From Clocker Valley in County Tyrone we present Let the Bible Speak. It's good to have you join us as Gospel Minister the Reverend Peter McIntyre is here to let the Bible speak and preach Christ in all his fullness. Good afternoon, Peter McIntyre with you for the next 15 minutes. Today we're going to talk about a very elderly woman who was a great blessing to others. I hope that it's of encouragement to you. First listen to the Grand Shell Gospel Group singing Showers of Blessing. There shall be showers of blessing, this is the promise of love. There shall be seasons refreshing, sent from the Savior above. There shall be showers of blessing, Precious reviving again. Over the hills and the valleys, Sound of abundance of rain, Showers, showers of blessing, Showers of blessing we need. Mercy drops round us are falling, But for the showers we plead. There shall be showers of blessing If we but trust and obey. There shall be seasons refreshing, if we let God love His way. Showers, showers of blessing, showers of blessing we need. Mercy drops from us are falling, but for the showers we plead. We'll read some verses from the book of Luke chapter 2. We'll begin at the verse 36. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was of a great age. and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity, and she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of Him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem. We'll end our reading there at the verse 38. When the Lord Jesus Christ was 40 days old, Mary and Joseph, according to the Levitical code which governed the children of Israel, they came to the temple. They brought the child to the temple when he was 40 days old for a twofold purpose. Number one, the mother and the father had to be purified. They were considered ceremonially unclean. and on the 40th day they came with an offering. In this case the offering was two young turtle doves. This would have been the offering of poorer classes of people who could not afford a bullock or a lamb. So they brought a creature that was easily obtained. These young turtle doves were sacrificed in order that Mary and Joseph might be made clean. So there was the rite of purification. but there also was presentation. The child was presented to the temple. In particular, he was presented to the Lord. Setting apart the fact that Christ was singular and that he was the Son of God, there was something very special about him. He was a first born male. A first born male was considered holy and a first born male had to be redeemed. The five shekels had to be paid to the temple as the price of his redemption, as a token of his sacredness. And so Mary and Joseph went through all of this and this teaches us they were a godly couple They feared the Lord. They wanted to regulate their lives and their home and their marriage according to the Word of God and so they did what was required of them. We also see the humiliation of Christ. Only 40 days old and yet his mother was purified. Offering a very poor offering because Joseph and her had not much money. The one who is the redeemer was himself redeemed by the payment of a price when he was but a child. And when he was in the temple in the arms of his mother in the court of woman. The Jewish temple was divided into various courts and this was the court of woman. No gentiles were allowed into the court of woman. But Jewish women were allowed. And as the couple loitered about in this temple, in this great court, where there were no chairs, people milling about on religious duties, they were approached by an old man called Simeon. Mary would never forget the words that he said. He lifted the child in his arms. He said he could now die in peace. because he had seen the Redeemer. He also said to Mary that a sword will pierce your soul also. Perhaps Mary thought about this 33 years later as she watched her son die on Calvary's cross just a little distance away from this very spot. Also 33 years later The Lord, as the rabbi, would be in the court of woman taking some rest. And he would look over and see an old woman, a widow, casting in two mates. And she would not know that he was there yet. He would praise her for she gave what she could. When he is but a child 40 days old, another widow approaches him. Her name is Anna. She's a very special lady. And we're going to think about this lady whose life is an example of how God can bring blessing and triumph out of the greatest of tragedies and her life was tragic and yet she became a useful tool in the hands of the Lord. So let's consider Anna. We'll consider her person. The name Anna means grace. It is a variant of Hannah which also means grace. Anna and Hannah continue to be popular names today. They have a most precious meaning. Grace. But this woman did not only have a name that meant grace. Grace was in her life as we observe her coming to the child Jesus. We see the grace of God. Is the grace of God in your life? Does it manifest itself in your character? We're also told that her father's name was Fanuel. The name Fanuel means the face of God. Anna knew God. From this we can deduce that her father had more than a name. He was a man who knew God face to face. He was a man who taught his little girl. To know God face to face. Are you a parent? Do you cause your children to see God, to know God? Does your faith lead them to the very face of God? She came from the tribe of Asher. Luke, you know, was a complete historian. He could trace family lineage. Here we see the authenticity of the record. Anna! daughter of Faneuil, tribe of Asher. We get a picture of the woman. The name Asher means blessed and the word blessed means happy. Oh she was a happy woman indeed. Happy is that people whose God is the Lord. We are only truly happy when we know Christ. Do you know him? We'll also think about Anna's pathos. Anna's life was sad. She was a widow and she did not have the opportunity of enjoying married life for a long time. She had been a widow 7 years from her virginity. Only 7 years of marriage, that's what it means. She had shed her tears. Her heart had been broke. She never married again. She remained a widow and the Bible tells us that her period of 84 years had elapsed. Does this mean 84 years since she was born? Or does this mean 84 years since she became a widow? Well, let's just think about that for a moment. 