Holy to the Lord - Luke 2:23

Luke the physician wrote concerning Joseph and Mary, “when eight days were accomplished for the circumcising of the child, his name was called JESUS, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord”, and in chapter two and verse twenty-three of his book Luke refers to the scripture that says, “every male that opens the womb shall be called holy by the Lord” where we read:

(As it is written in the law of the Lord,

Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)

The verse reads, “(As it is written in the law of the Lord, ...” Luke began with the words, “as it is written” or “even like and in the same manner that it is delineated or formed in letters upon tablets, parchments, papers or other materials” “in the law” which means “within the rule, command, precept and injunction” “of the Lord” or “belonging to the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”. Luke referred to God's “law” as he gives the reason Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem for dedication.

The verse goes on to say, “... Every male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord;)” Luke continued with the words, “Every male” which means “each, every, the whole and everyone of the male children” “that opens the womb” or “who opens the closed matrix within a woman” “shall be called holy” which means “will be named and known to be sacred, pure, morally blameless and religiously and ceremonially consecrated” “to the Lord” or “toward the One to whom a person or thing belongs about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah”. Luke shared how each “male child” who is the “firstborn” are known as “sacred and consecrated” before God.

When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how he referred to Joseph and Mary's compliance with the “law” of God which declared the “firstborn” male children belonging to the Lord. Because Jesus was the Messiah of God, every law written concerning Him was to be followed, and although Joseph and Mary may have thought themselves simply obeying the “law of God”, they were actually complying with every detail God desired for His Son. Each of these events were followed because God loves people and wants them to be in a personal relationship with Him through His Son Jesus. Those who are wise will examine each of these things and yield their lives to Him as their personal “Savior and Lord”.

Next time Luke shares how Joseph and Mary were also in Jerusalem, “to offer a sacrifice according to that which is said in the law of the Lord”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".