Tonight at sundown, the Jewish people will begin
their celebration of Chanukah, also known as the Feast of Dedication or the
Festival of Lights. It commemorates the story of how the Maccabees, led by
Judah and his brothers, fought against the oppression of Antiochus IV in the
land of Israel, which, at that time, was under Roman rule. The word “Maccabee”
is an acronym of the Hebrew words, “Mi
Kamocha Ba’eillim HaShem,” which means, “Who is like you O God?”
(Chabad.org).
Under the oppressive reign of Antiochus IV, the
Jewish people were almost wiped out, along with their religious practices and
symbols. The Syrians had desecrated the Holy Temple by placing idols of foreign
gods within it. All of the items in the Temple treasury had been stolen,
including the golden menorahs, or lampstands, and the altar was destroyed.
Judah and the Maccabees refused to worship other gods but Adonai and they rose
up and fought against the mighty Syrian army, who outnumbered and outmatched
the Maccabees. However, the Maccabees were victorious and they reclaimed the
Temple, cleared it of all the idols, and rebuilt the altar. They crafted a
menorah made of cheaper medal since the golden ones were stolen from the
Temple. They had enough oil to burn only one day, but a miracle occurred. The
oil burned for 8 days until new oil could be found. The second Temple was
then re-dedicated to God. In memory of these events, Jewish teachers of old appointed these
eight days as a festival of celebration and thanksgiving to Adonai for watching
over His people and giving them a great victory.
Although Chanukah is not considered to be one of the
high holy days to the Jewish people, and although it is not mentioned in the
Jewish scriptures, it holds significance. It is the story of God’s faithfulness
to His children who remained faithful to Him. For me, it is a reminder that I
must always remain focused on my Creator and that apart from Him, I can do
nothing. I may become complacent, or I may get caught up in the stresses and trials of
life, but I must always re-dedicate myself to the One who brought me to such a
time as this.
Chanukah is a time of reflection upon what is unclean
in our own lives. It reminds us to examine what idols we may be putting before
God, whether those idols are money, other people, success, popularity, or even
religion itself. Sometimes, people get so fixated on the rituals or the leaders
within a congregation, or they forget that a place of worship is not a social
club, and they forget the whole reason they were there in the first place-God.
If we allow the things of life to distract us from what really matters in life-God,
His love for us, our family, our friends and the love we show other people-then
we find ourselves in a place of unhappiness, constantly chasing elusive and
temporary material things and never achieving fulfillment. That is not the life
I want. As it says in Joshua 24:15, “As for me and my household, we will serve
Adonai!”
So, as sundown approaches and Chanukah begins,
whether you celebrate it or not, whether you believe in a higher power or not,
I challenge you to examine your life. Consider what unclean things need to be
cleared out of your lives. Consider the things that you have made into idols
and ask yourselves whether they truly make you happy. If the answer is no, then
make a decision to re-dedicate yourselves to something better. Create a life
worth living and conquer that which oppresses you! The Maccabees did and so can
you! God bless!
