Hanukkah holds so many lessons for us, if you have never celebrated it as a Christian, you will find great life lessons in everything about the celebration.
One of the most important lessons is how to open your eyes to see that you have allowed things in that shouldn’t be there. We learn how to rekindle the lights, so we see into the dark, cobwebbed corners that have been defiled by those things we slowly allowed to creep in. Then we do a big sweep and rededicate ourselves to listen to the counsel of our good Father and start walking out our purpose again!
One of the most important lessons is how to open your eyes to see that you have allowed things in that shouldn’t be there. We learn how to rekindle the lights, so we see into the dark, cobwebbed corners that have been defiled by those things we slowly allowed to creep in. Then we do a big sweep and rededicate ourselves to listen to the counsel of our good Father and start walking out our purpose again!
Hanukkah comes from the Hebrew word Chanak which means dedication. It is a picture of being dedicated for a purpose. The purpose of the temple that they rededicated was a place to worship God! Your purpose as the current temple of the Holy Spirit is to do the same. You need to know your purpose if you are going to be dedicated to it!
In Acts 13:36, and Luke 7:30 the word used for purpose is the same word for counsel, (boule—boolay). The idea here is, if you listen to counsel, you will know your purpose! In Acts, we learn that when David had fulfilled God’s counsel (his purpose) he rested. But in Luke we learn that the Pharisees rejected God’s counsel by not getting baptized, and so they rejected their purpose.
When we listen to God’s counsel, He has pre-ordained and instructed us to walk in good works which he set up ahead of time for us. These good works fit right into the wheelhouse of the gifts and skills He gave us. (Romans 8:28, Ephesians 2:10). Following through on these good works shows us our purpose.
Go light yourself up with the oil of His presence, investigate the corners of your heart and mind to find the things that have creeped in that weren’t supposed to be there, do a thorough clean out, and rededicate your heart to be used for His purpose alone! The promise of Hanukkah is that no matter how dark it’s been, there is always enough of the oil of His presence to relight your lamp.
