Shammash

We are in the Hanukkah season, observed by the lighting of a menorah. Many Christians do not observe Hanukkah, or light a menorah, but I think that there is much to be learned from these things. Each night for eight nights, a new candle is added to the lighted candles. The eight candles are a memorial of a miracle of God when He extended the supply of oil available to be used to keep the menorah lighted in the newly cleansed and rededicated temple in Jerusalem. The lighting of the candles of the menorah for Hanukkah must follow a certain pattern. The nightly candles cannot be lighted with a match or a lighter, but must be lighted using the main candle of the menorah that is set apart, sometimes elevated, from the others. This dominant candle by which the other candles are lighted is called the "shammash". The shammash is the instrument that enables all the other candles to complete a "mitzvah", meaning a commandment of God. God's command in scripture that is applicable here was to light the menorah, or lampstand (Ex. 27:20-21). Another meaning of the shammash refers to a person, the servant of the synagogue, who helps during the service, and in all things regarding the running and upkeep of the synagogue. The shammash person serves as the aide, the assistant, even the caretaker of the rabbi and the synagogue. The shammash aide also stands next to, and assists those who have been selected to read a portion from the Torah in Hebrew, and corrects mistakes if any are made in the reading. This description of the person called the shammash is very similar to the one that Jesus gave regarding the Holy Spirit, whom He would send: "But when the Helper (Comforter) comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of Truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning." (Jn. 15:26-27). The Greek word used for "Helper" in the verses above is parakletos, which includes the meaning "helper, aider, assistant". We can see the connection of the Holy Spirit to the shammash person of the synagogue, and even the shammash candle of the menorah. The Holy Spirit also has another unusual characteristic. Jesus said that the Spirit of truth, when He has come, will not speak on His own authority, but "He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you." (Jn. 16:13-14). This is another way in which the Holy Spirit is very much like the shammash menorah candle. The Holy Spirit does not exalt or testify of Himself, but He enables the other "candles", or believers, to shine by bringing the light of Jesus to them. He brings the light of the truth of Christ to us, and we then shine with it, fulfilling the command (mitzvah) of Christ that we are to be "the light of the world". (Mt. 5:14). Chabad.org also says this about the shammash candle of the menorah, and what it represents: "The path to its elevation is not through pushing others down, but by sharing with them and coaxing out the flame they carry within". Elevation comes not from claiming that position, but as a result of enabling or empowering the other candles. We will see this pattern of the menorah, the shammash candle, and the Holy Spirit in our Sabbath reading for this week, which always comes during Hanukkah, also called the Feast of Dedication, or the Festival of Lights. One of the Sabbath readings comes from Genesis 41. The Pharaoh of Egypt has had two dreams. The dreams troubled him, and he called in the wise men and magicians of his kingdom to give him the interpretation of these dreams. None of them could interpret the dreams for Pharaoh. Another servant told Pharaoh that he remembered a Hebrew man imprisoned in Pharaoh's dungeon who had accurately interpreted dreams for him. That man was Jacob's son, Joseph, and Pharaoh sent for him. "And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'I have had a dream, and there is no one who can interpret it. But I have heard it said of you that you can understand a dream, to interpret it." (Gen. 41:15). Many would think that this was Joseph's chance to make himself valuable to Pharaoh, and hopefully be lifted up out of the dungeon. This was his opportunity to impress Pharaoh. This was where Joseph could have truthfully said, "Yes, I have been given this gift by God", or "Yes, God has purposed me to do this". However, Joseph does not answer in this way. Instead Joseph said: "It is not in me; God will give Pharaoh an answer of peace." (v. 16). Instead of using the opportunity to promote himself in Pharaoh's view, Joseph elevates God in Pharaoh's life, and God's light begins to illuminate Pharaoh. There will be life-changing results because of this. Further on Joseph says about Pharaoh's dreams as he explained their meaning: "God has shown Pharaoh what He is about to do." (v. 25 and 28), and "...the thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass" (V. 32). Joseph wasn't speaking from some false or "religious" humility. He was speaking from the set apart, exalted position of the shammash candle, the position that enables and lights others. Like the shammash candle of the menorah, Joseph was enabling Pharaoh to be lighted by God. How much more powerful must this have been in Pharaoh's life! "God is showing you something, Pharaoh". "God is telling you, Pharaoh, what He is about to do." Joseph shines his Holy Spirit light by pointing out that God is dealing with Pharaoh personally and directly through his dreams. As Joseph explained how Egypt can be saved from the famine to come as shown in the dreams, Pharaoh knew that he wanted a special kind of man to oversee the preparations for his country. "And Pharaoh said to his servants, 'Can we find such a one as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God?' Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'Inasmuch as God has shown you all this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you. You shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word; only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you.' And Pharaoh said to Joseph, 'See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt.' Then Pharaoh took his signet ring off his hand and put it on Joseph's hand; and he clothed him in garments of fine linen and put a gold chain around his neck." (v. 38-42). Joseph became a shammash to Pharaoh, a helper, an aide, because he gave his light to enable Pharaoh to be lighted in the knowledge of God. Also, like the Holy Spirit as Jesus taught, Joseph didn't testify of himself, but of the One who sent him. This changed Egypt's future from famine to provision, and would even give Joseph's father and the brothers who had betrayed him, and their generations (Joseph said he was sent to Egypt by God to preserve (make, appoint, ordain) life and a remnant in the earth in Gen. 45:5, 7), a secure dwelling place in Egypt in the midst of the great famine by the light of the favor of God which shown from Pharaoh towards them. Egypt became enriched further by having enough stored-up food provisions to sell to others. The Holy Spirit, like the shammash candle, does not have to promote Himself. He is already set apart, exalted, because He has enabled other candles to be lighted from Him. This is a valuable lesson for me from the picture of the menorah. In another example from this week's Sabbath readings, Zechariah is given the vision of a menorah having one prominent bowl with seven other lamps attached to the menorah (Zech. 4). In the vision, two olive trees feed oil directly to that prominent bowl of the menorah. This vision was in order to bring a prophetic message to Zerubbabel, the Governor of Judah. Zerubbabel had spent years trying to get the temple of the LORD completed, but had only seen the completion of the foundation of the building up to that point. The prophetic message from the LORD to the Governor was: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit', says the LORD of hosts." (v. 2-6). Zerubbabel was a governor, the highest authority present in Judah, yet he could not get the temple completed. The fulfillment of the mitzvah, or the good work of the commandment, will be enabled by the shammash, the Holy Spirit, not by the power of any title or position of man. We cannot light ourselves, but we must be lighted by the shammash to complete the mitzvah of God. I have learned a great deal from the example of the menorah and the shammash candle from this Sabbath reading, and from this Hanukkah feast season. We live in an age of self-promotion, but the shammash is placed at its high position because he helps, aids, assists, and brings the light to the other candles. The other candles cannot be lighted in any other way. "You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden, nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works (a completed mitzvah) and glorify your Father in heaven." (Mt. 5:14-16). To me, Jesus was talking about the spiritual principle of the menorah and its mitzvah in the lives of us, His disciples, and the subsequent lighting of "all that are in the house". There is a pattern established by the menorah that we are to follow. If you would like to know more about being the light of the world, as Jesus commanded, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, even as You were lifted up on the cross for all eyes to see, You gave us the example of the menorah, and the shammash candle to help us fulfill Your mitzvah to be the light of the world. You also sent the Holy Spirit to all who believe in You to be our Helper, Who not only fills us with light, but teaches us by example how to help others become filled with Your light. Help me to learn the lesson of the menorah and the shammash. I ask this in Your name, AMEN."