WEEK 11 : The Praise of the Angels and the Homage of the Shepherds

1. SCRIPTURE

Luke 2:8-20

Lk. 2:8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flocks by night.
Lk. 2:9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Lk. 2:10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold I bring you tidings of great joy which shall be to all people.”
Lk. 2:11 “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Redeemer, who is the Messiah of the Lord.”
Lk. 2:12 And this will be a sign to you: You will find the Babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.”
Lk. 2:13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of heavenly host praising God and saying,
Lk. 2:14 “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.”
Lk. 2:15 So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go into Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.”
Lk. 2:16 And they came with haste and found Miriam and Yoseph and the Babe lying in a manger.
Lk. 2:17 Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told to them concerning this child.
Lk. 2:18 And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds.
Lk. 2:19 But Miriam kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.
Lk. 2:20 Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told to them.

Luke 2:8-20 (NKJV) Other versions ...

2. COMMENTARY

Vs. 8: This one statement tells us nothing about the time of the year. So far we have only pinpointed the year of Yeshua’s birth as being probably 4 B.C.E. This verse is often used as an argument against the month of December as being the time of Yeshua’s birth. Although the Lord was not born in December (see below), the reasoning used here is flawed. We are told there were shepherds and sheep out there, and since you don’t have shepherds and sheep out there in December, Yeshua could not have been born in December. The truth is that there are sheep all over the place around Bethlehem in December, just as there are the rest of the year. Sheep have to graze in order to eat. The shepherds couldn’t run down to his local Purina dealer to buy processed feed to tide them over in the winter.

At the time of Yochanan haMatbil’s birth (April), Miriam was three months pregnant. Going forward six months places the birth of Yeshua in late September or early October, the time of Sukkoth. Josephus records that Herod’s death came in the fall. Since he was alive at the time of Yeshua’s birth and died shortly thereafter, this also confirms the approximate time of the year.

“The Birth of Yeshua During Sukkoth” By Joseph Good

“An easy to document, but not well known fact, is the date of the birth of Yeshua. This is done by establishing several things: (1) the date that Gabriel the angel tells Zacharias, the soon-to-be father of Yochanan, about his son’s birth. The birth date of Yochanan is then established by going forward nine months, the term of pregnancy; (2) the approximate date of Miriam’s conception; and (3) the date of Herod’s death.”

“The date that Gabriel the angel told Zacharias that he and Elizabeth were going to have Yochanan is established from the following: Luke 1:5 states that Zacharias was a priest of the course of Abijah. King David, according to 1 Chronicles 24, divided the priestly families into twenty-four groups. Each group was called a course (mishmar), and named after the head of that particular family. Each course served for one week in the first half of the year, and for another week in the second half of the year. This was in addition to the weeks of Hag haMatzah (Unleavened Bread), Shavuot (Pentecost), and Sukkoth (Tabernacles), when all the courses were required to be present (Deut. 16:16). Therefore, the first course served the first week of the year (Aviv), the second course the second week; then all the courses the third week because it was Hag haMatzah, and so on. I Chronicles 24:10 lists the course of Abijah as the eighth course. This course would serve the tenth week of the first half of the year, allowing two weeks for Hag haMatzah and Shavuot. It is at this time that Zacharias receives the prophecy of Yochanan’s birth.”

“Due to the laws of separation (Lev. 12:5; 15:19,25), two additional weeks had to be counted. Allowing for this and going forward with a normal pregnancy, the time of Yochanan’s birth (if this is the first half of the year) would be approximately Pesach (Passover), when it is expected that Elijah would appear. (Remember, Yochanan came in the spirit of Elijah.) Six months following Elizabeth’s conception, the angel Gabriel is sent to Miriam, the cousin of Elizabeth.”

End of Quotation

Vs. 9,10: The glory of the Lord is the Shekhinah Glory, and this is the first appearance since the days of Ezekiel. Ezekiel the prophet records how the Shekhinah Glory departed from the Temple in Israel in four successive and reluctant stages, hoping for the people of Israel to repent. But, Israel did not repent, and so the Shekhinah disappeared from Jewish history. Here the Shekhinah is used to announce the birth of a Jewish King to Jewish shepherds. It should also be noted that there is another term in Hebrew that is used synonymously with Shekhinah Glory, and that is Ruach HaKodesh (the Holy Spirit).

Vs. 11: Messiah means the “Anointed One.” According to Jewish thought of those days, He was to be a charismatically endowed descendant of King David, who the Jews of the Roman period believed would be raised up by God to break the yoke of the heathen and reign over a restored kingdom of Israel to which all Jews would return. This thought is very prevalent in Zacharias’ prophecy.

Vs. 12: Such a momentous event required a sign. The sign was that the Babe would be wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger. One would expect a King to be lying in luxurious garments in a palace. This King laid aside His glory (Phil. 2:7). The fact that He is lying in a manger tells us that he is in a stable. In those days, stables were not normally made of wood and straw, but were actually caves. The exception is that this time of year, the people were actually required to build small booths (shelters or sukkas) for the celebration of Sukkoth, (which is also called the Feast of Booths, or Tabernacles). Another clue is that He is wrapped in swaddling clothes. Swaddling clothes here means “burial clothes.” They are not normal baby clothes. Probably they had to make do with what they could on such short notice and borrowed these from a nearby tomb. With the wrappings of swaddling or burial clothes, we are told the reason for the Baby’s birth. He is born to die and even will be buried in a borrowed tomb.

Vs. 13: It is important to grasp the incredible change in Israel’s relationship with God that was taking place here. And it is also important to understand that Israel had not done anything or changed anything to deserve this. This is strictly because of the incredible grace and mercy of God. During Israel’s history, angels had appeared to only a select few individuals. For the last 400 years Israel had not even heard from God. Suddenly, He is now speaking profusely to men and women in Israel. This in itself is a sign that something incredible was about to happen.

Vs. 16: Caught up in the excitement of the hour, the shepherds rush to see the Miracle Child. They find everything to be as the angel had said.

Vs. 19: Miriam pondered upon these things, but kept them inside. Years later, she would reveal them to the Gospel writer, Luke.

THE DIVISIONS OF THE PRIESTS I CHRONICLES 24:7-18

1. Jehoiarib
2. Jedaiah
3. Harim
4. Seorim
5. Malkijah
6. Mijamin
7. Hakkoz
8. Abijah
9. Jeshua
10. Shecaniah
11. Eliashib
12. Jakim
13. Huppah
14. Jeshebeah
15. Bilgah
16. Immer
17. Hezir
18. Happizzez
19. Pethahiah
20. Jehezkel
21. Jakin
22. Gamul
23. Delaiah
24. Maaziah
3. DISCUSSIONS

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