Hanukkah Day 3: Cleansing the Temple

Passage: 1st Maccabees 4:36-37
And Judah and his brothers said, “Now that our enemies are crushed, let us go up to purify the sanctuary and rededicate it. So all the army assembled and went up to Mount Zion.”

Pondering:
Once the victory had been secured, Judah Maccabee, his brothers and followers marched into Jerusalem to reclaim the temple. Let’s not skip over the order in which these things happened, as there is a profound message in it.

First, they crushed their enemies. It was critical to defeat the enemy first, then move on to cleansing the temple. Why? Because to attempt to cleanse the temple for rededication while still in fierce battle with their enemy would have been futile – a waste of time, energy and resources.

Second, they went to the temple to assess the damage and determine their next course of action. They removed the defiled stones from the sanctuary and cleansed it. The first part of cleansing a space is to remove what does not belong there. Over the past three days, I have had discussions with three different people, and each of them has mentioned that they have been compelled by Holy Spirit recently to begin decluttering and “getting their house in order.” I have also been seeing others on social media saying the same thing. Each of them (and I include myself in this) has been sensing the need to set things right and in order both physically and spiritually.

As I have been praying into this series, I have been strongly led to focus in on the Feast of Dedication aspect of Hanukkah. Yahweh wants and needs us to cleanse our temples (homes, bodies, spirits, hearts and minds) to make room for the holy things to be set back in order. I kept hearing the phrase, “Remove what doesn’t belong.” This could be things that once served a purpose in our lives, but those seasons are over, and the “stuff” from that season is no longer needed. It is taking up valuable space that leaves little to no room for the things that are needed in this current and upcoming seasons.

It could also be unholy things that never belonged in the first place. Attitudes, habits, mindsets, willful sin, self-built structures, even relationships that were never His plan to begin with need to go. The good news is that when we submit to the cleansing process, we are made whole and deemed ready for use. In 2 Timothy 2:21, Paul says, “Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.”

It is time to declutter – to remove what does not belong. Whether in our homes, our lives or in the church, the things that are either unclean or simply no longer useful must be released in order to make room for what we need now and in the coming days. And letting go is an act of faith, as it says that we trust our Jehovah Jireh to provide for all we need in every situation – with fresh new supply. Hallelujah!

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, show me the places in my heart and life that need a good cleaning. My prayer tonight is the same as found in Psalm 139:23-24 – “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

As we light the third candle tonight, I ponder the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 24:3-4 – “Who may ascend onto the hill of Yehovah? And who may stand in His holy place? One who has clean hands and a pure heart …” I release to You tonight, Father, all that does not belong in my temple. My mind. My will. My emotions. My spirit. My body. My choices. My relationships. My endeavors. They all belong to You. Let’s clean house, Father. Amen.

Worship song: Create in Me a Clean Heart by Keith Green