Introduction
This study of Hanukkah is an introduction to the celebration. It covers a serial series that spanned the eight days of Hanukkah in 2018. I hope in coming years to edit this study more and embellish the ideas. As I continue to learn and understand, I am certain that it will also be heavily edited in future years. This year’s study is an edit of the 2015 study that I sent out a few years ago. I tweaked the study this year and expect to do the same in coming years. If you have thoughts or comments, please send them in with the link below.
During the past few years my family has made a radical change in our holiday celebrations. We sold the Christmas tree, and are steadily getting rid of the ornaments. All the decorations have either been sold in yard sales or trashed. Why? We are convinced that the celebration of Christmas is a totally pagan event. The birth of Christ, our Messiah probably took place in the months of September to October at the feast of booths (Sukkot). The rest of the Christmas traditions came directly from the pagan festival of Mithra worship (worship of the Roman sun god). So, we have ditched the holiday.
We have chosen instead to celebrate the Jewish festival of Hanukkah. It does not “replace” Christmas because it has no association with it. What it does is offer a different festival to celebrate that follows a Jewish story. What is also interesting about this festival is that Jesus celebrated it (John 10:22). It is also interesting that the reference to Jesus’ activities on Hanukkah is the only reference to the feast in the Bible. If He celebrated it, I feel safe in doing the same. Mithra worship was taking place during His day on December 25th, I am certain that Jesus did not take part in worship of the Sun god. With that said, let’s look a little closer at the holiday.
Modern Calendar
Hanukkah takes place this year starting at sundown on Sunday, December 6th and ending at Sundown on Sunday, December 2nd.
History
Antiochus Epiphanes conquered Jerusalem in 215 BC. He was a worshipper of Zeus. When he conquered Jerusalem, he carried off the implements of the Jewish temple, including the curtain that separates the Holy of Holies and desecrated the temple. He built an altar to Zeus and offered a pig on the altar (1 Maccabees 1:10-62). This is most likely the initial fulfillment of the “Abomination of desolation” foretold by Daniel (Dan 11:31). He made following Jewish customs against the law:
“Then the king wrote to his whole kingdom that all should be one people, and that all should give up their particular customs. All the Gentiles accepted the command of the king. Many even from Israel gladly adopted his religion; they sacrificed to idols and profaned the sabbath. And the king sent letters by messengers to Jerusalem and the towns of Judah; he directed them to follow customs strange to the land, to forbid burnt offerings and sacrifices and drink offerings in the sanctuary, to profane sabbaths and festivals, to defile the sanctuary and the priests, to build altars and sacred precincts and shrines for idols, to sacrifice swine and other unclean animals, and to leave their sons uncircumcised. They were to make themselves abominable by everything unclean and profane, so that they would forget the law and change all the ordinances. He added, “And whoever does not obey the command of the king shall die.”” (1 Maccabees 1:41–50, NRSV)
(Note: 1 and 2 Maccabees is an apocryphal book that was not considered to be a biblical book. It was rejected as a part of the Bible, yet it is contained in the Catholic Bible and some others. The book is not scripture, but it is a very good historical resource that gives insight into the intertestamental period between the Old and New Testaments.)
Mattathias refused to comply with the king’s instructions. He observed a fellow Jew who offered a profane sacrifice on the altar. Mattathias killed the Jew and the king’s officer that forced him to make the profane sacrifice, then led the devoted Jews to hide in the wilderness so they could return to following Torah. The king led a counter attack against Mattathias and those who fled by slaughtering 1000 innocent people on the Sabbath (1 Maccabees 1:23-41). Mattathias organized an army and made a counter attack that was very successful. Torah was restored and the Jews returned to following Torah in exile. They were still living in the wilderness. He died motivating the people to return to Torah (1 Maccabees 1:42-70).
His son, Judas Maccabeus rallied the people to regain the land and led Israel in battle defeating a far superior army. King Antiochus organized a counter attack that was defeated by Judas Maccabeus’ leadership of the Jewish army. His main tool in preparing the army was to teach them to return to Torah and instilled in them a zeal for God (1 Macc 2-4:35). Judas Maccabeus then tore down the altar to Zeus, and then rebuilt the altar in the temple. They cleansed the temple and rebuilt the implements of the temple. The people offered sacrifices and celebrated for eight days a “feast of dedication”:
“Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month, which is the month of Chislev, in the one hundred forty-eighth year, they rose and offered sacrifice, as the law directs, on the new altar of burnt offering that they had built. At the very season and on the very day that the Gentiles had profaned it, it was dedicated with songs and harps and lutes and cymbals. All the people fell on their faces and worshiped and blessed Heaven, who had prospered them. So they celebrated the dedication of the altar for eight days, and joyfully offered burnt offerings; they offered a sacrifice of well-being and a thanksgiving offering. They decorated the front of the temple with golden crowns and small shields; they restored the gates and the chambers for the priests, and fitted them with doors. There was very great joy among the people, and the disgrace brought by the Gentiles was removed. Then Judas and his brothers and all the assembly of Israel determined that every year at that season the days of dedication of the altar should be observed with joy and gladness for eight days, beginning with the twenty-fifth day of the month of Chislev.” (1 Maccabees 4:52–59, NRSV)
Legend has it that there was only enough oil to burn the lampstand for one day. They lit the menorah anyway, in an act of obedience to Torah. It took eight days to consecrate the oil so that it could be used in the lampstand. The oil miraculously lasted for eight days as the new oil was being prepared. This is what the Hanukkiah lampstand indicates.
Jesus and Hanukkah
Jesus taught heavily on Hanukkah as he focused in the Gospel of John on the festival of lights. (The festival of dedication is mentioned in John 10:22, to understand the passage, let’s look at it in context.) Jesus healed a man born blind as a character study for Hanukkah (John 9:13-41). The entire story of John 9 relates to the miracle of Hanukkah where a blind man has his sight restored. The miracle is on two levels, first that the blind man could not see the light, second in comparison to a blind nation who has been exposed to the light. Light is the key, now the blind man can see. The teachers who are rebuking the blind man are similar to the false teachers who refused to see the truth when the temple was desecrated. The sited man was an example of Matthias as he provoked the Jewish people to return to Torah. His simple message was to believe in God’s law, God’s Torah. The entire chapter is compare and contrast between the sighted and the blind, between the ones who are religiously blinded and the one who has seen the Messiah, the true light.
