They gave their life for the covenant , putting their hope in the promised resurrection of the righteous on the Last Day . Even unto death , they resolutely chose not to forsake their Jewish identity markers such as the circumcision of their sons , eating only the foods permitted by their Law , delighting and keeping the holy Shabbat , and remembering and honoring God ’ s faithfulness in the holy Festivals . Jewish identity was perpetuated and preserved for their children and children ’ s children .
Jewish identity mattered to God in this story . It mattered to these faithful Jews . It still matters today . And Chanukah is a good time to remember why Jewish identity should matter to all of us .
Some Reasons Why Jewish Identity Matters :
Jewish Identity matters because God created it : God created the Jewish people . What ADONAI creates is good . It seems a reasonable conclusion that to deny the value of Jewish identity as a God created and good genealogical reality intended to be preserved is a subtle form of gnosticism . Gnosticism devalues the material and physical , and at its worst , sees it as an evil to be destroyed or at least escaped from . For those who believe creation is good should seek to develop a congruent worldview that fully affirms the goodness of Jewish identity and by implication , the goodness of every ethnic identity created by God ( Acts 17:26 ).
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