My Choice
“Then came Hanukkah; it was winter in Jerusalem. Yeshua was walking in the Temple around
Solomon’s Colonnade.” (John 10:22-23 TLV)
Every year, at this
time, I witness debates and arguments as to whether or not our Messiah kept, and participated in, the Feast of
Dedication, otherwise known as Hanukkah,
or the Festival of Lights. The basis for
this argument is that Hanukkah is NOT
listed as one of the biblical feasts that are compulsory, found in Leviticus
23. However, from the above verses, we
can see that not only was Yeshua in
Jerusalem at the time of this feast, He was also found within the temple
compound itself – something that would not have happened if He had no intent of
keeping this feast. And yet, the arguments,
discussions and debates go on, and on.
Can we not simply look at what this Feast of Dedication is all about, and apply it to our own lives? And if this feast was important enough for Messiah Yeshua to observe, surely that is a good reason for us to do so as well. Hanukkah celebrates the re-dedication of the Temple; surely, this is an action that all of us (who call upon the Name of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) can relate to.
“Do you not know that you are the Temple of God, and that The Spirit of God dwells within you? Whoever destroys the Temple of God, God destroys; for the Temple of God is holy, which you are.” (1Cor 3:16-17 OANT)
Since we are, at present, the Temple of the Living Elohim, it would stand to reason that an occasion where we choose to cleanse and rededicate ourselves to our Master’s use would be a good thing. The Word also tells us that “we are His workmanship—created in Messiah Yeshua for good deeds” (Eph 2:10); therefore, it is only as we allow His continuing work within us, accompanied by a time of rededication and consecration, that we can continue to stand as His Temple.
Current events here in the United States – as well as world wide – are nothing but chaos, confusion and despair. Riots, protests, lockdowns, inflation out of sight, illegal immigrants pouring in like a swarm of locusts, and not to exclude this virus and its controversial vaccine – all of this contributes to an increasing darkness that is heavy. Many have lost hope, and can no longer see the light at the end of tunnel. Hanukkah is the perfect time to re-focus on HIM who is the light of the world (Joh 8:12), as He is the only One who can sustain us during these troubling times.
Tomorrow night, at sundown, those of us who participate in the Festival of Lights will light our first candle, in honor of Him to whom we belong. And as we do so, let us all remember just whose light is supposed to shine from within us, that our Father may ultimately be honored and praised (Mat 5:14-16).
“In Him was life, and the life was the LIGHT of men.” (John 1:4, emphasis mine)
©2021
No comments:
Post a Comment