Jesus then teaches that He is the Good Shepherd that opens the eyes of the blind so that they can follow him (John 10:1-21). The association between the Good Shepherd and Hanukkah is made where Jesus rebukes the Jews who do not believe giving us magnificent promises (John 10:22-30). The gift of eternal life is given. Jesus demonstrates that God is “dedicated” to His people so much that no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “By this miracle Jesus demonstrated that He came from God, that He is the Lord. However, the very time the Jewish people were celebrating Hanukkah, a testimony to their deliverance by God, they were denying the promised Messiah, who came to bring them the greatest deliverance of all, namely, deliverance from sin.”[1]
The story that is given from John 10 is in direct relation to Hanukkah. Read through the passage and compare and contrast two ideas, the idea of the evil shepherd and the idea of the good shepherd. Historically, Antiochus Epiphanies introduced death and darkness into the temple by bringing pagan gods into the temple. These were eradicated by Judas Maccabeus as he removed and destroyed the pagan gods and pagan altars. Life was brought to the temple through the light and rededication of the temple. Jesus referred to the story of the capture and rededication of the temple when he referred to the sheep hearing his voice. His sheep represented by the Jewish people who refused to bow to paganism, heard His voice and returned to capture the temple. His sheep hear his voice and come to Him for eternal life (John 10:27). The miracle of the holiday is based on the works that were done in the Father’s name (John 10:25). Jesus attested that the life that is represented by the holiday directly relates to Him. The entire chapter is a compare and contrast between the historical event of Antiochus Epiphanies defiling the temple and Judas Maccabaeus restoring the temple compared to the devil snatching away the sheep and the good shepherd taking care of the sheep. Read through John 10 with that in mind, it is amazing. Without the understanding of Hanukkah, we miss the entire gist of this passage.
The Jewish people understood this and sought to stone him for blasphemy (John 10:33). Jesus told them that if they do not believe in Him, believe in the miracles (works) because they attest that His word is true (John 10:38). The idea is that the miracle of the oil burning in the menorah was enough to convince them of the presence of the Father, Jesus’ miracles are enough to bear the same witness.
Another direct reference to Hanukkah is the custom referred to about the woman who lights a lamp and sets it on a pedestal (Luke 11:33). Note:
For the Jews in Jesus’ day the lights of Hanukkah related to the temple and its dedication, but they would also have had lights in front of their homes during this feast. The Mishnah—“the collection of oral laws compiled by Rabbi Judah the Prince (born in the year 135 of the Christian era)”—states that outside the entrance of each house the Hanukkah lamp was positioned to affirm publicly the Hanukkah miracle. The lamps, inserted into glass lanterns to prevent the wind from extinguishing them, were placed on pedestals. Archaeological excavations show that these were common in antiquity.[2]
Another fascinating factor to take into account the theme of the light of the world in the Gospel of John. Light is a direct reference to Hanukkah. The point is that Jesus did not downplay Hanukkah. He used it to establish that He is the Messiah, He is the savior of the world, and He is the sustainer of those who follow Him. He focused on all three aspects of the festival. He focused on the light in reference to the blind man and the parable, miracles by healing the blind man and dedication by demonstrating His devotion to His followers.
Three meanings
Festival of lights
The Festival of Lights is a large part of Hanukkah. The Jewish people will light the Hanukkiah (8 candles) or Menorah (7 candles) during Hanukkah. A Hannukiah is a lampstand with eight candles. It is lit from the central or “shamash” candle, which is the servant candle. Each day the servant candle lights candles starting from the right and working daily toward the left. Candles are added right to left and candles are lighted left to right.
The significance of the light is that the Gentiles brought darkness to the temple through pagan sacrifices. When Judas fought with a sword, he drove the darkness away from the temple and restored the light of God. Christians assert that the servant candle is representative of the Messiah. The Messiah is the sustainer of eternal life as seen by the servant candle spreading fire to each of the branches. Jesus validated this idea when he declared that He is the Messiah that is represented by Hanukkah (John 10:25-30).
Festival of miracles
The miracle centers around the story that one day of oil lasted for eight days. God provided a miraculous extension of the life of the oil to burn until new oil could be made. Jesus validated this aspect of the festival by healing the blind man who had been blind from birth (John 9).
Festival of dedications
The festival of dedications refers directly to the historical event that took place when Judas Maccabeus captured and restored the temple. The eight days directly relate to the eight days of dedication that the people joyfully took part in as they restored the temple. Jesus demonstrated this aspect of the feast of Hanukkah when he declared that He was dedicated to His people an no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hand (John 10:28).
Traditions!
Many Jewish traditions surround the holiday. They are loaded with fun and games. One particular tradition is that of gift giving. It is thought that the Jewish people allowed the giving of one gift per day to children so that they would not feel left out due to the close proximity of Hanukkah with Christmas. The Jewish people give eight gifts to their children. Numerology points to the number eight as the number of completion or of new beginnings. The study of Hanukkah can go deep when you get into the traditions that surround it. I suggest if you want more information to do personal research on it and develop your own traditions…
Day 1 Hanukkah
Tonight Hanukkah starts at sundown on. I would challenge you to take part in this rich Jewish festival that offers a tremendous time of reflection and of fun for the family. I challenge you to take a gift designated for Christmas and give it to your child tonight and for the next eight nights and spend time explaining to them the purpose of dedication in our lives to the Lord.
I challenge each of you over the next eight days to meditate and dedicate your lives to the Lord. In our last study we learned that the Jewish people fought to reclaim the temple. They cleaned out the old junk and built new stuff to furnish the temple. This eight-day celebration is about rededication. Let’s join our Jewish friends in celebrating. But, let’s take it a step further, rather than just celebrating the miracle of the oil, let’s celebrate and rededicate our lives to the Lord.
If possible I am going to send out a note each day for the next few days to help push this idea along. Let’s start with looking at the miracle of oil, and how it impacts our lives:
A little history
There are two variations on the Hanukah story. The first one is that the priests determined that during the restoration of the Temple, they would pattern the event after the festival of Booths (Sukkot).[3] This event is backed up by an argument found in the Talmud regarding the purposes of the candles on the Hanukkiah. It was argued that each candle represents “bullocks of the festival (of Tabernacles)”.[4] Hanukah literally means “dedication”, therefore the festival is the feast of “dedication”. It was named as such since the temple was being “re-dedicated” and cleaned out.
The desecration of the temple took place when the king Antiochus Epiphanes took control of it. He claimed to be the epiphany or manifestation of Zeus.[5] His goal was to re-educate the Jewish people and teach them to be Greeks. Part of this process was to slaughter pigs on the altar in the temple and to erect a statue of Zeus in the temple. Jewish people who continued to follow Jewish customs were tortured and killed.
