Hanukkah: The Light Version
Ron Ross
Bridges for Peace News
Email: ronrossbfp@hotmail.com
12th December, 2008
The Jewish festival Hanukkah is also known as The Feast of Dedication or the Festival of Lights. It is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Second Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt (2nd century BCE).
The date this year is Sunset December 21 until Sunset 29: the first day of Hanukkah is December 22nd.
Minor Festival
In Jewish understanding it is a minor feast with no reference to it in the Tanakh; in fact the only biblical reference to Hanukkah is in the New Testament.
Rabbi Joshua Eli Plaut (USA): “Hanukkah has always been a minor holiday, not on par with the Jewish New Year, The Day of Atonement and not even on a par with the other high holidays. The Jews in the United States have felt the rivalry of Christmas for the past 100 years, and that has brought about a transformation – I call it the ‘Americanization’ of Hanukkah – which makes it a highly commercialized holiday.”
Michael Manekin, writing in the Oakland Tribune said: “It was in the ‘Old Country’ – Germany, to be precise – that Jews began to relate differently to Christmas. As well-to-do Jews assimilated into German society, they warmed to Christmas – exchanging gifts, hosting elaborate Christmas dinners and even bringing decorative trees into their homes.”
According to Manekin, “Many German Jewish families carried their affinity for Christmas to the United States……As American Jews grew more comfortable in their religious identity, a change took place. Hanukkah acquired the trappings of Christmas…with its own special colors (blue and white) and a tradition of gift giving (with some families giving eight gifts, one for every night of the holiday).”
Rabbi Yossie Marcus, a US-based orthodox rabbi said, “I don’t see why Hanukkah should be kept minor ….especially in these days when most Jews don’t even have a menorah. Don’t worry whether it’s traditional or not traditional. Times change and if this is something that’s positive in the world, who cares if it’s not the way we celebrated in Europe or in the Middle East thousands of years ago.”
I think it’s very significant that the only biblical reference to Hanukkah is to be found in the Gospels where Jesus (Yeshua) is the central figure.
John 10:22-23 “Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple, in Solomon’s porch.
I find it very interesting that the Holy Spirit inspired John to highlight Hanukkah when it is ignored in the Tanakh.
The fact that Yeshua observed it makes it very important for us.
Without the miracle of Hanukkah, the Jewish people would have been defeated, most likely eradicated.
There would have been NO JEWISH JESUS!
The Jewish people faced annihilation from just another tyrant who had a desire to wipe them off the map! Only the will of God and the courageous stand by the Maccabees foiled the wicked plan.
So what happened to spark such Jewish protest?
The Syrian despot, Antiochus Epiphanes entered the Temple and killed a pig on the altar.
To get the impact of such an act, imagine Mahmoud Ahmadinejad strolling into Jerusalem and slaughtering a pig in the Great Synagogue.
The Maccabees were disgusted, offended and furious.
The name Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew meaning ‘dedication’ or ‘consecration’.
The altar was desecrated now, defiled by the forces of Antiochus IV.
We should try and grasp the spiritual impact when we allow descration within the temple of the Holy Spirit.
How impassioned are we to get things right? How grieved is God when we allow His holiness to be tarnished by our sin?
I’m going to share with you some passages from 1 and 2 Maccabees. These are writings which are not sacred or part of the Bible, they are helpful for us to dig into history and gather information from the past.
1 Maccabees 4:38-46 (NRSV)
38 There they saw the sanctuary desolate, the altar profaned, and the gates burned. In the courts they saw bushes sprung up as in a thicket, or as on one of the mountains. They saw also the chambers of the priests in ruins.
39 Then they tore their clothes and mourned with great lamentation; they sprinkled themselves with ashes 40 and fell face down on the ground. And when the signal was given with the trumpets, they cried out to Heaven.”
They were truly grieved – now verse 44:
44 They deliberated what to do about the altar of burnt offering, which had been profaned. 45 And they thought it best to tear it down, so that it would not be a lasting shame to them that the Gentiles had defiled it. So they tore down the altar, 46 and stored the stones in a convenient place on the temple hill until a prophet should come to tell what to do with them.”
The significant event in this commemoration was the ‘miracle of the container of oil.’
According to all reports the Maccabees wanted to keep the Temple’s eternal flame burning but they only had enough consecrated olive oil for a single day.
This is the lesson that ignites my heart and hopefully lights up your life as well.
