Encouragement

The word that came to the Maccabees that brought light.

“Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!” I believe that this word that became their cry brought forth light, not only in the Holy Place but illumined their hearts to believe this confession. They answered this eternal question—there is no one like the Lord. This brings to my mind a chorus we sang in the 70s from Isaiah 44:8:

There is none Holy as the Lord,
There is none beside Thee,
Neither is there any Rock like our God,
there is none Holy as the Lord.

There is none like You, Lord; You are great, and Your name is great in might.

Jeremiah 10:6

Again this great confession: THERE IS NONE! May we proclaim on this sixth night as the light of this truth illumines us, “There is none, no one, no mighty, no not one like the Lord our God.” We celebrate His might this day. Hallelujah!

Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!

The fifth day of Chanukah is the day before Rosh Chodesh Tevet. The day before every Rosh Chodesh is known as Yom Kippur Katan (“Mini Yom Kippur”) and is a day of introspection and repentance for any wrongdoings during the past month.

As believers, we are known as children of light. Jesus told Nicodemus in John‬ ‭3‬:‭19‬, ”And this is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the Light; for their deeds were evil.“ John begins by writing that Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, came to Jesus by night. I am sure that Nicodemus wished he would have come earlier in the day.

The Lord my God illumines my darkness.

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭28‬

God’s light is very intentional, exposing and driving out the darkness in our lives. It is the light of the word that brings conviction and introspection to our hearts. The conviction of the Holy Ghost calling us to righteousness and right relationship to God brings repentance with regret. David refers to the word of God and its illumination of His soul and its cleansing power. “Create in me a clean heart Oh God, and renew a right spirit within me.” This continual cry of our hearts brings truth to our lives.

Jesus speaks of Himself,

“I have come as Light into the world, so that no one who believes in Me will remain in darkness.‬‬”

John‬ ‭12‬:‭46‬

May we become lovers of His light and continue to pursue Him and walk in His light.

Draw near to Me, the Lord, and I will draw near to you.

As we continue in the celebration of light, we can not underestimate the silence and the darkness engulfing Israel in the time between Malachi and the gospel of Matthew, some 400 years. The miracle of the one-day supply of anointing oil and the faith of the Maccabees in lighting the candlestick in the inner court resulted in the intervention of the supernatural power of heaven, which continued burning brightly for 8 days. We see that the zeal for the House of the Lord moved Heaven to come down to earth and intervene on behalf of Israel. Light returned and would begin ushering in the Light of the world prophesied by the prophets.

When Jesus came to earth, the world was trapped in spiritual darkness. His people’s hopes lay shattered in the darkness of their own failure and inability to throw off the yoke of hundreds of years of dominating nations.

“In an outburst of anger I hid My face from you for a moment, But with everlasting favor I will have compassion on you,” Says the Lord your Redeemer. ‭

Isaiah‬ ‭54‬:‭8‬

Matthew says,

The people who were sitting in darkness saw a great Light, And those who were sitting in the land and shadow of death, Upon them a Light dawned.

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭4‬:‭16‬

How important is light to we as believers. To walk in the light, to continue let our light shine. This remembrance of the miracle and celebration of light coming back into Israel cannot be minimized by the Church. We as Gentiles were darkened in our understanding and far from the promises of God and without hope.

But now—but God has sent His light

to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who have been sanctified by faith in Me.

Acts‬ ‭26‬:‭18‬

The call still goes out to the House:

Come, house of Jacob, and let’s walk in the light of the Lord.

Isaiah‬ ‭2‬:‭5‬

Light it up!

The Word of the Lord came and changed the hearts of this group of Jews who were moved with zeal for the house of the Lord. Their confession was, “Who is Like You, O Lord, Among the Mighty!” Surrounded by the darkness of idolatry and pagan worship, they refused to continue to remain idolatrous and rebellious. God always has a remnant in every generation who believes there is no one like the Lord. The word of God always brings light with it.

”In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him not even one thing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of mankind. And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not grasp it.“

John‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬-‭5‬

John declares it so in the beginning of his gospel, his witness and testimony of Jesus. The Holy Ghost inspired John to write, “In the beginning was the word and He was the light of mankind.” All life must have light—it is sustained by it. There is no darkness in Him.

As they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate the Temple to the Lord, the necessity of the word and the oil—Spirit—brought light.

”For You light my lamp; The Lord my God illumines my darkness.“

Psalms‬ ‭18‬:‭28‬

”For the fountain of life is with You; In Your light we see light.“

Psalms‬ ‭36‬:‭9‬

As we celebrate this time once again, as it was in the beginning, God the Father said, “Let there be light.” Jesus was born, the light of the world.

”for you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord; walk as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth),“

Ephesians‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬-‭9‬

Light it up!

Once the Maccabees evicted the pagan, removing a statue of Zeus, driving the idolaters from their Holy Temple, they began the process to repair, restore, cleanse, and rededicate it to the Lord. The dedication was an eight-day process and required the use of sanctified oil for the Lampstand—the seven-candlestick menorah that stood in the first room of the sanctuary. But they only had a one-day supply of holy oil, and it would take eight days to make more. Nevertheless, they lit the menorah and began the sanctification process. Miraculously, the oil burned for eight days! This is the essence of the eight-day celebration. The miracle of the anointed oil with the lighting of the Lampstand in the Holy Place, restored the light of the Word of God again. 400 years of silence and darkness was now going to be broken.

Jerusalem was ablaze in light, as each family burned candles at the doors of their houses. Today they celebrate this festival with a nine-candlestick menorah—one for each day the oil burned, and the center candlestick is the “servant candle” which is used to light the others. God spoke through His prophet Isaiah: “My servant shall bring light to the Gentiles.” John, the disciple of Messiah, said, “Jesus is the true Light that lights everyone who comes into the world” (Isa. 42:1, Jn.1:9). Jesus Himself declared two months earlier, at the close of the Feast of Tabernacles, “I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (Jn. 8:12).  Every day for eight days the candles are lit: one on the first day, two on the second, etc., until on the last day all eight candles are lit. This is why it is also called the Festival of Lights. Unlike other feasts, there is no fasting or mourning. It is a celebration of joy.

Joy to the world!

*See this article by Sharon Hardy Knots and R. G. Hardy for more background.