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January
13, 2004
THE
CONSOLATION OF ISRAEL
"And
behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon,
and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation
of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him" (Luke 2:25,
NKJV).
In his
historical narrative of the nativity, Dr. Luke tells of one
Simeon, a devout man who had diligently studied the messianic
prophecies. While worshiping in the temple of Jerusalem, he
observed a family presenting their first-born son to the Lord.
Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Simeon "is
deeply impressed that the infant being presented to the Lord
is the Consolation of Israel, the One he has longed to see."--The
Desire of Ages, p. 55. Enraptured by this revelation,
Simeon becomes the first among the worshipers to recognize
and identify Christ as the Consolation of Israel.
Fully
satisfied that he had at last seen the long-expected Consolation
of Israel, Simeon takes the infant "in his arms and presents
it to God, while a joy that he has never before felt enters
his soul." Ibed. In this momentous discovery,
Simeon saw in the infant Christ one who was "a light
to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your
people Israel" (Luke 2:32, NKJV). To him, Christ was
the one who would bring consolation and "bind up the
brokenhearted" (Isaiah 61:1, NIV).
Like
all the other fascinating titles of Jesus, this one has special
significance for God's people in every period of human history.
Today, as in Simeon's day, Jesus Christ remains the Consolation
of spiritual Israel. As Paul so aptly puts it, He is our "strong
consolation" Hebrews 6:18, NKJV). In all the complexities
and vicissitudes of life, Jesus Christ is our strong consolation.
What greater consolation can there be than the promise, "I
will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5,
NKJV)? "Christ, the consolation of Israel, had come unto
his own, but his own received him not. He must find new bottles
to contain his new wine."--Signs of the Times,
September 19, 1892. How comforting to know that Jesus Christ
is our strong consolation!
My
Prayer Today: Lord, I am comforted by the knowledge
that Jesus is my consolation. Amen!
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