We are in Numbers chapter seven with our word for today which is a phrase. חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ dedication of the altar, dedication offering for the altar. Our phrase used 5 times in the Old Testament, 4 times in our chapter. What is interesting is that every use of our phrase involves either the initiation of the tabernacle worship or later the temple worship. Before we jump into our phrase let’s look at one of the words in our phrase. Since we have already looked at the word for altar on three different days let’s look at the other word in our phrase. חֲנֻכָּה dedication, consecration, consecration ceremony. It is used 8 times in the Old Testament, 4 times in our chapter. Since we will look at the 5 times it is used in our phrase let’s look at the 3 that it is not in our phrase. We find our word used in the sense of a consecration ceremony in the context of dedicating the wall that was repaired around the city. Nehemiah 12:27-29 וּבַחֲנֻכַּ֞ת And at the dedication of the wall of Jerusalem they sought the Levites in all their places, to bring them to Jerusalem to celebrate חֲנֻכָּ֤ה the dedication with gladness, with thanksgivings and with singing, with cymbals, harps, and lyres. And the sons of the singers gathered together from the district surrounding Jerusalem and from the villages of the Netophathites; also from Beth-gilgal and from the region of Geba and Azmaveth, for the singers had built for themselves villages around Jerusalem. Our other use is at the beginning of Psalm 30 serving as a title for what the Psalm about. If we remember these were songs that the people would sing in worship when they gathered together. Psalm 30:1 A Psalm of David. A song at חֲנֻכַּ֖ת the dedication of the temple. This brings us right into how our phrase uses this word. We first see our phrase used in a consecration ceremony in the context of initiating the tabernacle worship. Numbers 7:10-11, 84-88 And the chiefs offered offerings for חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ the dedication of the altar on the day it was anointed; and the chiefs offered their offering before the altar. And the Lord said to Moses, “They shall offer their offerings, one chief each day, לַחֲנֻכַּ֖ת הַמִּזְבֵּֽחַ for the dedication of the altar.” … This was חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ the dedication offering for the altar on the day when it was anointed, from the chiefs of Israel: twelve silver plates, twelve silver basins, twelve golden dishes, each silver plate weighing 130 shekels and each basin 70, all the silver of the vessels 2,400 shekels according to the shekel of the sanctuary, the twelve golden dishes, full of incense, weighing 10 shekels apiece according to the shekel of the sanctuary, all the gold of the dishes being 120 shekels; all the cattle for the burnt offering twelve bulls, twelve rams, twelve male lambs a year old, with their grain offering; and twelve male goats for a sin offering; and all the cattle for the sacrifice of peace offerings twenty-four bulls, the rams sixty, the male goats sixty, the male lambs a year old sixty. This was חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ the dedication offering for the altar after it was anointed. Then our last use is in the context of a consecration ceremony in the context of initiating the temple worship. 2 Chronicles 7:8-10 At that time Solomon held the feast for seven days, and all Israel with him, a very great assembly, from Lebo-hamath to the Brook of Egypt. And on the eighth day they held a solemn assembly, for they had kept חֲנֻכַּ֣ת הַמִּזְבֵּ֗חַ the dedication of the altar seven days and the feast seven days. On the twenty-third day of the seventh month he sent the people away to their homes, joyful and glad of heart for the prosperity that the Lord had granted to David and to Solomon and to Israel his people. Did you notice that the people were glad of heart. This is the whole point of gathering together for worship. The tabernacle worship and then the temple worship was set up by God for people to connect with him. The good news is that God has solved the ultimate problem that separates us from him by sending his Son to be that sacrifice for our sins and the opportunity for us to be forgiven and reconciled back to God himself. We gather each Sunday as the church to continue to worship God as a group so he will continue to give us glad hearts. I’ll close with some passages from Psalm 30 which again was written specifically for the dedication of the temple. Psalm 30:4-5, 11-12 Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning … You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness, that my glory may sing your praise and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever!
