ON THE VANGUARD

EIGHT DAYS OF LIGHTS
“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’”
John 8:12

Tonight begins Chanukah. Over the next eight devotionals I want to take the time to share with you the history of Chanukah and how it relates to us today. For the Christian it has true importance, and I have been very excited over the past few weeks as I have been studying and preparing these writings. This is the season of miracles, and my expectation is that you will see a miracle in your own life as we venture in this study together. Please understand that I do not have all the answers concerning this holiday, but as God has been showing me what to expect in the days to come, I trust He will also make alive in you.
I first want to take a moment to break down any misunderstandings about Chanukah. Chanukah is not the Jewish version of Christmas. Based on the details we know from the Bible, Jesus would have been born closer to the High Holy season of Sukkot, which places His birth more so around September. However, the custom of decorating our homes with Christmas lights is derived from Chanukah, for it is known by some as the Festival of Lights.
Chanukah is in the Bible and was celebrated by Jesus, Himself. Look with me at John 10:22-23. “Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area walking in Solomon’s Colonnade.” As said, Chanukah is known as the Festival of Lights. It is also known as the Feast of Dedication. If you remember from a devotional back in late October, we looked at the life of Enoch and how his name is translated in the Hebrew as CHANOWK, which means dedicated. Chanukah is derived from this root word, meaning dedication. It was during this Feast that the Jews recalled the victory of the Maccabees over their enemy, and the provision of God to allow the menorah to burn for eight days when there was only enough oil to burn for one night. This was the provision of God, and a celebration of His miracle working power.
The burning candles on the menorah is a reminder to us all, not just the Jews, of God’s provision and the victory won by the Maccabees. It is also a reminder to us, though, that we to need to be dedicated to God. For as we will later see, the Maccabees chased away the forces of darkness with their swords. They grew weary of the ways of Syria and finally declared they had had enough. So it is time for us to dedicate ourselves to God again and chase darkness in our lives away. This is represented as we chase the darkness away with the light of the candles.
But who is the light? Jesus declares in John 8:12, that He is the Light. “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” We have all been there before, in a spot where we find that our strength is simply not enough to defeat the enemy. It is in those times that God shows that when we are weak, He is strong. It was this same strength from God that allowed the Maccabees, few in number, to defeat the Syrian army. As they stood for the Light of the world, the Light shown through and allowed a great victory.
Countless times throughout the Bible we read of men and women who faced disaster and hardship. Yet as we also see, those who stood up for God’s truth and justice were those who received God’s miracles. As we launch into this season, I want to encourage you to stand up for God’s truth and justice. The enemy will find ways to try to knock you down and take you out. He will work to snuff your flame and deplete you of the oil needed to burn for God. But do not lose heart. Do not stray from the ways of God. Your miracle is coming, and the Light of the world will overcome the darkness at hand. Happy Chanukah to all.