... in what ways have the Jewish people been a light to the nations and a blessing to the rest of the world?
It was America’s founding father and second president, John Adams, who once said, “I will insist that the Hebrews have done more to civilize men than any other nation.” Pondering Adam’s words, I started reflecting on the background of the Jewish holiday Hanukkah, the eight-night celebration that begins next week coinciding with Christmas.
Hanukkah is also called the Festival of Lights. It commemorates the Maccabean Revolt against the oppressive Seleucid Empire in the second century BCE. It specifically remembers the rededication of the Second Temple and the miraculous relighting of the great temple menorah when only a day’s worth of oil burned for eight days. The great temple candelabrum represented divine light and Israel’s mission to be a “light to the nations.” Reading about it raised a very important question in my mind: in what ways have the Jewish people been a light to the nations and a blessing to the rest of the world?
Let me remind you of some of the many gifts of the Jews. Perhaps it will throw some water on the spreading embers of antisemitism that have been blowing through our culture. I’ll simply call these, “the Twelve Gifts of Hanukkah.” You’ve heard of the song “The Twelve Days of Christmas” about the twelve gifts “my true love gave to me?” Think of these as twelve gifts of light that Israel and the Jews have given to the wider world. What are they?
-First, the Jews gave the human race a new view of God and the world. Inhabiting the animistic near eastern world of many gods, they proclaimed there is one God over all. They de-divinized nature by saying that the world is not god. Rather it is created and it is good. This made our world intelligible and accessible to human reason.
-Second, they promoted the idea of a unified cosmos with a universal standard of truth. This had culture unifying implications. Since there is one God, there can be civilizational unity that brings order. This too brought light to many nations and later became the outlook of the Western world.
-Third, through the Jews, the world learned of a universal standard of righteousness and justice. There is a moral law (proscribed in the Ten Commandments) from a divine law-giver. The polytheistic world was a world of moral relativism where every idol embodied a local system of morality. The Jews rejected this as idolatry and taught the world that there is one moral law that transcends time and culture. Its purpose is to save us from self-destruction. All people, including kings, are equal under this law.
-Fourth, the Jews sparked a drive towards literacy and education. The Jews said that the universe is not silent. God speaks and reveals himself in creation and in his Word. Without the Torah, the world is left in spiritual darkness. With it, we can find wisdom and knowledge. Hence, they became a “people of the book.” They gave the world the Bible, which was penned almost entirely by Jews. This became an impulse for a written culture and pervasive schooling.
-Fifth, through the Jews came a foundation for human dignity. Into a world of war cultures, wanton killing, and human sacrifice, they said that humans are made in the image and likeness of God. Early on they affirmed the sanctity of life.
-Sixth, they gave the world a new view of time and progress. In the ancient world, life was viewed as a great big circle. We are born, we die, repeat. The Jews gave us a linear view of time. They said that God transcends time and works through time. This makes history purposeful and means that it has a telos.
-Seventh, through the Jews we got our current work week and the Sabbath day. Before they came along, in empires everywhere, every day was the same. They reset the calendar to create a rhythm of work and rest with time to focus on the spirit. This framework was adopted and continued by Christianity. In other words, you can credit the Jews for your weekend.
-Eighth, the Hebrews taught the Western world about nations. That nations are natural, good if rightly ordered and they are accountable to God. Nations are made up of people who share common origins, customs, land, traditions, and loyalties. In the Bible, God said to Israel, “I will make you a great nation.” Israel was to be “one nation under God.” This very idea, which we recite in the Pledge of Allegiance, is an idea from the Hebrew Scriptures.
-Ninth, the Jews taught the world about limited government. This challenged omnipotent kings and empires. The Jews taught that neither state nor king was divine; rather, the king is accountable to God.
-Tenth, the Jews taught the world about national covenants and compacts. Their covenant with God shaped medieval society and later became basic to the social order of Britain. The idea then spread to the new world through the American pilgrims and later influenced the U.S. Constitution which was set forth as a national covenant.
-Eleventh, in the Bible, the Jews gave humanity a compelling narrative of the world—a story of redemption that reverberates through Western societies and literature. Christianity adopted this story and spread its truth all over the world.
-Finally, we could add that in recent times, the Jews and the nation of Israel have made many astounding contributions to human life in the fields of medicine, humanitarian aid, security, high tech, etc. They are only 0.2% of the world’s population yet have received 22.5% of the world’s Nobel prizes. Which is to say—the Jewish people still bless the world in many ways.
These twelve gifts, give light to the nations, and remind me, an evangelical Christian, that we have a debt to Israel and the Jewish people. They have given us so much. Best of all, Christians believe that through the Jews, in the line of David, from the town of Bethlehem, God gave us Christmas!
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/FamVeld
Dr. Donald Sweeting (@DSweeting) serves as chancellor of Colorado Christian University.
