Hanukkah: God in our History

Is secular history devoid of God? God doesn't always work through might or by power but He still works in history. The story of Hanukkah can be read in both a secular (military, political, and even economic) and spiritual (prayers, miracles, and even martyrdom) manner, but both show God in our history.

An edited version of the video transcript.

Shalom, I'm David Pileggi, rector of Christ Church Jerusalem, and I'm currently standing here in the Jewish Quarter not very far from Christ Church. We're here to talk about Hanukkah and the things that make it different and unique.

Of course, we all know the story of the candles, the jelly donuts, the songs, and the festivities that surround Hanukkah, which are very popular, especially in many Western countries. Most of us know the story of the cleansing of the Temple, the miracle of the oil, the lights, and more. But there is so much more to the story of Hanukkah, especially for us as Christians.

The place to start would be history: what is the story of Hanukkah, when did it happen, and how? We won't go into all the details, as people can easily look them up. Instead, there is something more essential at stake: how the Jewish people understood and still understand history. Not surprisingly, the Jewish people have two different versions of this story.

Version 1: First Maccabees

The first version appears in the First Book of Maccabees. This book, found in the Apocrypha (in the Bibles of Roman Catholics, Greek Orthodox, and other Eastern churches), is a story of the few against the many. It describes a group of fighters who go from strength to strength and overcome the Seleucid Greek Empire. They do so by military skill, a force of arms, and more. What is virtually missing from First Maccabees (after chapter 4) is virtually any reference to God, the power of prayer, fasting, or the role of the martyrs.

Version 2: Second Maccabees

Second Maccabees, written in Greek by Jews in the diaspora, brings God back into the center of the story. The revolt and the cleansing of the Temple occur not simply due to human skill or military might, but because of the power of prayer and fasting. It happens because God sees the mitzvot (good deeds) of the people of Israel and acts on their behalf.

What is especially highlighted in Second Maccabees is the role of the martyrs—those faithful Jews who refused to compromise with the Greeks, refuse to violate Shabbat, or refuse to violate the laws of kashrut by eating forbidden food. Their sacrifices actually move God to act on behalf of Israel and give them victory.

The Jewish Purpose of History: Torah

Ultimately, especially from the point of view of Second Maccabees, we are talking about the Jewish understanding of history. While other ancient peoples (Persians, Greeks, and later the Romans) were known for being good historians, history did not have the same purpose for the Jewish people.

Jews wrote history to:

• Instruct them.
• Guide them.
• Show them God's purposes and how God wanted them to live.

This is why the Bible becomes Torah. Torah in Hebrew means guidance, direction, and instruction—not just a collection of stories or laws. The Jewish people have the promise that obedience to the Torah, or modeling our lives after God’s will, leads to life.

This high status of the Bible was not always the case; it only changed and achieved this high status after the Jewish people returned from Babylon. When Jews returned, thanks to the Persians, they found themselves in a difficult situation: living under Persian suzerainty but with no independence. There was no king, the prophets (such as Isaiah and Jeremiah) stopped prophesying, and the Temple and priesthood became suspect due to corruption.

Where could one find guidance and instruction for life? The Jewish people had one thing left: Scripture (the writings of the prophets and the five books of Moses). This is when Scripture began to become more and more important in the lives of the Jewish people. This increased importance in the role of the Torah is highlighted for us in Psalm 119, which was written well after the return from Babylon and extols the place of the Word of God.

The Bible (or at least the Hebrew Bible), which is essentially a history book, becomes this guidance, direction, and instruction.

Let's go back to First Maccabees and Second Maccabees. There is seemingly a contradiction: First Maccabees looks quite secular, while Second Maccabees is all about God, His Providence, and His care for His people in the midst of suffering.

How did Jews deal with this contradiction?

Basically, throughout Jewish history, the themes of First Maccabees were set aside and ignored. What was emphasized over the centuries, at least until recently, was the miracle itself.

During the eight-day festival of Hanukkah, the Scripture read on the Sabbath is from the book of Zechariah: "Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, says the Lord."

While the Jewish people understand the importance of history, it is not understood in a secular way; God is never fully or totally written out of the story.

David Pileggi is the rector of Christ Church Jerusalem. He and his wife Carol have lived in Jerusalem for more than 40 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.