Hanukkah, or the Feast of Dedication is a celebration not included
in the
Feasts of Jehovah, this celebration finds its origin during the intertestamental
period—the time between the Old and New Testaments. It is an epic story of
deliverance of God’s people from yet another attempt by Satan, through his
puppet Epiphanes, to annihilate the Jewish people.
Tonight is the first night of this special celebration and
its symbolization is remarkable. Jesus celebrated the Festival of Lights, and
the importance of this festival is significant. First, I do not celebrate this
holiday as the Jewish people do, but I do recognize the importance.
Hanukkah commemorates the re-dedication of the Temple in
Jerusalem by Judah Maccabee in 165 BC after a standoff with Antiochus IV Epiphanes,
who nearly succeeded in wiping out the Jews. The Maccabees won the standoff. (My
own little note: it is no accident that the heroic leader of the Maccabees is
named Judah—the line of the Messiah).
When the Maccabees took back the Temple from Epiphanes, it
had been completely desecrated—so the Jews went to work to clean and rededicate
the temple. They cleaned out the liter left by Epiphanes, and tore down the
altar built to Zeus. The Jews offered incense on the golden
altar, and placed the shewbread
on the table. The
lampstand in the Tabernacle and the Temple, was required by God to be lit
every day. The high priest tended the lamps day and night by trimming the wicks
and filling the cups with oil. However, only one jar of oil was found, and that
would last only one day. But out of faith in God, and a desire to rededicate
the Lord’s house, they miraculously lit the lamp from that one jar of oil for
eight days.
Not only was this a miracle at God’s hands to rededicate His
temple, it was also a miracle that the Jews defeated Epiphanes. Satan purposed
to wipe out the Jews in hopes of wiping out any hope for the Messiah to come. Satan is no match for the plans and purposes of God.
John 10:22-23 tells us that Jesus celebrated the festival:
At that time the Feast
of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; it was winter, and Jesus was
walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon.
What does this festival mean for us? It certainly does not
mean you need to light a menorah each night. I celebrate that the plot to wipe out the Jews
failed. The
hope in the Advent of the Messiah was renewed with the victory over
Epiphanes.
The miracle of the oil was preceded by a desire to
renew—rededicate the Temple. Let us during this time of Hanukkah, in this Advent
Season, clean
out the liter (the Braze Laver) , renew
our study and love for the Word (Table of Shewbread), allow the
Holy Spirit to guide us again (The Lampstand), and reignite
our prayer life (the altar of incense). Let’s rededicate our temple to the
Lord, and renew the hope
in the advent of Christ. Jesus is the Light of the world; let’s shine
His light in this season of Hanukkah and Advent.
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