The Miracle of the Underdog
If you love an “against all odds” story, then the story of Hanukkah is for you! Many believe the miracle of Hanukkah was the oil lasting eight days; however, the real miracle was God’s enabling the small population of Israel to defeat the superior Greek army.
The background of this winter holiday begins some twenty to thirty years before the story of the oil. After Alexander the Great died in 323 BC, his empire was split between four generals. One, Antiochus IV, ruled the eastern Mediterranean territory that included the Jewish homeland.
Tensions soon arose between Antiochus IV and the Jewish people. He demanded people call him “Antiochus Epiphanes” which means “God Manifest.” Jealous of the Jewish people’s worship of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Antiochus banned the keeping of the Sabbath. He murdered anyone who circumcised their child and even sacrificed a pig on the altar in God’s Temple! He forced all synagogues to be converted into pagan temples for Greek gods.
This enraged the Jewish people. However, nothing could be done against the powerful Greek army . . . or so it seemed.
Around the year 166 BC, a contingent of Greek soldiers marched to the city of Modi’in. They attempted to force the Jewish priests to sacrifice a pig to Zeus on the altar. Boldly, Matisyahu (Mattathias) stopped the sacrifice. The Jewish people claimed victory against the Greeks!
Matisyahu’s five sons, known now as the Maccabees, were inspired to resist. They eventually chased the powerful Greek army out of the Land of Israel. The underdog had won!
After liberating Jerusalem from the invading Greeks, the priests desired to relight the Temple menorah [1] – a light that symbolized God’s presence for His people. The story goes that there was only enough pure oil for the menorah to burn for one day; however, it takes eight days to purify new oil.
The priests debated whether to wait to light the menorah until the oil was ready or to light it immediately. Desiring to “rededicate” the Temple to the Lord as soon as possible, they lit it. The legend relates the menorah stayed lit for the entire eight days until the new oil was ready . . . a miracle! This is why Hanukkah, “The Feast of Dedication,” lasts eight nights.
If you’ve ever seen a dreidel (four-sided spinning top) around the Hanukkah season, you may notice Hebrew characters on it which commemorate the long-burning oil. These characters represent the acronym “Nes Gadol Haya Sham,” meaning “A great miracle happened there” [2].
While we can’t be certain of the accuracy of the legend of the oil, the defeat of the Greek army was a miracle in itself! God promised to always be with this particular “underdog,” the Jewish people, and that was evidenced during the time of the Maccabees.
Hanukkah (the Feast of Dedication) is a joyous holiday with ancient roots. In John 10:22 Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated the festival in Jerusalem.
Whether we choose to recall the miracle of the underdog or the miracle of the oil, let us remember that the Light of the World is the greatest miracle of all. In the person of Yeshua, God took on flesh and dwelt among us in human form. Then, because of His love for us, He willingly laid down His life, suffering a cruel death on the cross. But after three days our heavenly Father raised Him from the grave! Ever since, anyone who places their faith in Messiah Jesus as Savior is cleansed of their sins because of His finished work on the cross.
That is certainly a reason to celebrate this Hanukkah/Christmas season! We wish you all the joys of this special time of year as we remember God’s faithfulness to Israel and gift of salvation for all humanity.
Written by Chase, LIFE Staff
Footnotes:
In Exodus 27:20-21 God instructed the priests to keep the menorah burning in the Tabernacle from evening until morning. Later sources state that one or more of the candlesticks also was kept burning during the daytime.
In the land of Israel, dreidels are inscribed with characters representing the acronym “Nes Gadol Haya Po,” meaning “A great miracle happened here” (rather than “there”).