What Old Testament prophecies connect to the fulfillment seen in Luke 2:29? Setting the Scene in Luke 2:29 • Simeon holds the infant Jesus and prays, “Sovereign Lord, as You have promised, You now dismiss Your servant in peace”. • His words echo centuries of prophetic expectation that God would personally bring salvation to His people and extend that salvation to the nations. Promises of “Seeing” Salvation • Psalm 119:123 — “My eyes fail, looking for Your salvation, and for Your righteous promise.” • Isaiah 52:10 — “The LORD has bared His holy arm in the sight of all the nations; all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” • Isaiah 40:5 — “The glory of the LORD will be revealed, and all humanity together will see it.” Simeon’s exclamation that he has seen God’s salvation ties directly to these visions of a salvation that becomes visible and tangible. “Dismiss Your Servant in Peace” • Genesis 46:30 — Jacob, having finally seen Joseph alive, says, “Now let me die, since I have seen your face.” Simeon likewise feels his life’s purpose is complete after seeing the Messiah. • Numbers 20:29 pictures the peaceful “gathering” of Aaron to his people once God’s promise is fulfilled. • Isaiah 26:3 speaks of perfect peace for those whose minds are fixed on the LORD, the peace Simeon now enjoys. God Keeps His Word to His Servants • Psalm 119:49 — “Remember Your word to Your servant, upon which You have given me hope.” • Joshua 21:45 — “Not one of all the LORD’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.” Luke emphasizes that Simeon’s experience is “according to Your word,” spotlighting God’s flawless record of promise-keeping. Light for the Nations, Glory for Israel (implicit in vv. 31-32, but inseparable from v. 29) • Isaiah 49:6 — “I will also make You a light for the nations to bring My salvation to the ends of the earth.” • Isaiah 42:6 — “I … appoint You to be a covenant for the people and a light for the nations.” • Isaiah 60:1-3 — Gentiles come to Israel’s light, and kings to the brightness of her dawn. Simeon’s peace flows from knowing the Child will fulfill these prophecies—salvation for Jew and Gentile alike. The Lord Arrives at His Temple • Malachi 3:1 — “Then the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to His temple.” Simeon meets that Lord in the very temple Malachi foresaw, confirming that the long-awaited moment has arrived. Consolation Promised, Consolation Realized • Isaiah 40:1 — “Comfort, comfort My people, says your God.” Luke 2:25 calls Jesus “the consolation of Israel,” and Simeon, representing the faithful remnant, now experiences that comfort firsthand. Summary Connections • Simeon’s word “dismiss” answers the longing of saints like Jacob and the psalmists who yearned to see God’s salvation before death. • His reference to God’s “promise” anchors the scene in the unbreakable covenant faithfulness proclaimed throughout the Torah, Prophets, and Writings. • The peace he enjoys rests on prophetic assurances of a visible, worldwide salvation centering in a Person who is both Israel’s glory and the nations’ light. |
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