By Lilly Cohen
As dusk fell over Israel on Tuesday night, the routine of everyday life will stop for a minute or two. Because sundown will mean the first night of the festival of Hanukkah. In family homes, restaurants and even on public squares, groups of loved ones or perfect strangers will throng together to light the first candle on the Hanukkiyah (the special Hanukkah candelabrum with nine candleholders). For the next seven nights, the candlelighting will become a ritual: one candle for the first night, two for the second and finally, on night eight, well, you’ve guessed it – all eight candles.
The candlelighting itself is over quickly. But the effect lingers long into the night. See, once the Hanukkiyah is lit, it becomes a display object, something of beauty to put in your window and share with your neighbours. And so, for eight nights, a fragile glow spills from thousands of windows in my beautiful Jerusalem – a city wrapped in candlelight. Walking home through the rows of tiny flames piercing the darkness, I understand why Hanukkah is called the Feast of Light.
All pretty and everything, I know, but how does it relate to you? Well, we know that all the Biblical feasts has Yeshua at its centre. He is there, the very reason for the celebration, whether we see it or not. Because God ordained it so. But don’t take my word for it. Take His. Paul teaches in Colossians 2:16-17 that all the Biblical feasts are a shadow, a picture of the things that Yeshua would one day do or be for us. I look at it as a reflection in the mirror compared to the real thing: the festival is the mirror image, the picture, and Yeshua is the fulfilment, the real thing.
But Hanukkah is a bit different from the other celebrations that we read about in the Bible. See, the Old Testament is full of details about the festivals. We find all the whys, wheres and hows there. Not so with Hanukkah. In fact, Hanukkah isn’t even mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. But we do find it in the New Testament.
The word Hanukkah is Hebrew for dedication. So the festival of Hanukkah is also known as the Feast of Dedication or the Feast of Light. And being a Jew, Yeshua celebrated this feast. We read about it in John 10:22-23, “It was at Jerusalem the Feast of Dedication, and it was winter. And Yeshua walked in the Temple in Solomon’s porch”.
So if Hanukkah is the Feast of Light and we’re introduced to Yeshua as the Light of Men, then allow me to paraphrase the verse as follows: It was at Jerusalem the Feast of Light and the Light of Men, the Light that shines on in the darkness (John 1:4-5), Yeshua, walked in the Temple. Let it never be said that our God doesn’t have a sense of timing, an aptitude for planning that boggles the mind. Because it was at that time, while the fragile glow of lit Hanukkiyah spilt from thousands of windows and Jerusalem became a city wrapped in candlelight, while standing against the backdrop of rows of tiny flames piercing the darkness, that Yeshua promised, “I am the Light of the world: he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).
I know. I’m not making much of a logical point today. But perhaps we face enough logical points and rational arguments daily anyway. So for today I want to bring you beauty. And some security. Because if my God is smart enough to arrange the details of history, to weave away behind the scenes to make sure that everything happens at the right time, at the right place, in the right setting… Well, then I’m going to assume that He is smart enough to sort out my future too. Without me lending Him a hand or offering sagely advice. Because judging by things, He’s done a pretty good job so far.
God is in control. I’m going to believe that. Moreover, I’m going to live like I believe that. He is, after all, the Light of the World.
With that, Chag Chanukkah Sameach (Happy Hanukkah!)
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Tom Brennan says
A wonderful article. Thank you and Happy Hanukkah. I posted this on Bibleinteract’s facebook page.