Chanukah Sameach * Happy Chanukah Day Two

The second day of Chanukah, Kislev 26, starts with the lighting of the second candle of the Chanukiah, the special nine menorah seen below.



Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments which was fulfilled by the Messiach Y'shua, and commanded us to kindle the light of Chanukah in remembrance of the true light that shines within us. We dedicate our temples to you.

The Talmud tells that the Chanukiah was designed to recall the miracle of the eight days during which one day worth of oil burned eight days in the temple. Each candle increasingly creates an ever increasing light, symbolizing our godly resistance to both tyranny and evil.

Today, the light, that shines from within us, gives us an ever increasing resistance to the world and the evil within it. The same way our ancestors resisted assimilation, we are to use the supernatual gift of the Holy Spirit of G-d to resist becoming part of this world.

Traditional Reading: Number 7:18-23

On the second day, Nethanel son of Zuar, chieftain of Issachar, made his offering. He presented as his offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering; one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense; one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; one goat for a sin offering; and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nethanel son of Zuar.

Messianic Reading: II Corinthians 6:14-17

Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Beliala? What does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people." Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord.

Shalom

Chanukah Sameach * Happy Chanukah Day One

Today at sundown, as we usher in the Chanukah festival, the Festival of Lights, please remember the historical and Messianic significance.

Historically, we are to celebrate the rededication of the 2nd temple during which the temple menorah burns miraculously for eight days when there was only enough oil for one day.

Messianic, we are to celebrate the yearly rededication the temple of God, which is the Body of Christ, the church. Seven of the candles represent the completeness of G-d's Spirit within us. The eighth light represents a new beginning through the work of the Messiah on the cross, the altar of G-d. We are told that the candles can only be lit with the ninth candle. No other source of ignition is allowed. This ninth candle represents the fact that the lighting of our souls can be lit only by the single light that is within us, that is G-d. The miraculous work that has been done in us was done by G-d alone, not by man, lest anyone should boast.

On this first night, we light the first candle with the middle candle.



Blessed are You, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has sanctified us by your commandments which was fulfilled by the Messiach Y'shua, and commanded us to kindle the light of Chanukah in remembrance of the true light that shines within us.

Recommended Readings Comes from Numbers 6:22-27, 7:1-17 and the book of John.

The Lord spoke to Moses: Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them: The Lord bless you and protect you! The Lord deal kindly and graciously with you!The Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace!Thus they shall link My name with the people of Israel, and I will bless them.

On the day that Moses finished setting up the Tabernacle, he anointed and consecrated it and all its furnishings, as well as the altar and its utensils. When he had anointed and consecrated them, the chieftains of Israel, the heads of ancestral houses, namely, the chieftains of the tribes, those who were in charge of enrollment, drew near and brought their offering before the Lord: six draught carts and twelve oxen, a cart for every two chieftains and an ox for each one.
When they had brought them before the Tabernacle, the Lord said to Moses: 5 Accept these from them for use in the service of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the Levites according to their respective services.

Moses took the carts and the oxen and gave them to the Levites. Two carts and four oxen he gave to the Gershonites, as required for their service, and four carts and eight oxen he gave to the Merarites, as required for their service—under the direction of Ithamar son of Aaron the priest. But to the Kohathites he did not give any; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder.

The chieftains also brought the dedication offering for the altar upon its being anointed. As the chieftains were presenting their offerings before the altar, the Lord said to Moses: Let them present their offerings for the dedication of the altar, one chieftain each day.

The one who presented his offering on the first day was Nahshon son of Amminadab of the tribe of Judah. His offering: one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels and one silver basin of 70 shekels by the sanctuary weight, both filled with choice flour with oil mixed in, for a meal offering; one gold ladle of 10 shekels, filled with incense; one bull of the herd, one ram, and one lamb in its first year, for a burnt offering; one goat for a sin offering; and for his sacrifice of well-being: two oxen, five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs. That was the offering of Nahshon son of Amminadab.

John 9:1-7

And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam. He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing.

John 10:22-29

And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication,(Chanukah) and it was winter. And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. Then came the Jews round about him, and said unto him, How long dost thou make us to doubt? If thou be the Christ, tell us plainly.

Jesus answered them, I told you, and ye believed not: the works that I do in my Father's name, they bear witness of me. But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one. Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.

Jesus answered them, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? If he called them gods, unto whom the word of God came, and the scripture cannot be broken; Say ye of him, whom the Father hath sanctified, and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest; because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not. But if I do, though ye believe not me, believe the works: that ye may know, and believe, that the Father is in me, and I in him. Therefore they sought again to take him: but he escaped out of their hand.

Shalom