"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." or.. What is Chanukkah to me?

[EileenMomGranny]

"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." - The Borg

"No, it's not. You may have destroyed our home world, murdered most of our people but the rest of us have fled and are now scattered across the galaxy, but we are not assimilated." - Guinan

I was reminded of this conversation from the TV series , Star Trek, The Next Generation. as I came to know the history of Chanukkah's celebration, based upon the Maccabean Revolt of 167-165 BC.

My two local daughters asked me this December if I was going to be celebrating Chanukkah. I told them I didn't know anything about it.  I'm not going through a candle lighting ritual with no understanding, and some vague ideas of some myths and traditions. I didn't know what Chanukkah is. I want to understand it from the Messianic Jewish perspective: how does this apply to me? my life? my family in our real, every day lives?

I'm not (yet?) seeking the traditions, rituals and myths that have evolved around Chanukkah, but to understand what it is and why God gave it to us to celebrate annually. What is God's gift to us contained in this celebration?

On December 20, in seeking some time with God, and truth and wisdom from God, He lead me to a teaching on Chanukkah. His timing is perfect: as it turned out, it was the day before Chanukkah started.

Jewish days begin at sundown, so Chanukkah this year began at sundown on December 21, 2008. In the Jewish calendar it is always on the 25^th of Chislev,  this year is 5769 -calculated since the creation of the world.

This was not the message I was trying to listen to online that day, but the other messages wouldn't work for me. I had no idea what it was going to be about, based upon the title, "HB008 The New Holy Day" with a bold message under it "abomination that causes desolation". Looking back a the web page now, there was a mention of two Gospels, and a few key words,  including Chanukah. But it was not the most prominent reference from my perspective. I thought maybe it was just referencing the Jewish calendar. Like this message was recorded during the Jewish calendar time referred to as Chanukah. Silly me.

Chanukkah. The Hebrew word means "dedication". The Feast of Dedication (of the altar, in the Temple, at the entrance to the Holy Place.) The first time Chanukkah is mentioned in the Jewish and Protestant Bible is not in the TaNaKh ( The Jewish Bible, or the Old Testament of Christian Bibles), but in the Brit Chadashah (the Renewed Covenant / New Testament section of Christian and Complete Jewish Bibles). In the Gospel of John 10:22. Yeshua HaMashiach was celebrating it in Yerushalayim in winter. Yeshua lived the perfect life.

So where did this Feast come from? And why are the Jews celebrating it in the time of Yeshua. Why are they still celebrating it in our time? And since Yeshua, our Lord and Savior celebrated it, WHY aren't Christians (His followers) celebrating it in our time? Since it's part of  "our" New Testament, and not in "their" Old Testament at all. The historical basis for this festival is part of the Catholic Old Testament, in the book of First Maccabees, Chapters 1-4. The Book of Maccabees is accepted as a history book by the Jews, but not inspired of God, so not included in the TaNaKh.

God provides and prepares. I was raised Roman Catholic, and used to be Roman Catholic. I would prepare to lead the songs as a cantor for the Mass, so had read and studied the Bible for years. Although this part had never come up. I still own a couple Catholic Bibles. I read up on the history of the Maccabean Revolt.  It's a great story, It would make a great movie. Since it's a historical account of war, some of it's gory and disgusting; but I would recommend reading the whole thing.  1 Maccabees Chapters 1-4.

Summarized: Alexander the Great had conquered the known world, and after his death the world had been divided into four areas. Israel was under the Syrian King . The Jews had been tolerated. But the hip and cool thing was to be Greek. Hellenism was very popular and many Jews welcomed this "upgrade" of the newest things into their lives, and abandoned God's Way.

King Antioches IV was  know by the Greeks as "Epiphanes" which means Zeus (god) made manifest; and by the Jews as Epimanes "the madman". (Jewish pun). The Syrian king  became intolerant of the Jews who would not be assimilated into Greek culture. This was one of those times and places in world history when being Jewish was outlawed. It was now illegal for Jews to obey God,  to worship God, to own, read, study and discuss God's Word. (haTorah, the Bible, the TaNaKh). Disobedience to the government was a capital crime. Punishment was death. 

This is where the tradition of the dreidle comes from. The story goes: students would post a guard at the doorway or entrance where they were studying Torah, God's teaching and instructions. When someone would approach, they would hide the Torah scrolls, take out the dreidles and play with them.

This is how it's evolved today: There is a Hebrew letter on one of each of the four sides of the dreidle: Nun, Gimel, Hay, Shin (or Pey). Each letter is an acronym for: Neis gadol hayah sham: "A great thing happened here". (or if in Israel, Neis gadol hayah poh:  "a great thing happened here"). Families or children play a gambling game with this. A delightful variation on this game is in the storybook Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins, by Eric Kimmel.

Back to 167 BC. In Jerusalem, the whole Temple had been pillaged and desecrated by the Greeks. (disgusting details.)  A statue of the Roman god (Zeus/Antioches) had been put into the Holy of Holies. Some cohanim (priests of God) lead a revolt. This began with the Jewish cohen  Mattithias, and his sons refusing to sacrifice pigs on God's altar in God's Temple to the idol of the Greek god. This is where the abomination that causes desolation comes in (referenced by Yeshua in Matthew 24).

