Hanukkah: Restoration & Rededication

Do not fear the words of sinners, for their splendor will turn into dung and worms. Today they will be exalted, but tomorrow they will not be found, because they will have returned to the dust, and their plans will have perished. My children, be courageous and grow strong in the law, for by it you will gain honor. (1 Maccabees 2.62-64) Now, we who observe the law to the best of our ability recognize the law does not save, however, it indeed does bring honor in the courts of the Most High as Psalm 1 says, blessed is the man whose delight is in the law of the Lord. 

As we have been preserved and again come to this time and this season marking the feast of dedication, we do so with great contemplation as we consider the times in which we live and the overwhelming thrust of societal direction.   

The observance of Hanukkah is not found in the Biblical text, rather the books 1 & 2 Maccabees are found in the apocrypha which are related writings not forming part of the accepted canon of Scripture.  We must exercise caution when utilizing external texts to interpret Biblical accounts and in fact must allow the Biblical text to influence our understanding of the external text rather than the other way around.  For example, there are individuals who use the book of Enoch to establish the feast day cycle and shabbats.  It’s called the Enochian calendar.  This calendar shifts the Sabbath day from year to year from one day of the week to another along with offsetting the feast days.  This cuts against the Biblical narrative and illustrates how allowing external texts to influence ones understanding of the Bible undermines the Almighty’s authority in their lives. We do not want to do that here at Lev Y’shua.   

Both Hanukkah and Purim fall into an interesting category.  They are not found in Leviticus 23 and there is no mandate to observe them.  They are not enunciated Feasts of the Lord and therefore observance of them is not mandatory.  Purim is established in the book of Esther, and as noted, we need to go the apocrypha to understand the origins of Hanukkah.  Both events portend certain annihilation and yet, against all odds, came victory and restoration.  Both events impacted the Jews, thus preserving the line from which Messiah would come.  Because of the Jewishness of these events, there are those in our walk who refuse to observe them.   While that is their prerogative, there is nothing wrong in searching out understanding in these happenings and recognizing the Almighty’s hand in them.   

Turning our attention to the observance at hand, 1 Maccabees illustrates how evil was rampant and even many of God’s own people were co-opted as verses 11-15 expound; “ In those days lawless men came forth from Israel, and misled many, saying, “Let us go and make a covenant with the Gentiles round about us, for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us.”  This proposal pleased them, and some of the people eagerly went to the king. He authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles.  So, they built a gymnasium in Jerusalem, according to Gentile custom, and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil.”  

This isn’t just a story of foreign oppression but one that encompasses both external as well as internal pressures to conform to the world view of the day.  Sound familiar?  The narrative of the Maccabees is the narrative of mankind’s history.  It’s the narrative of our day.   

There was great pressure to conform, to eat unclean, to break the Sabbath, to sacrifice to pagan idols and, if you didn’t, the penalty was death. The books of the Law were burned.  Antiochus came to Jerusalem with a large force.  Deceitfully he spoke peaceable words to them, and they believed him; but he suddenly fell upon the city, dealt it a severe blow, and destroyed many people (v 29-30). 

Why did some conform?  1 John 2:15-17 tells us “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.  And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.”  They conformed because they loved the world. 

Hanukkah means to dedicate; it comes from the idea that the Holy Temple was cleansed and rededicated to the Almighty’s purposes after the Maccabees fought their guerilla war against Antiochus and won.  They stood strong against the onslaught of the invader and the world view and prevailed.  At what point do we stand and fight?  Spiritually, we need to do this daily, my Brethren!  We need to be girded up in Messiah.   

Messiah is represented by the shamash Candle on the Hanukkiah, the Hanukkah menorah. This candle is either set apart or elevated from the others and thusly represents our Messiah who came to serve and be a ransom for many.   Every time we light the Hanukkiah we do so by lighting the shamash (servant) candle first, then using it to light the other candles.  This is rabbinic tradition and yet it so beautifully represents Messiah, as our lights can only shine because He is the one who gives us light!   

We celebrate eight days because as recorded in 2 Maccabees 10:6-8; And they celebrated it for eight days with rejoicing, in the manner of the feast of booths, remembering how not long before, during the feast of booths, they had been wandering in the mountains and caves like wild animals. Therefore, bearing ivy-wreathed wands and beautiful branches and also fronds of palm, they offered hymns of thanksgiving to him who had given success to the purifying of his own holy place. They decreed by public ordinance and vote that the whole nation of the Jews should observe these days every year. 

From the writings we see that the main story line of Hanukkah as explained cannot be proven from the text, specifically that one day’s cruse of oil burned for eight days, as it would be recorded if such a miracle took place.  However, the deeper truth is the miracle of the Almighty’s work in men’s hearts and the restoration only He can bring to us.  Could He burn oil for eight days that should only last of one?  Absolutely!  That is small potatoes for our Great God.  However, it’s men’s hearts He’s after and therein lies the greatest miracle, that He can change hearts of stone to hearts of flesh!  And this, my Brethren, is the real miracle exemplified in this season of Hanukkah and well worth observing.