Soil from Stone

Hanukkah started tonight (or last night, depending on which calendar you use). Hanukkah commemorates a miracle at the temple after the “abomination that brings desolation” prophesied by Daniel was removed and the Temple cleansed. After Yehuda the Hammer chased the Greek interlopers out of Israel, the Temple was cleansed and rededicated. In order to put the Temple fully back into working order, the menorah had to be lit. It took about 8 days to make a batch of the sacred oil, but there was only enough left to keep it burning for a short while. They decided to light it anyway, trusting in Providence. They weren’t dissapointed, as God kept the menorah burning for eight days until a new batch could be made. Interestingly enough, eight is a number representing new beginnings.

Hanukkah is mentioned once in the New Testament at John 10:22. Jesus had come to Jerusalem for the holiday, referred to as the Feast of Dedication, and spent much of his time at the Temple. On another day, Jesus spoke of Daniel’s prophecy. Like so much else that has happened to God’s people, the events preceding and during Hanukkah were a shadow of greater things to come. The Abomination That Brings Desolation came once under the rule of Antiochus, but Jesus said that it would come again. Some say that happened when the Roman general Titus invaded Jerusalem. Perhaps it did, but I think it will happen again someday. Like birth pangs, each of these fulfillments is larger than the one before. Antiochus set up an idol in the Temple and sacrificed a pig. Titus tried to set up an idol, but destroyed the Temple before it could be done. Watch for the Temple to be rebuilt. If an outsider then manages to take it over and defile it, watch for the ensuing bloodshed to be like nothing Israel has ever seen before. After that, the Messiah will rescue his people, cleanse the Temple, and fill it with new light.

Yet, there is more to Hanukkah than war and blood. It is a celebration of light and God’s Spirit, and there are types and shadows within types and shadows. The menorah is a type of the Holy Spirit and we are the Temple. After having come to belief in our Messiah, if we were left to ourselves to make our own way to holiness, we would be hopelessly lost. When we are reborn, we have no power in ourselves to accomplish anything. We have no oil of our own, and we can do nothing in ourselves. It is only God’s mercy which fills us with his Spirit and allows us to be a light to the world.

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There are three things a person needs to face adversity without faltering:

1. Fellowship – Proverbs 18:1-2 says that if you are willing to break fellowship in order to swim against the tide you will be on your own without support and counsel. Sometimes it’s necessary, but be sure to count the cost before you dive in.
2. Faith – Proverbs 18:10-12 says that you can trust in God’s promises. Material wealth can buy strong walls, financial hedges, and even politicians, but ultimately God owns it all. With a single word, he can bring all you own to dust. His name is your only sure fortress.
3. Fortitude – Proverbs 18:14 says that the spiritually strong can stand against injury and illness, while the spiritually weak are defeated without a single enemy.

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