the Pharisees and Sadducees.
In 63, Pompey would decisively conquer Judea, placing them under the thumb of the Roman Caesars. Greek and Roman influences permeated a broken and battered Israel. They were conquered, polluted, and unmoored. Israel was a land of despondency dotted with zealots. Hope could only be mustered for a messiah who would rescue them. Their problems had outgrown their potential to solve them.
The advent of the Christ was never more needed. Simeon emerges as an ancient anchor, holding fast the hopes empowered by the Spirit, though he cannot hold much longer. His chains bracing ballast have worn thin. The Spirit testifies what sight could not discern. Of all the babies being dedicated in the temple this day, perhaps dozens or hundreds, the Spirit leads Simeon to Jesus son of Joseph and Mary.
Amidst this sea of despondency and disconsolation, planted on the deck of a drifting ship, Simeon, in one precarious and unexpected instant, encounters hope, healing, and wholeness. He lifts the swaddled babe into his arms like a mast hoisted and unfurled. The madness of a lilting ship is made straight, though he is the only one yet to see it, for he alone can read the astrolabe.
The context begs us reorient to our own place and time. One advent has come and gone, and we wait upon another. Faith and hope is fractured, the lost lilt and stumble in all directions around us. The drift and dereliction of duty is severe. Our covenants, our traditions, and our obedience to the revealed will of God is denigrated and defamed, ruled defunct by compromised countrymen and crazed captains.
Yet, we are called to follow further, to progress toward holy perfection, to be submitted to ancient Word and Will. May we be like Simeon; Empowered by the Spirit to hold fast, hope well, and orient ourselves to the Polaris, our preservation.
As you compare revealed Word against your own world, in what ways have your drifted?
If you were to utterly abandon your will and way to Christ today, what things might change?
Pick one thing, and progress toward it.
