Friday, August 30, 2013

MY FATHER’S BUSINESS

Time with Jesus - 31 Aug 2013

Hi all,
One of the most important days in the life of a young Jewish boy was his Bar Mitzvah. If his parents were devout, the baby would have been circumcised on the eight day after his birth, apart from exceptional circumstances. 

The eighth day was regarded as the correct day for this because circumcision is painful. I’m not sure if there is any medical justification for this, but it is said that on the eighth day, the child’s anatomy goes through a period of change, when pain in this area is “low” and causes him the least discomfort.
No
Meaning
1
Unity; New beginnings
2
Union; Division; Witnessing
3
Divine completeness and perfection
4
Creation; The world; Creative works
5
Grace; God's goodness; Pentateuch (first five books)
6
Man’s Weakness; Manifestation of sin ; Evils of Satan
7
Resurrection; Spiritual completeness; Fathers perfection
8
New birth; New beginnings
9
Fruit of the spirit; Divine completeness from the Father
10
Testimony; Law and responsibility
11
Disorder and judgement
12
Governmental perfection
13
Apostasy; depravity and rebellion
14
Deliverance; Salvation
15
Rest
16
Love
17
Victory
18
Bondage
19
Faith
20
Redemption
There is another reason for this. One associated with Bible Numerics. 
This has been mentioned in the past so there is no need to dwell on it. Sufficient to say, numbers in the Bible have a special meaning. 
The table on the left is a list of the meaning of the numbers from 1 to 20. The number eight denotes resurrection, regeneration; a new beginning or commencement. 
The eighth is a new first; hence the octave in music; colour and days of the week. For Christians it is the number which has to do with the Lord, Who rose on the eighth, or new "first-day". This is, therefore, the Dominical number. (Relating to Jesus Christ as the Lord) (Courtesy Google)
Eight represents new birth and new beginnings. Thus the infant has a new beginning. He becomes a member of the greater Jewish family (descendent of Abraham) and is in covenant with God identified and established through circumcision. 

The details are spelled out in Genesis 17. 10 This is the covenant that you and your descendants must keep: Each male among you must be circumcised. 11 You must cut off the flesh of your foreskin as a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 From generation to generation, every male child must be circumcised on the eighth day after his birth. This applies not only to members of your family but also to the servants born in your household and the foreign-born servants whom you have purchased. Gen 17:10-12 NLT
Jesus Talking with the Officials in the Temple
The Temple was His Father's House
It follows that Jesus was circumcised on the eight day. This was essential or he could not have been a Jew or a Rabbi. There was no need to take Jesus to the temple in Jerusalem for His circumcision. It could have been carried out by a priest in Bethlehem. On the other hand, the distance between Bethlehem and Jerusalem was such that Mary and Joseph could have taken him to the Temple for this purpose.
Mary & Joseph "find" Jesus in the Temple
The reason is, Jesus was Mary’s first-born son. After bearing a child, the mother was regarded as ceremonially unclean and required ritual purification. This took place 41 days after the birth of a boy and 81 days after the birth of a girl. That’s why Joseph and Mary took Jesus to Jerusalem. It was so that He (Jesus) could be dedicated to the Lord and Mary could be ritually “cleansed” after her delivery. (See Leviticus 12 for the details)
It would be Unusual to Walk Together
The story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus going to the temple when he was ±12, has puzzled people for many years. For today’s meditation, I’ve put the entire story into perspective and explained the circumstances surrounding this. 

Jesus the boy went to Jerusalem for His Bar Mitzvah where He would officially change from boyhood into manhood. It’s a fascinating story which poses a number of questions concerning how Jesus was “mislaid”. Sufficient to say that now He was regarded as a man, He would join His Father and be a part of His Father’s business. Now Jesus’ Father is God. So as a man He would be in the Temple; His Father’s Temple.  
Mary and Joseph were under the impression Jesus should be part of Joseph’s business. In the end, Jesus went “home” with Mary and Joseph. There He worked as a carpenter for 18 years. Scripture contains so much depth. All that’s needed is to look for it.
Shalom,