“At last the Jewish resistance found a leader in a priest named Mattathias. He and his five sons fought a guerrilla war in the hills. One of the sons was Judas ‘The Hammer’ Maccabeus—and their struggle became known as the Maccabean revolt.”[6]
There were two factions present with the Jewish people. One faction felt that God would defend the people. This was where Hassidic Judaism was born. They resisted through avoiding conflict. This resulted in a massacre when they withdrew to the desert for a sabbath day. The surviving Hasideans joined with Judas Maccabeus in military resistance against Antiochus. The battle was won, Antiochus backed down and the rededication of the temple took place on December 14, 164 BC. Hanukkah was born.[7]
Judas Maccabeus was not just a brilliant tactition wit guerilla warfare. He was also a deeply religious man who drew on the strength of the Lord in his battle:
9 The king with barbarous arrogance was coming to show the Jews things far worse than those that had been doneb in his father’s time. 10 But when Judas heard of this, he ordered the people to call upon the Lord day and night, now if ever to help those who were on the point of being deprived of the law and their country and the holy temple, 11 and not to let the people who had just begun to revive fall into the hands of the blasphemous Gentiles. 12 When they had all joined in the same petition and had implored the merciful Lord with weeping and fasting and lying prostrate for three days without ceasing, Judas exhorted them and ordered them to stand ready.
13 After consulting privately with the elders, he determined to march out and decide the matter by the help of God before the king’s army could enter Judea and get possession of the city. 14 So, committing the decision to the Creator of the world and exhorting his troops to fight bravely to the death for the laws, temple, city, country, and commonwealth, he pitched his camp near Modein. 15 He gave his troops the watchword, “God’s victory,” and with a picked force of the bravest young men, he attacked the king’s pavilion at night and killed as many as two thousand men in the camp. He stabbedc the leading elephant and its rider. 16 In the end they filled the camp with terror and confusion and withdrew in triumph. 17 This happened, just as day was dawning, because the Lord’s help protected him. [8]
Judas Maccabeus gained the temple, it was cleaned out. The pagan altar that was erected to Zeus was torn down and materials moved out of the temple area.
A new altar was built with unhewn stones as per scriptural regulations, and a newly made Menorah was lit according to scriptural instructions. The people rededicating the temple could only find one flask of olive oil with the rabbinical stamp of approval on it. Normally the lamp would consume the entire flask in one day. It continued to burn for eight days. This is the miracle that the Jewish people celebrate during Hanukkah. It took eight days to prepare the new oil so it would be ready for service. The reason behind focusing on oil is because traditionally the Jewish people do not celebrate victory from war.
Oil
Thinking further on the oil, there are two times in the Bible that God expanded olive oil. The first case is seen when Elisha rebuked Ahab for building an Asherah pole and erecting an altar to Baal in Samaria (1 Kings 16:31-33). Ahab was an evil king according to Scriptural records. Elisha prophesied a drought that would last until he declared it over. Then he left the country. On his journey, he was instructed by the Lord to live with a widow who would provide for him. Upon his arrival at her house, she was preparing the last meal so that she and her son could die with all of their resources exhausted. Elisha arrived and asked her for her last drop of water and for her last morsel of bread, his promise was that they would be able to eat after he did. The widow complied and Elisha’s further promise was that the flour bowl would not go empty and the flask of oil would not run dry until YHVH sent rain on the earth. This took place with the oil miraculously replenishing until the drought was over (1 Kings 17).
The second story is when Elisha met another widow cried out to him from poverty. Her case was that her husband had died and the creditor had taken both of her children into slavery to pay his debt. Elisha had her gather vessels from all the neighbors around her. She and her son started filling the vessels with oil from a small jar of oil that she had in the house. The oil continued to pour until she had filled every vessel she had borrowed. She then took this oil and paid off her complete debt. This enabled her to buy back her sons and had enough to live on from what was left over (2 Kings 4:1-7).
Oil and parables
Oil in the Bible speaks of prosperity and of good times. This holiday is centered on oil that burns continually to symbolize the presence of God (Ex 27:20). Anointing oil is often used in dedication of God’s anointed people, things, and for healing (Gen 28:18; 35:14; Ex 30:22-33; Lev 8:12; and a myriad of others). The elders of the church are commissioned to anoint sick members with oil for healing (Ja 5:14). Oil covers a variety of areas, all of which look at true dedication to the Lord.
It is also a key factor in the parable of the ten virgins where oil designated what ones entered the wedding feast and which ones were unable to enter (Matt 25:1-13). Those unprepared went to purchase more oil and missed out on the bridegroom opening the doors to the wedding feast. It is interesting in this parable that all of the virgins were chaste and prepared to meet the bridegroom. Those ready with ample oil in their lamps were able to enter in. Those who were unprepared due to not bringing a reserve, missed out.
My thoughts and challenge
What can we learn from this? If we live half-hearted lives which are hot one minute and cold the next, we can expect to be repulsive to our God ( Rev 3:14-22). John wrote to the church at Laodicea about this exact topic. The ones addressed in Laodicea were not unbelievers, they were believers who decided to ride the fence of life. Most had lost their fire and were simply riding along, lukewarm. Jesus explained that those who are not fully prepared, even though they are devoted stand a risk of missing out. Many in the times of Antiochus Epiphanies had reached a point where they felt it was safer and easier to go with the flow. They abandoned Torah for the easy life that pleased others. God called a remnant to storm the temple and rededicate it to Him.
In summary, let’s get before the Lord, devote the next eight days to Him and ask Him to show us where we can clean out the junk that we have allowed to build up. Throw out the trash. Import the truth, and turn our lives to Him. Are we going to represent the remnant who stepped forward, or the multitude that lived lives of complacency? Let’s go with this festival!
How to build a simple hanukkiah
If you do not have a hanukkiah, I suggest building a simple one out of tea light candles. Line up nine tea light candles in a predominate place in your house. If you are concerned about fire safety, use a bread pan or such as a base. The middle candle needs to be elevated above the others. You could do this by stacking two tea lights. Then look on the web to find out how to light them, (several tutorials are available, along with YouTube). It will work in a crunch.
Day 2 Hanukkah
The feast of dedication
The word for “dedication” in the Greek is literally the word for “re-dedication” or “renewal” (John 10:22). This is not the word “dedication” at all, according to Strongs, this is a “quantitatively new dedication”. The reference to Hanukkah by Jesus is the only place that the word appears in the New Testament.
When we think of dedication, we think of the idea of making something holy. We do not think much about holiness today. Yet we are told to be holy as God is holy, and this is not an Old Testament command (Lev 11:44; 19:2; 20:7; 1 Pet 1:15,16). Some try to say that this is putting them under the Law, rather, being holy or dedicated to God is living according to God’s Torah. It’s worth thinking about.
Paul told us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19; 2 Cor 6:16). I wonder, does God share room with false gods that we have allowed to move in to our lives or with sin that we entertain? Clearly when the Ark of God was put in the temple of Dagon the fish god, God took exception (1 Sam 5:1-7). God does not share real estate with false gods or with sin. With that in mind, let’s examine a little more about Hanukkah:
The oil for the Menorah took eight days for the priest to prepare it. We are not certain of what went on in the preparation except that it was deemed necessary. It was so necessary that God extended the life of the small amount of oil that they had so that it lasted eight days. This was an example of making the oil holy so that it could be used in a dedicated or “re-dedicated” temple. We can learn from this lesson.