After killing a couple of people who were descrating the Temple, the priests fled to the hills. A couple years of guerilla warfare, some awesome full scale battles: God and his Chosen Faithful People vs the Syrian army. (God wins).  The Syrians leave the Jews alone to worship and obey God. The Temple is cleaned up. The old desecrated altar is hauled out. The Temple furnishings are restored. And a new altar is set up.  Here's where the celebration of Chanukkah comes from. It took eight days to dedicate the altar. And it was decided that this would be commemorated every year, with the eight day celebration. (1 Maccabees 4:56,59). 

No where was there any mention about an oil lamp that burned for 8 days on only a one day supply of oil. No candles either. The Menorah was an oil lamp. Not candelabra. Reminds me the Coleman lantern I have in the shed, with the big white propane tank attached to it. I need somebody to teach me how to use it. I think I'll set it up for next Chanukkah.

Definitely, we decided to celebrate Chanukkah! My son likes to play with candles, flames, matches, lighters. So as Chanukkah present he got an awesome candle, whose white wax base alternately glows different colors. And by the time we were in the middle of this 8 day festival, I could appreciate having an 8 branch menorah to help me keep track of which day we were on.

The daily Chanukkah Bible readings are from Numbers 7:1-8:4 Plus the Hallel Psalms 113-118. Numbers 28:1-15, and John 10:22-39 at some time. Then on the Chanukkah Shabbat(s) Genesis 41:1 - 44:17, Zechariah 2:14 - 4:7, 1 Kings 3:15-4:1; Acts 7:9-16. (1 Kings 7:40-50 when there is a second Shabbat during Chanukkah). I also like candles, so we added some of the Shabbat ritual prayers, and candle lighting and blessings to our Friday night this past week. I lit a lovely dark green tapered candle on a tall crystal base. And had set our tables with a lovely lace kind of table runner. Very pretty, sacred space.

Usually Rosh Chodesh Tevet also falls during the time of Chanukkah. This is the beginning of the new lunar month in the Jewish calendar: Tevet. And includes it's own new moon festival and readings: Numbers 28:9-15, Isaiah 66:1-24, Colossians 2:16-17, Revelations 21:1-22:5.  

We didn't try to do all of these readings at once. We savored a few at a time. Chanukkah celebration lasts 8 days and the daily readings from Numbers are divided out for us. Shabbat is 24 hours and Rosh Chodesh Tevet is 48 hours.

I also found a "mini-Siddur" for Messianic liturgy.  So this past Friday night Shabbat,  Chanukkah I prayed the Hebrew (mostly transliteration) and James prayed the English. We got to the end and I remembered we have some Welches' Sparking Grape Juice and a flaky honey butter biscuit. So we finished off with the blessings over the fruit of the vine and the grain. I'm looking forward to planning those parts beginning this next Shabbat.

We waited to start Rosh Chodesh Tevet  readings until Saturday morning. Savored them over a few of different times throughout the day. The Hallel Psalms are also part of this.

The final evening of Chanukkah candle lighting and readings was (Sunday Dec 28 / 2^nd of Tevet ). We reflected over the sacrifices brought by the leaders of all the tribes of Israel. I asked James, since Yeshua is the sacrifice for our sins (the offering for the altar at the door to the Holy Place), what sacrifices does God ask from us? And we are now the Temple of the Living God (our bodies -- Romans 12:1) I am a new creation (2 Cor 5:17).

James immediately responded "with our lives." I was looking for more (I had already prepared Hebrews 13:15). So I asked him "what else"? He thought a minute and said our "hearts, thoughts & time."  He's very wise for a fourteen year old!! (Thank God).  Also, I've learned to sacrifice my problems, addictions, judgments, misperceptions, ...whatever, to bring it all to Him, and let Him deal with what is driving those problems in me. To allow Him to bring truth into those broken places of my soul (where I'd been deeply and terribly wounded by life and then more terribly wounded by the lies I had believed associated with them.). To allow God to bring the truth, and so healing to my spirit, mind, heart. (Romans 12:2)

Our Savior and Lord calls us, "Come follow Me." To live as He did. How can I know HOW to do that? (John 8:31-32). And the two greatest commandments  (Deut 6:4-5 and Leviticus 19:18.)

Yeshua was born of the House of David, a Jew. He was dedicated at the Temple as the first born, and circumcised on the eighth day. He lived His whole life as a Jew. He taught Torah. He exemplified Torah. He died a Jew, He resurrected a Jew and is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He celebrated all the Appointed Times, the Feasts of God. Obedient to God's teaching and instructions: HaTorah.

Yeshua is the living Torah. The Living Word of Yehuah.

"So honor the LORD and serve Him wholeheartedly. Put away forever the idols your ancestors worshipped... serve the LORD alone... But as for me and my family, we will serve the LORD." Joshua 24:14-15

 A couple online references:

 http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Winter_Holidays/Chanukah/chanukah.html 

http://theremnantscall.org/BethGoyim-Message.html