PADDING
Fourth Night of Chanukah
When Solomon dedicated the First Temple, in the presence of the assembly of Israel, he knelt in front of the altar and stretched out his hands to the Lord in prayer. He proclaimed the Lord’s greatness and asked that He bless the Temple where He had chosen to make His name dwell. He prayed blessings, dedicating the Temple to the Lord for His glory.
After his prayers, Solomon stood and addressed Israel, encouraging them to fully commit their hearts to the Lord and obey Him all their days. As we see throughout Israel’s history, it was all too easy for their attention to turn away from the God of their fathers and slip into idol worship.
Unfortunately, the same is true for Believers today – it’s just that our idols aren’t tangible statues named after pagan gods. Today’s idols bear names like money, possessions, lust, attention, prestige, control, fitting in, and comfort – to name a few.
The Jewish people of the second century B.C.E. came under pressure from the wicked Antiochus IV (also known as Antiochus Epiphanes because he claimed to be the incarnation of the Greek god Zeus). They faced the temptation to assimilate into Greek culture by forsaking their Jewish religious practices. Eventually, Antiochus enforced severe physical punishments on those who would not adopt the Greek beliefs and mindset.
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Today’s world has changed rapidly and seems to be drifting further and further away from a biblical mindset every day. Standing up for biblical beliefs will only get more challenging as the surrounding culture more vehemently demands that we conform to its values.
Chanukah reminds us of how the Maccabees held fast to their faith in the one true God, refusing to engage in idol worship or fit in with the ungodly culture around them. The Lord had called the Jewish people to be set apart, to stand out as light does in darkness. That difference is what points people to Him. It’s the calling of every Believer to stand fast in the faith with a heart fully committed to the Lord, for it’s when we press on, ever growing in the Lord, that we can daily experience the abundance of peace, love and joy that is available to us in Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
So, during this Feast of Dedication, let’s shine some Chanukah light inward and search our hearts for anything we have placed above our desire to follow after God with our whole hearts. Allow Him to tear down any altars to false idols and purify us anew as we rededicate fully committed hearts to Him.
And he said: “Lord, the God of Israel, there is no God like You in heaven above or on earth below––You who keep Your covenant of love with Your servants who continue wholeheartedly in Your way.”
“And may your hearts be fully committed to the Lord our God, to live by His decrees and obey His commands, as at this time.”
1 Kings 8:23, 61
Shine a Light
Give a Gift of Gelt
The story of Chanukah is a story of a miracle...God’s miracle in providing light for eight days with oil that was only enough to last a single day.
Each day of Chanukah this year, you can give a gelt offering that shines the love of Jesus to Jewish people around the world. Your gifts throughout Chanukah — clean drinking water, medical care, the Good News and more — will demonstrate your commitment to reaching our Jewish brothers and sisters with the Gospel. Would you consider giving the following gift today?
Give $35 to provide 2 Bibles for a Messianic congregation
For a gift of $35, you can provide 2 Bibles for a Messianic congregation, translated into their native language, to help them grow in their devotion to and understanding of Scripture.
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Light the Candles with Your Family
Place four candles in the chanukiah tonight, setting them in the holders at the far right and placing them from right to left. As you light the Shamash, or Servant Candle, recite the Messianic Jewish Chanukah blessings:
Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us with Your commandments and has given us Yeshua the Messiah, the Light of the World.
Blessed are You, LORD, our God, King of the universe, who has performed miracles for our ancestors in those days at this time.
Using the Shamash, light the Chanukah candles in the opposite direction from which you placed them in the holders. Light them from left to right, according to the Jewish custom of honoring the newest first. Return the Shamash to its place. Let the candles go out on their own. They should burn for at least half an hour.