Hanukkah Application of re-dedication
Today as we consider the event of lighting two Hanukkah candles with the servant candle, let’s consider re-dedication. Perhaps it is time that we remove the junk from our oil and prepare our temples so that they can be occupied by the Holy Spirit as clean and holy vessels.
Perhaps we can think through a series of questions. This list is not exhaustive, just a few random thoughts of mine.
What is my life dedicated to? Is there enough evidence in my life to convict me of being a believer in Jesus our Messiah?
What does my prayer life/time look like? Am I faithful in prayer? How can I change this? Am I truly communicating with God?
What does my Bible reading/devotional time look like? Am I studying in order to put God’s passion in my heart? How can I improve/change this?
Am I putting faith in action (faithing)? In other words; (faith is a verb), am I putting faith into constant action based on the knowledge and experience of God and His revelation in my life?
What does my tithe look like? Am I returning ten percent to demonstrate that God owns all of my money and everything I own?
Am I faithful to share the good news with others, my family, friends, acquaintances?
Am I acting according to God’s call in my life? Do I know His will? Am I putting His gifts into practice in my life?
Parting thoughts
I know the list is pretty heavy. It is not exhaustive, just a few thoughts that I consider to be important. I am sure that if we pondered more, the list would be longer or perhaps more concise. What is important is the importance that we place on re-dedicating our lives to God.
It occurs to me that when we prepare for the holiday’s, we make a list for food, gifts, and activities. We then gather the ingredients, stuff and items needed for all activities. Lastly we put our plan into action, making sure to check off each item as we are prepared for it. With God we often go with the flow, figuring somehow we will get it done. Perhaps we need a new list. What do you think?
Day 3 Hanukkah
Jesus taught two serious lessons directly relating to Hannukah while He was on earth (John 9-10). The first one sprang off of a man born blind. Since that is dealing with the festival of light, we will cover that in a later study. In this study, I would like to focus on the second of the two. Jesus, the Good Shepherd. We know for certain that this was a Hanukkah study because of the reference to the Festival of Dedication (John 10:22). We do not know for certain that the first lesson directly related to Hanukkah, but I will cover that tomorrow.
I wrote earlier in this series: The story that is given from John 10 is in direct relation to Hanukkah. Read through the passage and compare and contrast two ideas, the idea of the evil shepherd and the idea of the good shepherd. Historically, Antiochus Epiphanies introduced death and darkness into the temple by bringing pagan gods into the temple. These were eradicated by Judas Maccabeus as he removed and destroyed the pagan gods and pagan altars. Life was brought to the temple through the light and rededication of the temple. Jesus referred to the story of the capture and rededication of the temple when he referred to the sheep hearing his voice. His sheep represented by the Jewish people who refused to bow to paganism, heard His voice and returned to capture the temple. His sheep hear his voice and come to Him for eternal life (John 10:27). The miracle of the holiday is based on the works that were done in the Father’s name (John 10:25). Jesus attested that the life that is represented by the holiday directly relates to Him. The entire chapter is a compare and contrast between the historical event of Antiochus Epiphanies defiling the temple and Judas Maccabaeus restoring the temple compared to the devil snatching away the sheep and the good shepherd taking care of the sheep. Read through John 10 with that in mind, it is amazing. Without the understanding of Hanukkah, we miss the entire gist of this passage.
Jesus said: ““Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. “But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.” (John 10:1–2, NASB95)
When Antiochus Epiphanies entered the temple, he entered the fold as a thief and a robber:
“20 After subduing Egypt, Antiochus returned in the one hundred forty-third year.c He went up against Israel and came to Jerusalem with a strong force. 21 He arrogantly entered the sanctuary and took the golden altar, the lampstand for the light, and all its utensils. 22 He took also the table for the bread of the Presence, the cups for drink offerings, the bowls, the golden censers, the curtain, the crowns, and the gold decoration on the front of the temple; he stripped it all off. 23 He took the silver and the gold, and the costly vessels; he took also the hidden treasures that he found. 24 Taking them all, he went into his own land.” [9]
You can see from history that Antiochus certainly filled the role of a thief and robber. He raided the temple and carried away the treasures for his own use.
Jesus went on to say: “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”” (John 10:2–5, NRSV)
When we look at the Hanukkah story, as Antiochus appointed officers to oversee the defamation of the temple. They made sure that the Jewish people were eating pork and offering sacrifices to idols. Many of the Jewish people went after this with gusto. Many also went into hiding. Jesus said that those who hear His voice will not follow a stranger, because they do not know the voice of strangers. Look at the next excerpt from Maccabees:
“Then the king’s officers spoke to Mattathias as follows: “You are a leader, honored and great in this town, and supported by sons and brothers. Now be the first to come and do what the king commands, as all the Gentiles and the people of Judah and those that are left in Jerusalem have done. Then you and your sons will be numbered among the Friends of the king, and you and your sons will be honored with silver and gold and many gifts.” But Mattathias answered and said in a loud voice: “Even if all the nations that live under the rule of the king obey him, and have chosen to obey his commandments, everyone of them abandoning the religion of their ancestors, I and my sons and my brothers will continue to live by the covenant of our ancestors. Far be it from us to desert the law and the ordinances. We will not obey the king’s words by turning aside from our religion to the right hand or to the left.” When he had finished speaking these words, a Jew came forward in the sight of all to offer sacrifice on the altar in Modein, according to the king’s command. When Mattathias saw it, he burned with zeal and his heart was stirred. He gave vent to righteous anger; he ran and killed him on the altar. At the same time he killed the king’s officer who was forcing them to sacrifice, and he tore down the altar. Thus he burned with zeal for the law, just as Phinehas did against Zimri son of Salu. Then Mattathias cried out in the town with a loud voice, saying: “Let every one who is zealous for the law and supports the covenant come out with me!” Then he and his sons fled to the hills and left all that they had in the town.” (1 Maccabees 2:17–28, NRSV)
Mattathias was not buying the false gospel that was being spread. He knew the voice of his shepherd and followed Him. When Jesus told this tale during Hanukkah, you can be certain that the Jewish people were making the connection.
John went on to say: “Yeshua used this indirect manner of speaking with them, but they didn’t understand what he was talking to them about. So Yeshua said to them again, “Yes, indeed! I tell you that I am the gate for the sheep. All those who have come before me have been thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. I am the gate; if someone enters through me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, life in its fullest measure.” (John 10:6–10, CJB)
Jesus compared the false prophets that preceded him as the same as Antiochus Epiphanies. Yet the characteristics of these false prophets were the same, though not as radical. Antiochus Epiphanies came to steal, kill, and destroy. He stole the temple articles, killed the people who followed God and destroyed the altar in the temple. He not only destroyed the altar, he built an altar to Zeus in place of it.