Do we have enough consecrated oil for today?
Are we filled with the Holy Spirit, right now?
Are we right with the Lord today?
Can we trust the Lord for tomorrow?
Is it possible to appropriate the promises of God for ourselves when the mountains seem high and the obstacles huge?
It may be hard to hype yourself into that frame of mind; so the Lord has found a way to extend His helping hand.
In the Jewish Talmud it says after those who defiled the Temple were driven out, the Maccabees discovered that almost all the ritual oil had been profaned. Only a single container was still sealed with enough oil for a single day.
They used this one and miraculously it burned for eight days, the time it takes to have new oil pressed and made ready.
Think about these Jewish heroes for just a moment!
When you consider the tough opposition they had and the disastrous odds so many faced you can’t help but think of the Apostle Paul. He faced all manner of opposition but stood tall.
We might think of Samson, or David or Esther!
One Jewish writer said, “Call it spunk, call it chutzpah – whatever term is chosen, it’s a quality that we as Jewish people have grown to appreciate, especially around Hanukkah.”
It is helpful to consider the biblical definition of ‘tough.’
King Saul was a big man. He towered over everyone physically but his heart was not with God. David, on the other hand was small and trusted in the Lord to do his fighting for him. It’s the David-kind of ‘tough’ we have so often seen claim triumph for the Jewish people.
If my strength begins to fail; if I start to be depressed or suffer doubt and unbelief – there is an answer found in Hanukkah.
Hanukkah is the Festival of Lights (that’s a great clue!)
Each day of Hanukkah a candle is lit progressing to eight candles by the final night. An extra candle the ‘shamash’ is lit each night and given a distinct location.
The ‘shamash’ has a very important role.
The Hanukkah lights can be used for no other purpose but publicizing the Hanukkah story. So the ‘shamash’ is designated to other tasks.
The name ‘shamash’ means ‘guard’ or ‘servant’ and this candle is used to light the others. I believe ‘the shamash’ points to the miracle of Yeshua, who is ‘The Light of the World.’
John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
He is also our guard!
Phil. 4:7 “and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
2Th. 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”
There may be another significance to the New Testament reference to the Feast of Dedication and it might well be linked with Jewish numerology.
Remember Hanukkah is an 8-day feast. Seven is the number of days for creation – the completion of the material cosmos, and the classical planets.
Eight is one step beyond that seven, and represents the ‘infinite.’
According to Jewish Law, the Eighth Day of Celebration is for Jews only. This is different to Sukkot when all are welcomed to Jerusalem.
Circumcision which brings a Jewish male child into the covenant of God is performed on the 8th day.
So when Jesus, the Light of the World, appears at the Feast of Dedication what do we learn?
Think of the predicament faced by the Maccabees. They were expecting the eternal flame to die in a single day.
Jesus, our shamash or guard and servant light takes us beyond the material cosmos into the eternal realm.
1Cor. 4:5 “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise will come from God”
Don’t judge anything before the time – don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
Let’s not have faith for the worst.
2Cor. 4:6 “For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Imagine taking that shamash candle and each day lighting the Hanukkah with it.
Taking the One who is the Light of the World and actually embracing Him as your Light.
When the Maccabees experienced their miracle they did not simply stop and celebrate. They went much further.
2 Maccabees 10: 6 (NRSV)
6 They celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the festival of booths, remembering how not long before, during the festival of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals.
Do we remember what we once were?
Do we acknowledge the miracle that came and turned our sorrow into joy?
This is what links Hanukkah and Christmas for me. The key is Yeshua, who came to overcome this world; to bring us His love and His life – to set captives free.
No longer need we be captive to fear but because of Yeshua we walk by faith. His light will remain.
Here’s a very important aspect of what the Lord has done.
The reason for the Hanukkah lights is not for the ‘lighting of the house within’, but rather for the ‘illumination of the house without,’ so that passers-by should see it and be reminded that our God is a god of miracles.
I received this message this morning and I believe it is addressed to you:
1Pet. 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
In the midst of the world and its challenges let’s go forward as shining lights in a world of darkness.
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Three years ago he joined Bridges for Peace in Jerusalem to establish international radio news and an audio service webcast at www.bridgesforpeace.com Ron was Sports Editor of WINTV for 20 years before joining the full-time missions. You can contact Ron at : ronrossbfp@hotmail.com |
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