Well, Hanukkah is approaching again! And there is no doubt about it, it is a fun Jewish holiday! Family, candles, donuts, latkes, some even give presents and special greetings…

But look at its core reason for being.

First, start in Daniel chapter 11, especially verses 21 – 35. This gives an amazingly accurate back story to the events that lead up to Hanukkah. (By the way, Daniel 11 is considered the most historically accurate chapter in the Bible by many scholars).

Society was turning from God to the “modern” world. Government was forcing Jews to quit the “old myths” and such. One priest stood up and said, “No! I will follow God and His ways! No matter what you do to me!” And He knew exactly what they were doing – killing (by both sword and fire!) those who wouldn’t drop the “old” ways.

What does that have to do with today, or even to do with Christians? More than you may think…

Yeshua (Jesus) “celebrated” the holiday – he made sure he was in the temple during that time (see John 10:22-39; “feast of dedication” is Hanukkah!)

Do you remember back in 1999, two young men went into their high school (Columbine) and started shooting fellow students and teachers. To one or two (or more – those details are fuzzy), they asked, “do you believe in God?” Those that answered knew exactly what was coming… getting shot. And so it happened to Cassie Bernall (who then died) and Valeen Schnurr (who survived). They both answered ‘Yes!’ Their faith in God was more important than their own lives!

And today we see such happening more and more in the world. Fortunately, in the USA, no one has had to give their life again, but will that remain?

Just this last Sunday, Nov. 8th, in the city of brotherly love (Philadelphia), a group of ‘pro-Palestine’ / ‘Pro-Hamas’ people decided they would ride their bikes around some popular Jewish restaurants and businesses in a well known area of town. And they had their placards ready, spewing hatred of Jews and Israel and… . But the people of Philadelphia stood up and said ‘no,’ and basically stopped that protest (Praise God for those people!).

But this kind of thing was happening in Germany and surrounding areas in the mid to late 1930s before the Holocaust. The sentiment of hate towards the Jews grew and grew until it finally boiled over into the mainstream, and on Nov. 9th-10th, 1938, the crowds went through many towns destroying and burning synagogues, destroying and looting Jewish businesses, killing Jews, and arresting thousands (and sending to ‘camps’). (And did you notice the timing of the protest in Philadelphia?) Are we in the USA building up to something similar?

“But that is about the Jews” you may say. It never stops or stays there. Hate grows. Next (or along with) are Christians (go read history). Would you be willing to stand up and say, “I believe in God, and His Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus)!

Make no excuses – this is already happening to many Christians in the world. And we are building up to it in the USA and Europe.

That’s what Hanukkah is about! Being willing to stand up for one’s faith in God and our Lord Yeshua (Jesus)! when the world is screaming, “drop that old myth! Come do the modern accepted things!” So, even though there is a sad, sobering, side to Hanukkah, it is meant to be an encouragement and a little ‘kick in our backsides’ to cause us to seriously, truly, follow our Lord Yeshua! And remember that even back then, God had all things in control. Those things didn’t happen because He lost control or couldn’t influence the happenings – He is always in control!

Do you remember when Yeshua (Jesus) gave the “two most important commands?” The first he took from a very well known (in Judaism – even in His day) verse, “Hear Israel! Love YHVH (the LORD) with all your heart! with all your soul! and with all your might!” There is a fun understanding of that verse in Judaism. Basically, it says, “If you don’t do it, then you didn’t hear it!” So go! Love your neighbor! Take care of the orphans (think abortions even) and widows! Do what God delights in! (See Jeremiah 9:23-24!)

One last, almost unrelated thought: back in Noah’s day, God destroyed the world because the earth was filled with …__________ . Go ahead, fill in the blank. … Did you put ‘evil’ in there? The actual Hebrew word is “Hamas”… yes, same spelling (if the Palestinians used Hebrew) and pronunciation of that group filling their people with hate and violence in Gaza. And the world is again filling with “Hamas” (the protest in Philadelphia was just a very small indication). God has promised to never again destroy the earth with a flood (the rainbow is a wonderful reminder of that), but what about with fire!?

So, stand up for your faith! Don’t let the people around you and their cry of ‘tolerance’ silence you! Stand up for love and care and peace! Stand up for Yeshua! And return to Him – repent, and learn of Him (His word), and follow Him! Read and understand that wonderful sermon He gave in Matthew chapters 5 to 7! And do!

Shalom! Yosef