Jesus threw in the Messianic twist to His story. He claimed that He is the Good Shepherd who came to die for His sheep. In verse 10 above, the Jewish people consider Torah to be life. If you follow Torah, you will have life abundantly. From the Jewish perspective, to return to Torah is to live life abundantly. Jesus said that He is the living Torah, following Him is abundant life. Here is the rest of His story:
““I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, since he isn’t a shepherd and the sheep aren’t his own, sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf drags them off and scatters them. The hired worker behaves like this because that’s all he is, a hired worker; so it doesn’t matter to him what happens to the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own, and my own know me—just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father—and I lay down my life on behalf of the sheep. Also I have other sheep which are not from this pen; I need to bring them, and they will hear my voice; and there will be one flock, one shepherd. “This is why the Father loves me: because I lay down my life—in order to take it up again! No one takes it away from me; on the contrary, I lay it down of my own free will. I have the power to lay it down, and I have the power to take it up again. This is what my Father commanded me to do.”” (John 10:11–18, CJB)
Mattathias zealously led battle against the Greeks and fought them heartily until his death. He was constantly laying down his life for the many that he had drawn away from the clutches of Antiochus Epiphanies. His sheep heard his voice and followed him as he rallied around the Torah of God and led the people in rebellion against the leaders of his country. His son, Judas Maccabaeus took up the battle after his death and led the Jewish remnant to victory.
Jesus used the story of Hanukkah to teach us a valuable lesson. He is the shepherd that constantly leads His sheep to abundant life. He is dedicated to the sheep so much that He was willing to lay down His life for the sheep. One exception to this over the rest of the world. After laying down His life, He was able to take His life back up and reign as our Good Shepherd who constantly looks after us.
Hanukkah is about re-dedication. I am going to stop with the compare and contrast story here for today because the study has stretched further than I wanted it to go. If you want to know more, draw out a copy of the apocrypha, online or from your library and read up on the story that started Hanukkah. Then read the words that Jesus said about being the Good Shepherd. The light begins to dawn that He was saying that Hanukkah, the spirit of Hanukkah is all about Him. He is the leader of Re-dedication and draws His sheep to follow Him.
Day 4 Hanukkah
I promised to pick up with the blind man, but did not finish the story from yesterday…
The festival of miracles
We as the church have enjoyed being grafted into Judaism. We have been blessed beyond measure with the gift of life through Jesus our Messiah as we accept His sacrifice on the cross and His resurrection from the dead (2 Cor 5:14-21). Jesus refers to this in His Hanukkah teaching on the good shepherd. Let’s look a little more at it.
Supporting Scriptures
In the previous study I noticed that Jesus said: ““I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.” (John 10:16, NASB95). Remember the context. We are dealing with Hanukkah. Why did Jesus bring up sheep of a different fold?
Paul spoke of this also when he stated: “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.” (Ephesians 2:14–16, NASB95).
Paul spoke further of this when he taught on the gifts of the Spirit: “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12:12–13, NASB95). Paul stated that “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” (Galatians 3:28, NASB95). Paul explains how this takes place: “Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him— a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.” (Colossians 3:9–11, NASB95)
The miracle of being grafted in to Israel
Remember, Hanukkah is about “re-dedication”, a time of renewal as we enter the presence of God and seek to become holy in His presence. Jesus was quoting from Isaiah 56 when He stated that He had sheep of a different fold. As a note, Isaiah 56 is probably one of the most misquoted scriptures in the Bible. The “house of prayer” is not the local church, it was the temple on the holy mountain in Israel (Isa 56:7). This prophecy still stands true as people flock to the Wailing Wall, both Jew and Gentile. Yet, God inspired Isaiah to write further describing those who would flock to the wall who were the Gentiles, or the nations (Isa 56:8). Jesus then was not teaching a new teaching regarding a shepherd gathering his flock, he was teaching that He as the Messiah was there to gather all people who are true believers to Himself. He is creating a “New congregation” comprised of true believers.
Replacement Theology has perverted this truth to a point that you have to carefully read the commentaries and words of our great teachers in order not to be sucked in to deception. We as believers who flock to Yeshua do not replace the Jews. We lock arms with them in the battle and become brothers in kind. We share the same Father, and the same Messiah. We should marvel in the miracle that God made available to us so that we as lost Gentile dogs can come to know the creator of the universe.
When the temple is restored during the millennium, we will not be taking part in the sacrifices that Ezekiel discusses as Jews. We are Gentiles. Our lineage has not changed. Yet, we stand before our Messiah and experience the miracle of salvation that only comes through the Good Shepherd as He gathers His sheep into the fold.
what does the Old Testament say?
Isaiah stated: “The Lord God, who gathers the dispersed of Israel, declares, “Yet others I will gather to them, to those already gathered.”” (Isaiah 56:8, NASB95)
Isaiah stated further: ““Arise, shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. “For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you. “Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.” (Isaiah 60:1–3, NASB95). Read on through verse 11 to see how God will accomplish this task (Isa 60:4-11). We as a nation stand in check as we read the warning to the nations who do not support Israel: ““For the nation and the kingdom which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.” (Isaiah 60:12, NASB95). Reality check America! Time to change our hostile attitude toward the Jews.
Jesus was speaking of all nations who flock to Him: ““For I know their works and their thoughts; the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and see My glory.” (Isaiah 66:18, NASB95). Read Isaiah 66 for context.
The warning and blessing of being grafted in
Paul stated that: “If the first piece of dough is holy, the lump is also; and if the root is holy, the branches are too. But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you.” (Romans 11:16–18, NASB95). Read on for context (Ro 11).
Being grafted into Israel is designed for us to make Israel jealous so that they will return to their Messiah (Ro 11:13-14). Yet, if we fail to follow the Messiah according to Torah, we will not make the jealous of our relationship with the Messiah. We will cause them to think we are following a false god because our relationship with God does not remotely resemble the commands of Torah. If we are to follow this commission, we must return to Torah. We must follow the Jewish Good Shepherd and live our lives according to His commands.
Jesus the Messiah, fulfillment of Hanukkah
Let’s return to the Hanukkah message that Jesus gave and examine it to see if the miracle that I am proposing is supported by the text:
“The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, “How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly.” Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father’s name, these testify of Me. “But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. “My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. “I and the Father are one.”” (John 10:24–30, NASB95)
Jesus claimed to be the Messiah. It is interesting that all Jews are not considered to be His sheep (John 10:26). Jewish heritage does not insure salvation. The only thing that insures salvation is belief in Jesus, after this we are compelled to follow Him. The belief in Jesus the Messiah changes the character of believers so that we cannot help but follow after the Messiah, our Good Shepherd. Conversely, not all “Christians” are guaranteed salvation either. Many who claim to be “Christian” have never placed their trust in Jesus, they have never allowed Him to become their Good Shepherd. These Christians are just like the Jews who refused to believe. How many “Christians” do you know that are “Christian” in name only, their lives do not emulate the Messiah. They emulate the world.
