Rabbil Will: Disobedience to Tyrants

Chanukkah

Disobedience to Tyrants

This is not a Hebrew Christmas Story.

This is not a Festival of Lights.

This is not a ‘miracle of oil’ that lasted for eight days.

This is a story of rebellion to tyrants and regaining our national identity through obedience to Yehovah Elohim, and His eternal covenant.

These are dark times, indeed; the times that try men’s souls. Massive shifts in political and social structures. An ‘in your face’ destruction of our cultural and moral value system.

A great replacement is happening. What’s even worse, is many of our own people are abandoning the culture of our forefathers and joining the evil ones among us. We are completely immersed in a culture of homosexuality, pedophilia and every other kind of immorality. Religious and racial/ethnic persecution is in full force, and getting worse every day. Any obedience to Yehovah Elohim is ridiculed openly. Houses of worship are polluted with every kind of abominable practice; unbelief and open rebellion to Yehovah Elohim’s Laws are rewarded and praised as some form of enlightenment. With every passing day, our rulers decree that we must abandon our God’s ways and follow the New Order!

I am not writing about Christmas 2022!

I am writing about the dark days of 170-165 BCE, the moral state of Jerusalem and the surrounding cities; the time of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire.

Israel found herself under occupation (again) of the Seleucid Empire. Many of the people gladly joined in the customs of the empire. But some who were righteous fled to other areas; some in towns, and others to the hills. In time, the king Antiochus Epiphanes ruled that all people of the empire should follow his religion (polytheism of the Greeks). The punishment for not sacrificing to his gods was death. Moreover, the death penalty was also decreed for anyone sacrificing to the God of the Hebrews. This included the covenant(s) of Shabbat (Saturday) and circumcision. Any male child found to be circumcised was murdered, along with his parents. Most Hebrews gladly obeyed this, with many men removing the mark of the circumcision (Yes! That is possible!). All of the righteous Hebrews fled the cities into the hill country. The Temple was handed over to the gentiles who conducted their pagan customs and idol worship.

Now among the refugees was a man named Mattathias, his son Yhudah and all of his family(the Maccabees). The Maccabees were in Mode’in when the kings officers, who were enforcing the new religious orders, came to their city. The officers ordered Mattathias and his sons to sacrifice to their idols and abandon the Torah of Yehovah Elohim. But Mattathias disputed with him before everyone saying, “ even if every nation does this, we will never turn away from following the covenant of the God of our fathers.” While they were arguing, a Hebrew man came to offer his sacrifice on the pagan altar in Mode’in. When Mattathias saw him, he was filled with righteous indignation and killed the Hebrew man along with the kings officers. He also destroyed the altar.

Mattathias called out to everyone, “anyone who is zealous for the Torah and supports the covenant, come out with me!” So many did flee to the wilderness, with the kings troops pursuing them. They were attacked on Shabbat in the first battle. But because they would not profane the Shabbat by engaging the kings troops, many of the righteous were killed. Soon Mattathias and the exiles were joined by many of the Hasidim (strict Torah observers) and others who were faithful to the covenant. These faithful, led by Mattathias, went throughout the land of Israel destroying the kings altars and idols. They also forcibly circumcised every male in Israel.

There were several major battles in the following months. The most notable was when Yhudah Maccabee and his forces defeated the Seleucid General Apollonius and killed him. Yhudah took the sword of Apollonuis and carried it into battle for the rest of his life. The end of the revolt didn’t come until Antiochus Epiphanes sent his own army, led by his son, to attack Yhudah and his army in Jerusalem. Yhudah’s forces were victorious, defeating the kings army and driving them out of Israel.

With the ending of the war, Yhudah found the Temple and the Altar of God in Jerusalem completely desecrated. The Torah scroll was torn to pieces and burned, the Altar was polluted with pigs blood and the Most Holy Place was desecrated with idols. Yhudah put to death all of the ungodly priests. He had the faithful and righteous priests (cohanim) remove the idols, cleanse the Temple Sanctuary and remove the defiled Altar. They rebuilt the Altar with uncut stones, as the Torah commands.

On the morning of the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month they dedicated the Altar, by offering burnt offerings. They celebrated that the reproach of the pagans was removed.

Yhudah and his brothers, along with the whole community, determined that every year the season of the dedication of the Altar should be observed with joy; beginning on the twenty-fifth day of the ninth month and lasting for eight days…the days of Chanukkah(dedication).

There is no better reason for the Chanukkah season than our Lord and Saviour Yeshua the Messiah! He observed this day, the great rededication! (See John 10:22).

Back to 2022: Do you have what it takes? Will you stand with me? Can you tell the empire, “I will not obey?” Would you kill their generals and carry their sword into battle? Would you put to death the wicked religious leaders?

Now the hardest question of all: Will you rebuild the fallen religious institutions in the community? Will you rededicate yourself to the covenant of the Living God, Yehovah Elohim and His Son Yeshua our Messiah?

Happy Chanukkah and Shalom-

Rabbi Will

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