ON THE VANGUARD

A GREAT LIGHT
“The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.”
Isaiah 9:2

As I have been studying Chanukah over the past few weeks, I have been experiencing the turning on of many mental light bulbs. I have spent hours researching on the internet and pouring over any material I can get my hands on in order to be knowledgeable and to provide you with a clearer understanding. It was while I was listening to a message by Rabbi Daniel Lappin that God then opened my eyes to the numbers associated with Chanukah. I would like to share the details of what God showed me through this study.
In the Hebrew culture numbers are important. One example is when Jonah was in the fish for three days. Jesus used this example to make it clear that He would be in the grave for three days, and then be resurrected (Mt 12:40). So it is with Chanukah, that numbers are also important. In this season there are three numbers that stand out: 36, 25, and 8. I will do my best to explain these in this brief writing.
Let us begin with 36. On the Chanukah Menorah, or also called the Hanukkiah, there is a place for a total of nine candles to burn at one time. The middle candle is called the Shamash, the server candle. It is this candle that is lit first and then used to light the other candles as they are added to nightly. The candles are placed right to left, but lit by the Shamash from left to right. In Matthew 20:28 we read that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve. The Shamash is a representation of Jesus as He came to serve. Isaiah also prophesied that Jesus would be the Light to the Gentiles. Again we see our Lord in this candle as it provides the light of the Light to the others. But how does this relate to the number 36? The Hebrew word for light is named in the Old Testament only 36 times. On the first night of Chanukah the Shamash is lit and one candle. On the second night, the Shamash and two candles. This progression continues until the final night when the Shamash is lit along with all eight candles. By simply adding 1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8, we have a total of 36.
Let us now consider the number 25. In the Hebrew calendar, Chanukah begins on the 25th day of Kislev. Now as a lover of history, I enjoy digging in the past to find other incidents they may have happened on the same day years before. For instance, I have found that I share my birthday with Joseph’s brother Simeon, according to the Hebrew calendar (the 28th day of Tevet). I have also found that the day in which Cain killed Able was on the 25th of Kislev. In reading Genesis 4:16, following the murder of Able, Cain went out of God’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, which means wandering. In verse 17, it is recorded that Cain lay with his wife and she birthed a son named Enoch. Cain built a city for Enoch and also named it Enoch. Now this is not the same Enoch who walked with God and was no more (Gen 5:24), but the name means the same, Dedication. Cain made an amends with God and re-dedicated himself to God when his son was born. It is no coincidence then that Chanukah, meaning dedication, began years later following the dedication of Enoch.
Lastly, let us look at the number 8. This one is pretty simple to understand, as we have already seen that 8 candles plus the Shamash can be lit on the Menorah at once. But the traditional menorah only housed six additional candles, not eight. Why then is the Hanukkiah different? After the Maccabees were victorious over Syria, they went back to start the rebuilding process. As they went to light the temple Menorah they discovered that there was only enough pure oil for one day. In their act of honor to God, they decided to light the Menorah anyway. Now keep in mind that Syria had already defiled the temple as we will learn together soon, but to also light the Menorah and run out of oil was defilement. Nonetheless, they lit the Menorah while they worked to produce more pure oil. As we will learn tomorrow, this process took seven days. The Maccabees came in the following morning, fully expecting to the see the Menorah unlit, but a miracle had happened. The Menorah continued to burn. It burned a third day on the same small amount of oil they had started with. It burned a fourth, fifth, and so on. And when the pure oil had completed the process, the Menorah was still burning.
There are many miracles that took place and are now celebrated as part of Chanukah, but I want to draw us back to Isaiah 9:2. “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” The miracle may be that a band of brothers few in number defeated an army of thousands. The miracle may be that God proved Himself as the God of more than enough, Jehovah Jirah, and allowed the Menorah to burn way past its true ability. The miracle may be that dedication to God came full circle. What is it that you are in need of this season? What miracle do you desire? A healing, financial help, the ability to overcome an addiction, help in loss or with a broken heart? No matter what it is, we can now see the Great Light. I leave you then with the words of Isaiah 60:1-2. "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the LORD rises upon you and his glory appears over you.”