84 years is a very long period of time. It was fairly common for Jewish girls of that period to be married when they were 14 years of age. And if that was the case, Anna became a widow at the tender age of 21. And if she had been a widow for 84 years, that means she was now, according to the record, 105 years of age. Now the Bible tells us that she was of a great age. She wasn't just old, she had a very great age. And this seems to point to the fact that she was indeed 105 years of age. But even if she was somewhat younger, being 84, she was still very, very elderly. We do know this, however. She had suffered widowhood for a protracted period of time. The Lord noticed her. God saw her, just as Christ would see that widow 33 years later casting in her two mites. So God noticed Anna. He loved her. He cared for her despite her sorrow. Whatever your sadness is today, He sees and He cares. Let's also consider Anna's piety. She was a prophetess. There are only two women in the New Testament who are designated as being prophetesses. The other is a woman called Jezebel in the book of Revelation chapter 2 and she was a false prophetess. So Anna is the only person who is called a true prophetess in the whole of the New Testament. There were the daughters of Philip who prophesied, but they are not called prophetesses, although they had spiritual discernment. Normally God worked through men in fulfilling the work of prophet, but he set this order aside and selected Anna as his voice, as his word. She was a woman with rare spiritual gifts. She was a light in dark days. For 400 years Israel had been without a prophet. This was a time of darkness since the days of Malachi until the arrival of John the Baptist. God was not speaking to his people. The Jewish religion was at a very low ebb, being dominated by unscrupulous and self-seeking leaders. In the midst of all of this darkness there was a woman who knew God. A woman who was a light for Christ. You too can know God in the midst of our dark and sinful society. You too can be a witness. You too can be a light. Perhaps I speak to someone today and you're shut in your home. You're weary. You're distressed. You're suffering. What can I do for God you say? I am elderly. I am a widow perhaps. God had a purpose for Anna. He has a purpose for you. That's why you're still alive. You can be a light where you are. We are told that this woman, she departed not from the temple. She wanted to be where God's presence was. This may in fact mean that she had living quarters within the temple. That apparently was not all that unusual. But if that was not the case, she made her way to the temple every day. Her religion was real. It wasn't a religion of word. It was a religion of deed. It was a faith that was lived in the very presence of a holy God. She fasted and she prayed. She did not fast and pray as the Pharisees to be seen of men. She fasted and prayed to be seen of God. Her life was devoted to the service of her King as your life devoted to the service of your King. We'll also think about Anna's perception. When she saw old Simeon with the child in his arms, she instantly knew who the child was. Such was her spiritual discernment. that she recognized the child she gave thanks to God this was the one whom she longed to see throughout her life perhaps this was the reason why she loitered in the temple year after year she wanted to see the Messiah as the firstborn boys were brought in to be presented she would have wondered to herself is this the one and now she saw him he was the one she sought the Lord her whole heart and now she found him. The Bible says seek ye the Lord while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. If you seek the Lord you will find him. We'll also think about Anna's proclamation. She became the first missionary in the New Testament. She spoke to others about the child. She was a source of encouragement to those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem. She spoke about him. The Bible emphasises that. She didn't proclaim some kind of philosophy or some kind of idea. She proclaimed the person, this child, this Jesus. That's what I'm seeking to do, proclaiming the story of redemption to a lost and dying world. Without Christ you have no hope, but with Christ there is hope, there is happiness, and there is joy. Well, learn the lessons from Anna. She had a tragic life, but God gave her peace, and only Christ can give you peace in the midst of your life, whatever your trials may be. I thank you so much for listening. you've been listening to Let the Bible Speak if we can be of any further spiritual help or if you would like to receive some free gospel literature we invite you to write to us our mailing address is Let the Bible Speak Reverend Peter McIntyre 13 Willand Crescent, Five Mile Town, County Tyrone BT75OQL that's Let the Bible Speak Reverend Peter McIntyre Thirteen, Willand, Crescent, Five Mile Town, County Tyrone, BT75, OQL. You may hear Mr. McIntyre preach each Lord's Day here in Clocker Valley Free Presbyterian Church at 11.30am and 7pm. For further information you may phone us at 028 8952 1611. 028 8952 1611. We assure you of a very warm welcome at all the services and look forward to having you visit with us. Thank you for listening today, may the Lord richly bless you, and don't forget to tune in on this same station at the same time next week, when once again we turn to the scriptures and let the Bible speak.