This is a wakeup call for all of us. Are we dedicated to our Messiah? Do our lives demonstrate that we passionately follow our Good Shepherd? Have we taken part in the miracle of salvation through belief in Messiah? The Jewish people did not like the wakeup call. They sought to stone Jesus after He revealed that He is the Messiah (Read John 10:31-42).
How many of us want that eternal life? How many want to know for certain that no one will snatch us out of the Father’s hand? This is Hanukkah, a time for re-dedication a time of renewal of our faith. Let’s examine our hearts and return, both Jew and Gentile, to our Messiah.
Day 5 Hanukkah
Let’s look at the festival of lights today, which starts at sundown. As I read through the New Testament, Jesus is constantly standing up and declaring that the Jewish Festivals are about Him. Hanukkah is not a commanded Festival and yet we see Jesus putting His mark on it declaring that this festival is all about Him.
History tells us that in the first century CE, the entire city of Jerusalem was lit up with 87.5 foot high (50 cubit) Menorah’s. This was the size of the Menorah’s created for Herod’s temple. This was in addition to each house having a Menorah outside of their dwelling casting light to the surrounding area. In Biblical times, during Hanukkah, the city of Jerusalem literally glowed with light. Picture that in your mind as we consider the following passage.
The man born blind
The story of the man born blind took place during Hanukkah. This is made clear in the scriptures when the Jews were discussing whether Jesus was the Messiah or demon possessed (John 10:21-22). The story contained in John 9 took part over several days. It is important to note that Hanukkah is not a single day of celebration. It goes for eight days. I am convinced that the story that we will look at in John 9 started on the first day of Hanukkah and continued through the festival. Jesus had a way of rubbing the truth into the face of the religious leaders. These leaders had to consider the miracle of the man born blind and the problem of Jesus the Messiah.
The disciples were discussing with Jesus who had sinned in order for the man to be born blind. He stated that it was so that the works of God could be displayed. Jesus followed this statement with a remarkable statement, ““While I am in the world, I am the Light of the world.”” (John 9:5, NASB95). This is remarkable because the season was Hanukkah. Jesus was stating that He is the light and Hanukkah was about Him.
We referred earlier to the story about the person who will not hide a light under a basket but will leave it on a pedestal so that it will give light to the entire house ( Matt 5:14-15). This is in direct reference to the custom of the Jews to display light during Hanukkah. Jesus is described as light that shines in the darkness driving out the darkness (John 1:4-5; 8:12; 12:46).
He validated his claim by making clay and washing the eyes of a man born blind. He Miraculously healed the man born blind (John 9:6-7). It was not until recently that surgical methods were able to give sight to one born blind. Yeshua did not use surgery.
This man was born blind and had his eyes opened, the nerves restored, and was able to interpret what he saw. This was an incredible healing that could only be from God. The problem was placed in the laps of the Jewish leadership. The man born blind but now seeing was a great puzzle to the leaders as they called in the man multiple times to interrogate him (John 9:8-20). This was a miracle of magnificence, beyond explanation.
Notice the similarity between these times and the times of the original Hanukkah during Maccabees. The parents were afraid of the Jews because if they said Jesus is the Messiah, they would be put out of the synagogue. Religious persecution was alive and well (John 8:21-23). The healed man testifies to the healing, and is put out of the temple after he challenges the religious leaders to consider the miracle Jesus had performed (John 9:34).
Jesus fulfilled Hanukkah
We see all three aspects of Hanukkah fulfilled in the healed blind man. Jesus fulfilled the Festival of lights by bringing the man into the light. He fulfilled the festival of miracles by healing the man. Lastly He fulfilled the festival of dedication by the man proving to be dedicated to Him. The spirit of the world was also present in the festival. Jesus challenged the religious leaders who were not allowing His people to follow Him. He left a character study for them to consider through the entire Hanukkah festival. Lastly, He demonstrated that they were just like the errant leaders of the past when they put the healed man out of the temple. Instead of the abomination of desolation that Antiochus Epiphanies put into play, we have religious leaders kicking a person out of the temple who was truly dedicated to God.
Day 6 Hanukkah
Today we will be looking at the Messiah. In the previous studies this week we looked at the way that Jesus claimed that Hanukkah was all about Him. Today we are going to look at a clear Messianic statement where Jesus stated that He is the Messiah.
The term “Son of Man” found in the following passages occurs one time in the Old Testament. Remember, Jesus validated that this entire passage was a Hanukkah message (John 10:21-22).
John 9:35–41, NASB95
“Jesus heard that they had put him out, and finding him, He said, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “Who is He, Lord, that I may believe in Him?” Jesus said to him, “You have both seen Him, and He is the one who is talking with you.” And he said, “Lord, I believe.” And he worshiped Him. And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, so that those who do not see may see, and that those who see may become blind.” Those of the Pharisees who were with Him heard these things and said to Him, “We are not blind too, are we?” Jesus said to them, “If you were blind, you would have no sin; but since you say, ‘We see,’ your sin remains.”
The Jewish people were very familiar with the reference to the promised Messiah of “Son of Man”. Let’s first look at the Old Testament reference to the “Son of Man” and see what is promised about Him.
Daniel 7:13–14 (KJV)
13 I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. 14 And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.
A little preaching:
We discussed in the past few studies how that Jesus will unite all believers into one body (1 Cor 12:12-13). Jews and Gentiles will be melded together to form “one new man” designed by our Messiah as a new congregation to worship and serve Him (Eph 2:11-22). As a “one new man” assembly, we have become the holy temple of the Holy Spirit designed by and built for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. This fantastic new plan by God is prophesied by Daniel in the verse quoted above (Dan 7:14).
Jesus referred to himself as the “Son of Man” referring to this prophecy in a multitude of Gospel passages. Jesus spoke heavily of this reference in events leading up to the crucifixion, Judas’ betrayal, and the declaration to the high priest (Matt 26:2, 24, 45, 64). He spoke of having authority to forgive sins and as Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:10, 28). These are only a few of the references. The Messianic idea of “Son of Man” is a constant character study that permeates the Gospels. Jesus is constantly referring to this prophecy demonstrating how that He is the one prophesied. There are 84 references in the Gospels alone where Jesus claimed to be the Son of Man and what it means. One example is that the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as ransom for many (Mark 10:45).
