{"id":351,"date":"2008-12-21T23:48:16","date_gmt":"2008-12-22T03:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/?p=351"},"modified":"2013-12-21T21:04:52","modified_gmt":"2013-12-22T01:04:52","slug":"chanukah-confrontations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/2008\/12\/chanukah-confrontations\/","title":{"rendered":"Chanukah Confrontations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Chanukah begins tonight, and I wish all my Jewish friends Happy Chanukah!<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Several years ago, I had a little exchange with the Velveteen Rabbi<\/a>. \u00a0Obviously our world-views clashed, (she’s socially liberal, I’m conservative… etc.) but it lead to some very interesting insights, which I share below. Please let me know what you think.<\/p>\n

—
\nAs Chanukah approached, I was preparing a Bible study lesson for a Messianic study group, consisting of Jewish and Gentile believers, to deliver on the first night of Chanukah. The focus was – should believers celebrate Chanukah? \u00a0If so, what was the significance of the holiday?<\/p>\n

Previously, I read of the possibility of Jesus conception\/Incarnation occurring at the time of Chanukah, with his birth occuring during the following Feast of Sukkot.\u00a0 But the first Chanukah was a delayed Sukkot because of the war, and after prayerfully considering it, I decided this wasn\u2019t a direction I wanted to go.\u00a0 The idea of \u2018when\u2019 wasn’t as important as the fact that God was among us – Emmanuel. The Incarnation was most important.<\/p>\n

Christians celebrating Chanukah might reignite feelings of assimilation among Jews – indeed Chanukah in part, was a celebration of the rejection of the Greek conquerors. So there’s this clash\/confrontation that’s always present, and it struck me as strangely repetitive.<\/p>\n

In leading a Bible study, my greatest desire is to remain true to God. Any exploration needed to be grounded on accepted Scripture, otherwise I could become doctrinally untethered as I believed had happened to the Pharisees. It was a struggle to come up with the lesson.<\/p>\n

Chanukah is actually mentioned in the New Testament: John 10:22.\u00a0 Here the theme of being a light in the darkness pits the beliefs of the Jewish leaders against their own Scriptures, and the promise of Messiah.\u00a0 In other words, the Jewish leaders went further than just rejecting the outward trappings of Hellenization, they also insulated themselves from considering the possibility that God may appear to them outside of their expectations. They simply didn\u2019t understand the Incarnation. And this too struck me as strangely repetitive \u2013 but still I was unable to put my finger on it, it was though I was in a cloud.<\/span><\/p>\n

The time came for the Bible study and all I had was an unfinished lesson. I simply trusted God with the outcome, knowing He might have different plans.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When the Chanukiah was lit before the study it felt wrong, but I still couldn\u2019t say why. In preparation, the Holy Spirit had prompted me with a couple of references to the shekinah cloud. (Exodus 19:9-24, 1 Kings 8:12).\u00a0 I compared the cloud \u2013 Shekinah, with Y\u2019shua. The shekinah cloud believed to be the presence of God, yet Y\u2019shua was rejected for being a \u2018mere man\u2019 – what were they expecting as the Messiah?<\/p>\n

The lesson wasn’t particularly clear about the relationship between the shekinah and Chanukah. Before going to sleep that night, I reread\u00a0John 10:22-38 once more. In the\u00a0morning, it was clear:\u00a0the shekinah cloud shielded the light, for when the cloud descended on the Tabernacle and Temple, no one could explain what was inside.\u00a0The light inside wasn’t ready to be shown fully to the world at that time. (Looking at the cloud doesn\u2019t really tell us the source, and without entering it we\u2019re unlikely to come face to face with His Presence.) You must have faith.<\/p>\n

The pillar of fire – that was another matter – it was the light that shone above all of Israel, in the darkness of an escape from captivity.<\/p>\n

Light and the source of that light was exactly what the Feast of Dedication was all about.<\/p>\n

The Jewish leaders ask Y\u2019shua \u2013 \u201cAre you Messiah?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

He had already told them at the Feast of Tabernacles (John 8:12).<\/span><\/p>\n

The Jewish leaders seem sincere, but also guarded – there is a dark cloud of mystery around Y\u2019shua. They don\u2019t know, but are unwilling to really investigate His claims. They will not enter.<\/span><\/p>\n

He gives them another chance. Look, seek, believe me by reading the Scriptures. But they don\u2019t go read. They have no faith that the Holy Scriptures will explain who is before them, yet they embrace the authority of the Scriptures for their own purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

Y\u2019shua is pleading for them to open their eyes.\u00a0 Even though they are like sheep, a reference to David, to Scripture (Psalm 23!), to Messiah.\u00a0No one can snatch them from my hand should have immediately brought to mind Deuteronomy 31:8 – walking into that valley of the shadow of death. Jesus claims he is God.<\/span><\/p>\n

They wish to stone him, thinking he is committing blasphemy, claiming deity.<\/span><\/p>\n

He tells them \u2013 If the Scriptures cannot be broken \u2013 (and you use them as the basis of your authority) and even in your sinful state, you are called \u2018sons of God\u2019 (Psalm 82), how can you reject my saying I am the Son of God (2 Samuel 7:11-16)?<\/span><\/p>\n

In the season of light, they meet the Light of the World, Y\u2019shua, Messiah, and reject him, convinced that their light \u2013 their understanding, is sufficient. \u00a0But Y\u2019shua doesn\u2019t give up on them. He provides another chance, another way of thinking about it \u2013 \u201cIf you don\u2019t believe in me, at least believe in the miracles I have done.\u201d Surely, in this season of celebrating miracles, the miracles speak of who He is, what God is doing.<\/p>\n

No \u2013 they reject him again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Can you see what is happening? Every year we have Chanukah and Christmas coinciding. The Incarnation vs the Rabbis.\u00a0 Every year, this passage is re-enacted.<\/span><\/p>\n

The death and bloodshed of the cross have hidden God\u2019s presence like a dark cloud for many, but has become a beacon of light and hope for others. Just like the shekinah, the Incarnation – Jesus Christ is the manifestation of God on earth.<\/span><\/p>\n

There are those who believe in the \u201cmiracle of the oil\u201d, but do not believe in the miracles that Y\u2019shua, Jesus, the Light of the World, Messiah brings to the earth. The healing of millions. The tikkun \u2018olam. Who can deny this?<\/span><\/p>\n

I\u2019m reluctant to celebrate Chanukah in the rabbinical sense, because it means the miracle of the oil is more important than the miracle of healed lives through Christ, which isn’t true. \u00a0Who provided the sacred oil is more important than the oil. Rededication of a temple building is less important than dedicating the temple of your body to God. \u00a0
\n\u00a0
\nA candle cannot be lit without the flame being ignited. \u00a0We cannot be godly without the Spirit of God.<\/p>\n

Jesus, the “Light of the World”, is the everlasting shamash, the servant that would spread light to the whole world.<\/p>\n

And God lit up the world through Christ – Read Acts 2.<\/p>\n

So I celebrate Chanukah whenever I share that Light with others, and they too accept the Light of the World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Chanukah begins tonight, and I wish all my Jewish friends Happy Chanukah! Several years ago, I had a little exchange with the Velveteen Rabbi. \u00a0Obviously our world-views clashed, (she’s socially liberal, I’m conservative… etc.) but it lead to some very … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[229],"tags":[181,182,262],"class_list":["post-351","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-beliefs","tag-chanukah","tag-light-of-the-world","tag-study"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=351"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1875,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/351\/revisions\/1875"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=351"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=351"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.thrufire.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=351"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}