His name was Antiochus. He ruled as many such rulers did before him, not only in name but in conquered territories. Including the land of Israel. He forbade the Israelites from practicing their traditions such as the Sabbath and their Feasts because he was the one true god, not their God. And he proceeded to take and rededicate the Temple in Jerusalem to the Greek god Zeus, going so far as to defile the temple by placing the Zeus idol itself inside and then demanding that everyone worship it.
Well, this didn’t go over well with a priestly family by the name of Maccabee. They not only refused to worship this false god, they were going to reclaim their Temple. The Maccabees fought for three years until Antiochus was defeated. And as soon as the temple was emptied, these priests immediately went to work to consecrate it, part of which required the menorah burning for eight days, the oil representing God’s presence. But as everyone knows, they only had oil for one day. But God miraculously kept the menorah candles burning for the required eight days.
I had decided pre December to make this Christmas season different for me. Christmas can easily come with some disappointment, even a bit of depression, but I didn’t want my focus to be on me and my feelings. I wanted my sole focus to be on Jesus. So I went looking for how I could do that. And two resources popped up and proceeded to give me one of the most meaningful Christmases that I’ve had in a long time.
One resource was Kate Bowler’s Seasonal Devotion for Advent. Each day I was encouraged, challenged and ministered to by her words and Blessings. The other resource was a complete surprise and it came in the form of a Messianic Hanukkah devotion. Why I never looked into this before is beyond me. I have celebrated Hanukkah for years but, really, only touched the surface of its story and meaning. This resource, called Jewish Voice, changed everything for me. Starting December 25, the first day of Hanukkah, I was taken through the story of how God worked a miracle there and then was reminded of how God works miracles now.
I was especially moved by the 6th night of Hanukkah, the theme being Provision. The Jewish people had suffered unbelievably under the abuse of Antiochus, but God provided what they needed to endure and overcome. He provided courage and strength to stand up against an enormous, powerful enemy. And then when it was time to consecrate His temple, he provided the oil that they needed.
Here’s what I have learned about consecrated oil. In order to keep the oil pure, they would only use the first drop from an olive. They would press the olive gently until a drop came out, then they’d discard that olive and grab the next one. All of which took an incredible amount of time. But to keep pressing an olive for more oil would have risked impurities. So one drop per olive it was. And while the Maccabees worked diligently pressing through thousands of olives, God worked His miracle. Showing His presence and his faithfulness.
As I lit the six candles that night I thought about God’s provision in my life. Throughout my time here, I have faced many enemies. Enemies that have and continue to try and take up residence in this temple of mine. Pride, insensitivity, self-centeredness, judgement, fear, along with times where I have lacked faith or hope or joy. But God meets me there. Every time. He gives me the courage to keep fighting and to keep seeking His presence. All while he’s doing his part to keep the flame going.
I would imagine that there were priests guarding the temple while the olives were being pressed and they must have seen the ongoing glow of the menorah. Yet the oil making priests never stopped, never taking God for granted. They kept pressing and pressing and pressing.
Even though I know that the greatest provision God has given me is His Son’s death on the cross for my sins, I don’t want to ever take that for granted. So I will keep pressing my metaphorical olives, one olive at a time, in order to continue to be the best light in the world that I can be. Living in the miracle of God's love.
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