To return to the John, Jesus receives worship from the man who was blind (John 9:38). Jesus declared that He came into the world to judge or evaluate the world so that those who are blind can see (John 9:39). He declared to the Pharisees that since they claim to be able to see, they have chosen to be blind spiritually (John 9:40-41). In the end of the Hanukkah discussion, Jesus refers back to the prophecy in Daniel regarding the Messiah. He pointed to the fact that he stood in the presence of the “Ancient of Days”, the Almighty Father and that the Father had given Him dominion over man:
John 10:33–38 (NET)
33 The Jewish leaders replied, “We are not going to stone you for a good deed but for blasphemy, because you, a man, are claiming to be God.” 34 Jesus answered, “Is it not written in your law, ‘I said, you are gods’?35 If those people to whom the word of God came were called ‘gods’ (and the scripture cannot be broken),36 do you say about the one whom the Father set apart and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’? 37 If I do not perform the deeds of my Father, do not believe me. 38 But if I do them, even if you do not believe me, believe the deeds, so that you may come to know and understand that I am in the Father and the Father is in me.”
Summary
Jesus claimed that Hanukkah was about Him. He declared that He is God and that He is the one prophesied which will draw both Jew and Gentile into one body. We covered the idea yesterday that Jesus demonstrated that the festival of Hanukkah was about Him by demonstrating that He brought light, miracles, and re-dedication from men. Today we see that Jesus demonstrated that as the “Son of Man”, he will demand that all men bow down to Him as their ruler.
Jesus’ name in Hebrew was Yeshua. It literally means “salvation”. When you compare this name to Joshua, who’s name means “God is Salvation”, things start to come into view. Jesus is Salvation. His nature is Salvation. The blind man was an example of one who was in bondage to a physical ailment who was set free. Yeshua took this and extended the lesson to include those who are spiritually blind can now receive sight (John 9:39). Later in the passage He said that He gives eternal life (John 10:28). All of this took place during the festival of Hanukkah.
We do not realize the significance of His name until we begin to understand His nature. His nature is to set people free. Many Christians understand that Jesus came to set people free from sin. We do not realize why. His nature is to set people free, He set people free from sickness, disease, blindness, and from sin. This is our Messiah. This is the Miracle that Hanukkah is all about. Yeshua claimed that Hanukkah was His festival, now we are beginning to see the reason why.
When you take this a step further, the study gets very interesting. We understand that God became flesh for the salvation of man. He literally became man in order to set man free and to redeem man for salvation. Yeshua is Salvation.
Hanukkah, is not just a fun festival. It is about the salvation of mankind. Jesus came into the world to give light to the world so that it can be delivered from darkness. Jesus came into the world so that He can work miraculously through every life. Jesus came into the world so that all men will return to Him and re-dedicate their lives to Him. He is the living Torah, the living word of God that came so that we can be delivered (John 1:1-13).
I hope that you the reader are starting to understand that this festival is so incredible that we cannot hope to compare it to Christmas. We as Christians can choose to celebrate a plastic celebration that originally was centered on paganism and turned into a Christian litany. Or we can celebrate the light of life, Jesus our Messiah as He is portrayed through Hanukkah. To me, the decision is extremely obvious. I will celebrate My Messiah as He is portrayed as Light, a Miracle worker, and a God that I can be devoted to.
Day 7 Hanukkah
There is at least one Sabbath that takes place during Hanukkah. The only difference to the Sabbath is that the Hanukkiah is lit about 20 minutes before sundown so that a fire is not ignited on the Sabbath. The Sabbath took place on the sixth day of Hanukkah this year. With that in mind, let’s consider Hanukkah a little more both from that Sabbath perspective and from the Jewish Sages:
This is in reference to the discussion earlier on the legend of the Oil. I found a passage in the Babylonian Talmud that explains the Hanukkah oil from an ancient document:
IX.14 A. What’s the point of Hanukkah?
- It is in line with what our rabbis have taught on Tannaite authority:
- On the twenty-fifth of Kislev the days of Hanukkah, which are eight, begin. On these days it is forbidden to lament the dead and to fast.
- For when the Greeks entered the sanctuary, they made all of the oil that was in the sanctuary unclean. But when the rule of the Hasmonean house took hold and they conquered them, they searched but found only a single jar of oil, lying with the seal of the high priest. But that jar had enough oil only for a single day. But there was a miracle done with it, and they lit the lamp with it for eight days. The next year they assigned these days and made them festival days for the recitation of Hallel psalms [Ps. 113–118] and for thanksgiving.[10]
Yeshua healed the blind man on the Sabbath (John 9:14). Hanukkah is tied in with the declaration about the festival of light. Yeshua stated that He is the light of the world (John 9:5). His statement declared that He brought light to the blind eyes just as He is the light of all the world. Hanukkah is all about Jesus. Perhaps Yeshua was teaching the leaders regarding their own traditions on Hanukkah. What did Psalm 113-118 declare? I encourage you to read through these psalms and keep the blind man in mind during your reading.
The Jewish Rabbi’s felt it was important to read through Psalms 113-118 on this festival What is intriguing is that these Psalms are Messianic. Psalm 113 looks forward to God personally lifting up the poor and downtrodden. It looked forward to God becoming flesh. Psalm 114, God delivered Israel in such a way that the mountains complied with God’s wishes. Psalm 115 is a statement that God through grace (lovingkindness) deals with men. He is not like the pagan gods who are carved out of wood. God is worthy of trust. Psalm 116 is a cry to God for Salvation. Psalm 117 is a small song of praise to the Lord for his everlasting grace (lovingkindness).
The last Psalm carries a special message, It is about the grace of God (lovingkindness, Ps 118). There is an interesting quirk in Psalm 118, it specifically names Jesus in several verses! “He has become my salvation” (Ps 118:14b). The word for salvation is the Hebrew word Yeshua, Jesus’ name in Hebrew was Yeshua. Verse 15: “The sound of joyful shouting and salvation…” Salvation is the Hebrew word Yeshua. This is followed with victory of the Lord. After opening the gates of righteousness, “And You have become my salvation” (Ps 118:21b). My Yeshua, (My salvation)! This is followed by the analogy of the stone that the builders rejected (Ps 118:22). There is little doubt that this Psalm prophesied Yeshua!
The Jewish sages stated that these Psalms should be read during Hanukkah. Little did they realize that these Psalms described Yeshua.
Day 8 Hanukkah
I covered a skeleton of the Festival of Hanukkah looking at the three aspects of the festival. It covered the Festival of Dedication, Festival of Lights, and Festival of Miracles. We also looked extensively at the lessons that Jesus taught on Hanukkah from John 9-10. Today, let’s wrap up a few loose ends.
Gift giving
One significant source of gift giving came as the form of gifts of money. The children were given money for three reasons. In Hebrew, this was called the “gelt”.
First reason: One was to commemorate the ability to mint money after political Jewish autonomy was restored after the temple was restored.
Second reason: Another purpose of gift giving was as a reward for diligent Torah study by Jewish children.[11] Both of these examples throw a different light on gift giving. In the first case, it is a memorial of how that the Jewish people took back their country and started living as a society. The second situation is also related to Hanukkah. When Judas Maccabeus took the Temple back, he based this on the study of Torah.