Jim & Phyllida Strickland

Reading from the Scrolls
Right of Passage from Boyhood to Manhood

Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
Time with Jesus – 31 Aug 2013
Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give
©
These devotionals are the intellectual property of Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
©
INTRODUCTION
DAILY LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
MY FATHER’S BUSINESS
Apart from His birth in Bethlehem, we know almost nothing about Jesus as a child and growing up. The one incident we know was the trip to Jerusalem He took with Mary and Joseph. The occasion was,  for His Bar Mitzvah. After this ceremony a boy was considered a man. The man would automatically become a part of his father’s business. I can think of no other reason why they would all have gone from Nazareth to Jerusalem. Which means Jesus was ±12 years old and was about to become a man!
It was a long journey of about 150km; about 3 or 4 days on foot. In those days, the custom was for the women and children to leave first. They would get to the place where they would spend the night. There, the women would pitch the tents and get everything ready for the evening meal. The men would arrive in time for supper with them all. Until His Bar Mitzvah, Jesus would have been regarded as a child and would have travelled with the women.  After His Bar mitzvah the same thing would be repeated on the return to Nazareth.
Mary must have left with the women and children, leaving Jesus to return with Joseph. When it was time for the men to leave, Joseph would assume that, since Jesus was not there, He must have been with Mary! It would be late in the day before they realised He was not with either of them! They would have to go back to Jerusalem to find Him. But where would they look? When in Jerusalem, they hunted everywhere without success. Finally, they went to the temple. There they found Jesus! He was talking to the priests. The Priests would not chat with a child, so they were talking to Him as a man. In their discussions with Jesus, they were astonished at His knowledge. It would have been normal back then for every young boy to memorise the Torah! (Genesis to end of Deuteronomy) So Jesus must have known far more than that to astonish the priests. But Jesus had more or less “written” all of it before coming to earth. So it’s not surprising He had all the answers to their questions. The apostle Peter put it this way: 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. 2 Peter 1:21 TNIV
The amazing part of all of this was that His parents couldn’t find Him. After all, He was about His Father’s business! Since His real Father was God, where else should they have been looking for Him? Note, Jesus stated God was His Father at this young age! I’ve often wondered at what age He knew for certain who He was. Did He know it when He was born? You tell me!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland

13 Before he left, he called together ten of his servants and divided among them ten pounds of silver, saying, 'Invest this for me while I am gone.'
Luke 19:13 NLT
For every Jewish boy, before gets to be a man,
There is a ceremony, which long ago began.
They call it the Bar Mitzvah, where he reads from the law.
He is the child no longer, he used to be before.
This very special date and in a very special place,
The youngster had to go and look his manhood in the face.
We know when Jesus did it; we know the place He went.
The temple in Jerusalem. We’ve heard of the event.
They went up for this purpose. The women went ahead,
To set up camp and pitch the tents and make the daily bread.
Jesus went with Mary, for He was still a kid.
The men arrived much later, as usually they did.
There within the Temple He did what was desired.
It was His “rite of passage” as Jewish law required.
From this day on in history, He wasn’t just a lad,
But working as “partner”, in the business of His Dad!
All this was very normal, until they left for home.
His mother with the women and children on their own.
The menfolk followed later. Eventually they met.
Where’s Jesus?” Mary asked him. “Did you perhaps forget,
That He would travel with the men; I thought He was with you?
We’ll have to go and look for Him. It’s all that we can do.”
They set off very early and went back to the town.
Even if they had to turn the whole place upside down,
They had to keep on looking and searching with their eyes.
Then in the Temple precincts, they got a big surprise.
There was Jesus talking, with many gathered priests,
About the Jewish Torah and of their many feasts.
He seemed to be so young to know so much about the Law.
They wondered how He got it and what He got it for.
Then Joseph said to Jesus, “Tell me please my son,
Why you didn’t come with us? We’ve both been on the run.
Both of us were worried. We thought you’d come to harm.
But Jesus looked at both of them and with a voice so calm,
He said, “Did you forget that I have now become a man?
I must look and see the way His “business” has been ran.
Surely this is what My Father’s wanting now of Me.
For in My Father’s business is where I have to be.”
Jim Strickland
Written 31st August 2012

34 "The coming of the Son of Man can be illustrated by the story of a man going on a long trip. When he left home, he gave each of his slaves instructions about the work they were to do, and he told the gatekeeper to watch for his return.
Mark 13:34 NLT

15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of silver to another and one bag of silver to the last--dividing it in proportion to their abilities. He then left on his trip.
Matthew 25:15 NLT

4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.
John 9:4 TNIV

49 Jesus said to them, "Why were you looking for me? Didn't you realize that I had to be in my Father's house?"
Luke 2:49 GW

21 This is the kind of life you've been invited into, the kind of life Christ lived. He suffered everything that came his way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it, step-by-step.
1 Peter 2:21 MSG

2 Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favourable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching.
2 Timothy 4:2 NLT

13 But each person's work will be shown for what it is. On judgment day it will be brought to light. It will be put through fire. The fire will test how good everyone's work is.
1 Corinthians 3:13 NIrV
58 So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT

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