Feast of Dedication

 

 

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!