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
Amen, great verse, we should certainly not be unequally yoked with unbelievers.
ReplyDeleteHi Toyin,
ReplyDeleteYou are so right. Unfortunately, the high divorce rate within the Christian community can be blame primarily on Christians being unequally yoked with non-christians.
In addition, a lot of our problems within this world are self imposed. We think we can go out and be part of this world and expect it not to affect our spiritual lives.
Thanks for stopping by.
Your Brother in the Messiah,
Keith