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Hanukkah for Us Gentiles - Day 1

December 7 – Day 1

Happy Hanukkah – If you’re a newby to celebrating this holiday, practical instructions are found at the end of this post.  


#OnlyLoveLivesHere
#ProjectMenorah

BACKGROUND:  Hanukkah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish holiday celebrating the miracle of the oil in the days of the Maccabees.  It’s not a feast as commanded in the Torah, but it’s a cultural celebration like that of Purim which celebrates the miracle of the book of Esther.  Like many Jewish traditions, it’s overlooked by Christians, but our faith is richer the more we understand the ways of Judaism.  This tradition is no exception.  


Through the next eight days, we'll retell the story of the miracle and offer a suggested meditation so that you can experience a spiritual renewal and rejuvenation even among the preparations of other holidays such as Christmas.

The miracle of Hanukkah started with a period of time when Judaism was under attack.  Their faith had been outlawed by the government, the treasures and furnishings had been stolen from the Temple and the altar had been defiled.  Anyone faithful to the laws of Judaism was being murdered.  Men could be murdered simply for having been circumcised or for performing a circumcision.  It was a dark time with terrorism like no other.  That is until a group of Jews fought back.  They decided they’d rather die than be unfaithful to the laws of God.  Their crucial civil disobedience and heroism is celebrated to this day and by the Festival of Lights.  


REFLECTION: Hanukkah is an opportunity to take spiritual inventory of the condition of our souls.  

  • What has the enemy stolen from you this year?  Your joy?  Your servant's heart?  Maybe it's a relationship you've lost that you're asking God to restore.  
  • What was once glorious and God-honoring that now is self-centered or tainted by the enemy?   What has the enemy defiled? How is your marriage?  Your friendships?  Your money?    
  • How is the Temple of the Holy Spirit - your body?  Are you treating it with honor?  
  • Is your relationship still vibrant and growing?  Do you spend time with Him?  Do you honor His commands? 
While it may not seem celebratory to ask yourself hard questions, you can imagine the celebration that can come from restored fellowship and healing of these things.  Place these things before the Lord and see what He will do.  May He give you a miraculous victory as He did the Maccabees.  


PRAY:  Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in prayer and reveal to you the places God would restore for you.  This is war!  It will take some fight in you to come against the enemy and see victory in the broken places; but the weapons of our warfare are mighty through prayer.  Talk to the Lord about it.  Commit to praying about it, or share with trusted friends who will pray.  (You could even leave it inthe comments below - we'll pray!)  Then celebrate - He hears you.  Jehovah Sabaoth - the Lord of the hosts of heaven's warring angels - will fight for you.  


INSTRUCTIONS: 

  1. You’ll need a Menorah, Matches, Candles. (I got my first one at Target.)
  2. At sundown, put candles in the Menorah from right to left.  The Shamash (candle in the middle) will be used to light the rest.  Place one candle for the day of the celebration, plus one for the next day that will remain unlit. For example on Day 1 you’ll have the center candle (shamash), and two more candles – one to light and one for the next day.
  3. After you’ve place candles in the Menorah, recite these three blessings before lighting them. You’ll recite the first 2 blessings every night.  The third blessing is only recited the first night. (Kudos if you can say them in Hebrew, but baby steps.) 
    1. blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who makes us holy with Your commandments, commanding us to kindle the Hanukkah lights.  
    2. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who performed wondrous deeds for our ancestors in those ancient days at this season. 
    3. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the universe, Who has kept us alive, sustained us, and brought us to this season. 
  4. Spend time in reflection and celebration as you watch the candles burn and allow them to burn out. Give it time – watch them burn, walk away if you’d like and then come back when they’re about ¾ burned down and then prayerfully sit with them.
  5. As an act of solidarity with the Jewish people in this day of rising antisemitism, post a picture on social media of your menorah in a Christmas setting, tag me, and add the hashtags #onlyloveliveshere and #projectmenorah.

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