Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 83, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1912 — THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE SAVIOR'S TEACHINGS BROOKLYN TABERNACLE BIBLE STUDIES

CONSECRATION IN THE TEMPLE. Luka ii, 22-39-—Jan. 28. “For mine eyes have seen Thy salvation* which Thou hast prepared before the face of all .people.”—Vs. SO. SI. ■ HEN JESUjI was forty days £ £ I old, Joseph and_slary took Him to Jerusalem and presented Him In consecration in the Temple. This was in accordance with the custom which related specially to the first-born in each famn.v. - Although the first-born of the entire nation were passed over at the deliverane§ from Egypt, they had been exchanged for the one tribe of Levi, which had been specially devoted to God’s service: and the same principle was exemplified in respect to the firstborn of each mother. It was to be devoted specially to God and His service. t

The significance of this we. see when we remember , that the elect Church,

h e i n g gathered during this Gospel Age, is styled the Church of the First-borns. Again, St. James 1 tells us that we are “a, kind of first-fruits-u n to God of Ilis erea-' .turns.” The clear intimation of all this is that after the church shall have been gath-

ered to heavenly glory by the power of the First Resurrection, the Kingdom then to be established will bring blessings to all the families of the earth, giving them also the opportune ty of becoming sons of God. on the earthly plane, by restitution processes —Acts iii, 10-21.

“Set For the Fall and, Rising Again of Many In Israel.” At the time of the consecration ceremony at the Temple, aft aged came forward and took the babe Jesus in his arms and praised God. By some power Divine this aged Prophet and, after saying, “Now letteat Thou Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation”—the way in \Vhich Thy salvation shall come to Israel and to all the families of the earth—he proceeded to say, “which Thou hast prepared in the presence of all people—the Light of the .world and the Glory of Thy people! Israbl.” Simeon, addressing Mary, declared prophetically that the Child was “set for the fall and the rising of many in Israel, and for a sign | mark or stapdardj. which shall be spoken against, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

How wonderful a prophecy! It reminds us of the words of St. Paul, that our Lord is “a stone of stumbling and rock of offence” to many in Israel, that many stumbled, beiug disappointed. And St. Paul told also of the rising again of many who stumbled. He declares, “Israel hath not obtained that which he seeketli for, but the election hath obtained it and the rest were blinded”—stumbled—turned aside from Divine favor.—Romans xi, 7. Not a sufficient number of “Israelites indeed” were found to complete the. foreordained elect, and hence the invitation went beyond Abraham’s natural seed to gather during this Gospel Age the saintly of every nation, people, kindred and tongue.

“All Israel Shall Be Saved.” A saintly woman, Anna, a Prophetess over a century old, resided in Jerusalem and in the precincts of the Temple courts. She, also, moved by the Holy Spirit, recognized the Babe

and gave praise to God and mentioned the matter to the saintly ones who were waiting for the fulfilment of the Abrahamic promise—“for the consolation of Israel.” If the seeing of Jesus as a babe was worthy of praise and thanks, still more was It

a cause of gratitude to God for those who behela Him at the age of thirty, consecrating Himself a living sacrifice even unto death, and whq realized that He had been begotten again by the Holy Spirit to be a New Creature, of the divine nature. Those who saw the Master’s faithfulness in performing the sacrifice of His consecration during the three aijd a half years of His ministry beheld still more for which to give God praise. And when He had finished His course at Calvary and was raised from the dead the third day, and forty days later ascended up ,on high where He was before, happy were they who recognized that further development of the Divine Plhn for man’s salvation—the blessing of all the families of the earth. Still more blessed were those who at Pentecost received the Holy Spirit as a begetting power and those who since have received”the same, evidencing tl ' they are the children of God. and, “if children, then heirs of God and joint-heirs with Jesus Christ” their Lord to the great ''inheritance— to the oath-bound promise made to Abraham, that through them all the families of the earth shall be blessed.

“Mine eyes have seen thy salvation.”

"Consecrating their children."