HISTORY OF CHANUKKAH (OR HANUKKAH)

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Matthew 17:20 - "He replied, "Because you have so little faith, I tell you the
truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain,
'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."

Matthew 19:26 - "Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible." (NIV)

HISTORY OF CHANUKKAH (HANUKKAH):

During the reign of Alexander the Great, the Jews were allowed (like many of the people that Alexander conquered) to continue practicing their religion and live with relative autonomy. However, a successor to Alexander, Antiochus IV, was not so benevolent. He oppressed and massacred the Jews. He desecrated the Temple by placing a Hellenistic priest in it and allowing the sacrificing of non-kosher animals on the altar.

Two groups opposed Antiochus. There was the group led by Mattathius the Hasmonean and Judah Maccabee, his son. There was also a group then known as the Chasidism, which eventually became the Pharisees. Together they formed a revolt against the assimilation of the Jews and oppression by the government. They succeeded and regained control of the Temple, with God's help!

However, during the rededication of the Temple there was a shortage of undefiled oil. In the Temple, the menorah was to burn through the night. It would be eight days before fresh oil could be prepared, and there was only oil for one night.

MIRACULOUSLY, THE OIL LASTED FOR EIGHT DAYS!!!!!

While a majority of the world knows about Chanukkah, it is actually a minor holiday in comparison to other Jewish holidays, such as Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, or Passover. The minor significance may be due to the fact that the story is not related in Jewish scripture, but instead in The Book of Maccabbees, which Jews do not accept as scripture.

Although many people attribute the celebration of Chanukkah to the victory of the Jews over Antiochus IV's rule, a lot of people believe this is incorrect. They believe that Chanukkah is a celebration of God's miracle of the oil, not of the military victory, because Jews do not celebrate war or the spilling of blood….But which ever way someone chooses to believe, the fact still remains that God gave His people freedom from their enemies AND gave them a one day supply of oil for the Menorah that lasted eight days! God won the battle and performed a wonderful miracle!!!!

Also known as "Feast of Lights," the 8-day celebration is not actually discussed in the Old Testament. However, it is a celebration worthy of notice, because it is another example of how God can work miracles in His children's lives!!!!!

Are There Lessons for Christians in Chanukkah???

When God works in people's lives there are always lessons to be learned!! God is a provider of miracles, and even though this celebration is not included in the Bible that most Christians use, it should not be overlooked as "just a Jewish holiday." Christians around the world are being persecuted for their faith and Christianity is being muted in many other areas of the world. Yet God always has a way of offering and supplying His people with His divine strength, wisdom, and power. When the Jews faced a lack of useful oil for the Temple, it did not mean that God was not there to provide; it meant that He was supplying another opportunity to show His children how much He loves them!

God has the capabilities to provide whatever His people need!!!
Chanukkah reminds us that, with a faith the size of a mustard seed, anything is
possible with God!

Amen?….Amen!….Praise the Lord!

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