Rewarding children for studying Torah is completely in line with the idea behind the festival. During the times that Antiochus Epiphanies made Judaism illegal, Torah study was also illegal. The ancient Jews saw the simple bribery of giving money for Torah study as a good way to get children to read Torah and a good opportunity to teach them about giving.
Third reason: The Rabbi’s taught that Hanukkah candles could not serve any other purpose except for the festival. They could not be used for lighting a house. Therefore, the children were encouraged to put a certain amount of the money they were given into a community poor box. This money was then given to the poor so that they could buy candles. Careful effort is made not to embarrass the poor people. If you were to give them candles, it would be an embarrassment to them because they would be shown as inadequate. If they were given the money so that they could make the decision to purchase candles, now they shopped as normal people and were not embarrassed.
Gift giving to match up to Christianity is anti-Hanukkah
Many hold that gift giving was instituted as a way to appease Jewish children who were watching the Christian children get gifts for Christmas. Is this true? This may be a generalization taught by Christians who are seeking to justify Christmas by making it look like a more desirable holiday. It is a sad reality that much of the teaching that comes from Christian commentators is based on “Replacement Theology” which seeks to demonstrate that the Christian has replaced Judaism as a “better” religion.
Gift giving for the sole purpose of giving gifts could be connected with Hanukkah. With this situation in mind, the celebrant is missing a valuable opportunity to share with their children the reason behind the festival. Working from this premise is no different than the Christian who gives gifts on Christmas because the three wise men gave gifts. This is also ironic since these men did not show up until at least two years after Jesus was born.
However: Hanukkah celebrates breaking away from the paganistic influence of the Gentiles. To give gifts on Hanukkah for the sole purpose of matching Christians at Christmas is completely opposed to the entire spirit of the holiday. Those who make this claim do not understand the story behind or the celebration of Hanukkah. The original story about Judas Maccabeus was a return to Torah and a complete separation from the pagan influences of the Greeks.
Albeit, gift giving on the eight days is attributed to America. In the scheme of things, America is a very young country. Some American Jews may have polluted the original spirit of the holiday because of unwitting compromise. They may not even be aware that by giving a gift to match the Christian children, they are entering into the same spirit that their fore-fathers fought to break away from. What is important is that the Jewish people were already giving gifts of money to children to encourage learning.
Games of chance, specifically the dreidel:
Torah is an extremely important item to the Jews. The focal point of the historical event was on returning the people to Torah and abandoning the paganism that was forced upon them. Here is an excerpt on the way that Jewish students have traditionally dealt with Hanukkah:
In the late Middle Ages, the custom developed of yeshivah students celebrating Hanukkah by ceasing their studies and engaging in games of chance, especially cards. Despite intense rabbinic opposition to this “wasting of time,” the practice has persisted to the present day. Getting into the spirit of the occasion, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berditchev defended this apparent frivolity by explaining that Jews played cards on the nights of Hanukkah to accustom themselves to staying up late, so that they would have the stamina to study Torah longer during the rest of the year.8 Today, by far the most popular game of chance played on Hanukkah is dreidel ….[12]
Eisenberg gave a very good summary of the dreidel without outlining the rules. I believe that you will find the history behind the dreidel interesting especially considering that it referred to the Messiah:
The dreidel, a four-sided top that is inscribed with Hebrew letters, is a popular symbol of Hanukkah. Although the Rabbis generally prohibited gambling as a waste of time that instead should be devoted to Torah study, they were more lenient during this festival of joy. “Dreidel” is a Yiddish word derived from the German “drehen” (to turn). In medieval Germany, gambling dice had four letters inscribed on their sides—N, G, H, and S, respectively—representing the words “nichts” (nothing), “ganz” (all), “halb” (half), and “shtell arein” (put in). After throwing the dice, the player would do the action indicated by the letter that appeared face upward. Jews transformed the dice into a spinning top and translated the letters into their Hebrew equivalents—נ (N), ג (G), ה (H), and שׁ (S)—which add up to the same numerical value (358) as Mashiach (Messiah). These letters also form an acronym for the phrase nes gadol hayah sham (a great miracle happened there). In modern Israel, the dreidel is known as sevivon (Hebrew for a “spinning top”) and the letter שׁ is replaced by a פּ (P)—the first letter of the word “po” (here), making the phrase “a great miracle happened here.”[13][14]
We did not cover the Jewish game regarding the Dreidel, however, the reason behind the tradition is interesting. The game swings on playing with coins. What is also interesting is that it is played until a winner takes all. Then upon completion of the game the pot is split evenly. I found one note saying that this refers to Jews playing fair. I believe what it really refers to is the conquest of David as he reclaimed the spoils of Ziklag and demanded that his men split the booty with the 200 men who were too exhausted to follow. The statute of sharing the booty of war has been an ordinance that David imposed and is represented by the splitting of the pot (1 Sam 30:21-26, read 1 Sam 30 for context).
Summary
The main message of Hanukkah from all avenues is to turn to Torah. Mattathias and Judas Maccabeus both stressed and swayed the believing Jews to abandon paganism in order to re-conquer the temple. They set their lives according to the Torah and encouraged their children to do the same by teaching them and rewarding them for learning Torah. Everything we have studied so far screams loudly that all men need to turn from pagan gods and to turn to Torah. Jesus taught that this holiday is about Him as He draws all men to salvation. This eight day festival is not a time for fun and games. It is a time to get serious about the Lord.
During this Hanukkah season, my family considered the mission trip to the Philippines. We are putting the lessons learned into action in April when we will go forth to minister to others in Yeshua’s name. What are you going to do with what you have learned and committed this Hanukkah season? Living out Torah, or living out the instructions of God means putting it into action. Develop a plan and put it in action. Those who stagnate have learned nothing.
[1] Jerry R. Lancaster and R. Larry Overstree, “Jesus’ Celebration of Hanukkah in John 10,” Bibliotheca Sacra 152 (1995): 332.
[2] Ibid. 330.
[3] https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/hanukkah-history/ Accessed 12/7/17.
[4] Jacob Neusner, The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary, vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 84.
[5] Andrew Knowles, The Bible Guide, 1st Augsburg books ed. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg, 2001), 344.
[6] Ibid., 345.
[7] Ibid., 345.
b Or the worst of the things that had been done
c Meaning of Gk uncertain
[8] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 2 Mac 13:9–17.
c 169 B.C.
[9] The Holy Bible: New Revised Standard Version (Nashville: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1989), 1 Mac 1:20–24.
[10] Jacob Neusner, The Babylonian Talmud: A Translation and Commentary, vol. 2 (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2011), 85.
[11] Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 247.
8 Kolatch, The Jewish Book of Why, 267.
[12] Ronald L. Eisenberg, The JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions, 1st ed. (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society, 2004), 248.
[13] Ibid. 251
[14] Frankel, Ellen, and Betsy Platkin Teutsch. The Encyclopedia of Jewish Symbols. Northvale, N.J.: Aronson, 1992.
