1. Lighting your Menorah. Tonight we continue our celebration of Hanukkah. Let’s begin by lighting the middle candle in your Menorah, the shamash, and two candles on the far side.
2. Noah and the flood. Read Genesis 6:1 – 8:22. Here we have the account of mankind falling into great sin. So much so, G_d sends a great to flood over all the earth and starts over with Noah and his family. Please notice that G_d told Noah to build the ark before his sons were born to him to help him with the project. How would you feel if G_d asked you to undertake a massive project or task before you had all the help you might need? Would you have obeyed like Noah?
3. The Noahic Covenant and the Rainbow. Read Genesis 9:1 – 9:17. Here we read about the second covenant G_d made with all mankind. Theologians refer to this second covenant as the Noahic Covenant. What promises does G_d make with all mankind for all times? What does G_d promise to do each time there is a rainbow in the sky?
4. Never again with a flood, but . . . Read 2 Peter 3:7-17. G_d made a covenant with Noah and all mankind never again to destroy the world with a great flood. He did not though, rule out the possibility of destroying the world with fire. 2 Peter tells us of a time yet to come, when G_d will do away with the world as we know it and start over with a new heaven and a new earth. We will not be here when the world as we know it burns up, but when it does, you can be sure it will produce a great amount of light not since rivaled from the day G_d first said, “Let there be light” all the way back in the first chapter of Genesis.
Complete your second night of Hanukkah by singing one or two of your favorite carols. When you are done singing, I would suggest looking up “Hanukkah coloring pages” with your favorite search engine. Print off coloring pages that catch your eye and have fun using the colors of the rainbow to create your pictures. Remember to not blow out your Hanukkah candles. Let them burn themselves out as you color your pages. Have fun.
From our family to yours, Happy Hanukkah and shalom.
photo by D. Mike Collins