The Festive Season
It is almost
that time of the year when Jews celebrate Hannukah and Christians Christmas this
year 5781on the Hebrew calendar or 2020 on the Georgian calendar Hannukah
begins on the evening of December 10th. It occurred to me that many
people do not know what Hannukah commemorates of course in the predominantly
Christian countries most have a fair idea of the significance of Christmas,
although I did see a photograph of a Christmas display in an Asian store that
featured a Santa Clause nailed to a cross. Some obviously have yet to learn the
sad story of a Jewish man born in a stable and unjustly executed at just 33
years of age, but that is the Easter story, Christmas is the time to celebrate
his birth and life, a life that would have been so different without the events
of Hannukah.
The Hannukah
story began over two hundred years before the birth of Christ and at a time
when the land of Israel was occupied by Greco-Assyrian forces. The invaders
were Hellenists and worshipped the plethora of Greek Gods, it was their intent
to suppress the Jews by banning Jewish customs such as circumcision and Kosher
slaughter and diet. Many Jews adopted Hellenism. It was easy not to follow Jewish
law, the Hellenists saw nothing wrong with killing unwanted children, the aged or
infirm. Sexual practices were also very free with orgies, adultery, incest, and
homosexuality deemed quite acceptable. The serious trouble began when the
governor ordered that a pig be sacrificed to Zeus in the Temple. Naturally, the
priest Mattathias declined King Antiochus then began reprisals. Mattathias and
his five sons became known as the Maccabees (hammer) they battled the
Greco-Assyrian army and won independence for Israel.
This was a
great miracle because the Greco-Assyrian forces of the day were equivalent to
today’s superpowers and Israel was a small, occupied country. Jews today do not
celebrate this miraculous victory instead recall the miracle of the
rededication of the Temple. After clearing out all the pagan symbols it was
discovered that nearly all the jars of purified oil to light the Temple Menorah
had been destroyed, only one small jar remained. The amount of oil would light
the Menorah for just one day and it would take another seven days to make
enough pure oil. The Maccabees were faced with lighting for one day or waiting
a week to relight the lamp when more oil was ready. It was decided that they
would light the Menorah immediately and then relight it when the new oil was
ready. The miracle that happened then was that the one tiny jar of oil, one
day’s supply burned for eight days until the new oil was ready and today this
bringing of God’s light into the world is what is celebrated.
Had the
Maccabees not been successful we would have had a completely different world;
Jesus would have been a Priest of Zeus. The Judeo/Christian culture that has
made western nations the most successful civilisation in history would not have
existed. Without the Bible teaching society would have emulated the violence and
sexual depravity of the Greek and Roman empires who killed off unwanted babies
and the old and infirm. Orgies, sacrifices, and violent entertainment were part
of the culture and life was not considered precious. By restoring the Temple
the Maccabees ensured that the laws handed down since the time of Moses would
be the basis of belief that Jesus taught in Matthew 5:17-18 when he urged his
followers that not one jot of the law should change until Judgment Day.
We look at
society today and we see that so many of the pagan acts that were frowned upon
for two thousand years are now being accepted by the majority of people in the
name of political correctness. We have forgotten or ignored the words of our fathers
and now killing unwanted children is seen as a right, euthanasia is considered
acceptable for the old or ill, sexual perversions of all types are willingly
embraced as diversity and we have become increasingly violent. Principles of
righteousness, justice, kindness, and mercy are no longer considered worthy
attributes, lying and stealing are readily practiced by many. A society with
these attitudes cannot long exist before decaying into anarchy, but to deny the
Almighty is to draw his judgment down on the whole world.
This year when
you see the lights of a menorah or a Christian house bedecked in Christmas lights
spare a thought to what these lights mean and how the world nearly lost the
light once and seems about to lose it again. This festive season say a prayer
and give thought to what is right and what is wrong for there is growing
evidence that this festive season may well be the last for many people. Those
who deny the Bible and the existence of God are ignorant and often abusive to
those who observe God’s Laws. Scorn and derision are heaped upon the faithful
so that many doubt their judgement and avoid supporting the truth because it is
no longer the moral standard and often criticised as unjust to the immoral as
society changes to a new moral standard. I have been ridiculed for speaking up
and urging faith but that only firms my resolve as this has been happening since
they laughed at Noah or derided Jeremiah, the ignorant will never listen and
catastrophe will overtake them, and sooner than they think.
May you all have a joyous festive season, but take a moment to reflect on the real reasons we all celebrate.
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