FAMILY DEDICATION SERVICE (Day 4 of Hanukkah)
Why do we call this celebration "Hanukkah"? Because "Hanukkah" is the Hebrew word for "dedication." When Judas Maccabee (the hammer) and his army eventually crushed their enemies, Judas and his brothers said, "Let's go up to cleanse and rededicate the sanctuary" (1 Maccabees 4:36). The temple was desolate, the gates burned, and even shrubs were growing in the courts like a forest! But they restored the sanctuary, built a new altar with whole unpolished stones (because the altar had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes), brought in the Lampstand, the Altar of Incense and the Table of Showbread, and offered sacrifices as God originally commanded. "So they celebrated the rededication of the altar for eight days" (1 Maccabees 4:56).
How does this affect our lives? God no longer lives in the Holy of Holies in the temple, but in our bodies, which are the temple of His Holy Spirit. We not only the temple of the Holy Spirit, but the "naos" which speaks of the Holy of Holies. This is the very word which is used in 1 Corinthians 6:19 and 2 Corinthians 6:16. What an indescribable truth!
Our temple may not be desolate, but it is very easy for us to allow things to come into our lives which grieve the Holy Spirit and spoil and dirty our “naos.”
It is a lovely idea to have a rededication service one night during Hanukah and dedicate our temples again to the Lord. Choose which morning or evening you would like to do this together as a family. Explain to your children about it, and then ask each one of them to confess to the Lord anything in their lives that grieves the Holy Spirit and to rededicate their "body temple" to the Lord. This includes mom and dad too, of course. Each one can do this silently or orally as you feel led of the Holy Spirit.
When we have all dedicated ourselves individually, then the father can rededicate the whole family to be a living sacrifice to the Lord and to be set apart for His purposes (Romans 12:1-2).
I know that the Spirit of the Lord will come upon you mightily as you experience this dedication service in your home.
Love from Nancy Campbell
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