Worthy Brief - 12/16/2025
Friend, oil, light, and the hidden miracle!
Matthew 25:6-13 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom comes! Go out to meet him. 7 Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And the foolish said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps have gone out. 9 But the wise answered, saying, No, lest there be not enough for us and you. But rather go to those who sell, and buy for yourselves. 10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came. And they who were ready went in with him to the marriage, and the door was shut. 11 Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. 12 But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you. 13 Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes.
The best-known miracle of Chanukah, preserved in Jewish tradition rather than recorded in the Hebrew Scriptures, tells of a single, undefiled cruse of oil—enough for only one day—yet it burned for eight. Whether remembered as history or received as sacred legend, its message is relevant for us. In the aftermath of desecration, when compromise had polluted nearly everything in the Temple, the issue was never abundance but holiness. Heaven did not count how much oil remained; it honored what had not been defiled. What endured was not the quantity of oil, but the purity of what was left.
Throughout Scripture, oil represents anointing, consecration, and the life of the Spirit of God. The menorah was never merely just a functional source of light—it was a living testimony that the presence of God still dwelt among His people. When the Temple was defiled, the true crisis was not darkness alone, but the threat of an extinguished presence.
It is here that Chanukah reaches forward into the words of Yeshua (Jesus) Himself. In Matthew 25, He spoke of ten virgins awaiting the Bridegroom—five wise and five foolish. All carried lamps. All had light at one time. Yet only those who carried oil in reserve were able to endure the delay. The foolish were not excluded for lacking lamps, but for neglecting oil. In the last days, Yeshua warned, lawlessness would increase, and the love of many would grow cold. The flame does not vanish in a moment—it fades slowly when oil is neglected.
God did not multiply what was diluted—He honored what was undefiled. This is the hidden miracle of Chanukah: faithfulness sustains light longer than reason says it should. What the world calls insufficient, heaven calls enough—if it remains pure and consecrated.
Zechariah’s vision declares, “Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit.” Chanukah reminds us that revival does not begin with crowds, resources, or momentum—it begins with devotion. It begins with those who refuse to let their oil run dry in an age marked by delay, distraction, and compromise.
Friend, Chanukah, then, stands as a holy summons for us to examine our lamps and ensure they are filled with oil. It calls us to shine with a love the world can see, even under pressure, remaining unblemished by the world and untouched by compromise. Undeterred, resolute, and strong, we are to stand as living menorahs in dark days—bearing a light so steady and pure that all may know our lamp is not flickering, but burning brightly before God and before men.
Your family in the Lord with much agape love,
George & Baht Rivka (Mississippi)
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