2 Maccabees 1:18-23: a reflection

18Since we are now about to celebrate the purification of the temple in the month Chislev, on the twenty-fifth day, we thought it necessary to notify you, so that you may also keep a feast of tabernacles, and remember the fire which was given when Nehemiah offered sacrifices, after he had built both the temple and the altar. 19For indeed when our fathers were about to be led into the land of Persia, the godly priests of that time took some of the fire of the altar, and hid it secretly in the hollow of a well that was without water, where they made sure that the place was unknown to anyone. 20Now after many years, when it pleased God, Nehemiah, having received a charge from the king of Persia, sent in quest of the fire the descendants of the priests who hid it. When they declared to us that they had found no fire, but thick liquid, 21he commanded them to draw some of it out and bring it to him. When the sacrifices had been offered, Nehemiah commanded the priests to sprinkle with that liquid both the wood and the things laid on it. 22When that was done and some time had passed, and the sun shone out, which before was hidden with clouds, a great blaze was kindled, so that all men marveled. 23The priests made a prayer while the sacrifice was being consumed—both the priests and all the others. Jonathan led and the rest responded, as Nehemiah did.

This passage recalls how, when the temple was to be purified, the sacred fire that had seemed lost was rekindled. When the fathers were led into exile, godly priests had hidden some of the altar fire in a dry well; and after many years, when Nehemiah sought it, they found not fire but a thick liquid. Yet when this was poured on the sacrifice and the sun shone out, a great blaze was kindled, and all marveled. What had seemed lost, the sacred fire, hidden and reduced to a strange liquid over long years, God rekindled, bringing back to flame what seemed gone. This is a hopeful picture: that God can rekindle what has seemed lost, bring back to life and flame what appeared to have died out over long years. God rekindled the sacred fire that had seemed lost. What seemed gone, God brought back to flame. God can rekindle what has appeared lost. The fire that seemed dead, God rekindled after long years.

Notice the movement from what seemed lost to what God rekindled. The sacred fire had been hidden away in a dry well during the exile; over the long years it had seemed to disappear, reduced to a strange thick liquid, no longer fire at all. It would have been easy to think it lost for good. But at God's time, when it was poured on the sacrifice and the sun shone, it blazed up again; God rekindled what had seemed lost. This is a picture of hope for the things in our own lives that seem to have died out. A faith that has grown cold, a hope that has faded, a love that seems reduced to embers or less, a calling that seems long lost: what seems gone, God can rekindle. He who brought the hidden fire back to flame after long years can rekindle what seems lost in us. We need not write off as dead for good what has grown cold or seems gone; God can bring it back to flame. What seems lost is not always lost for good; God can rekindle it. The God who rekindled the hidden fire can rekindle what seems dead in us. Do not despair of what has grown cold; God can rekindle it.

That is worth resting in, for God can rekindle what has seemed lost, bringing back to flame what appeared to have died out. We can look at something in our lives that has grown cold or seems gone, a faith, a hope, a love, a calling, and write it off as lost for good; but God rekindled the sacred fire that had seemed lost, hidden and reduced to a strange liquid over long years, bringing it back to a great blaze. What seems lost is not always lost for good. When something in you has grown cold and seems gone, do not despair of it; the God who rekindled the hidden fire can rekindle it. Rest in the truth that God can rekindle what has seemed lost, bringing back to flame what appeared to have died out, as the sacred fire hidden in a dry well during the exile, reduced over long years to a strange thick liquid and seemingly gone, blazed up again at God's time when it was poured on the sacrifice and the sun shone; for what has grown cold or seems lost in our own lives, a faith, a hope, a love, a calling, is not always lost for good, since the God who rekindled the hidden fire after long years can rekindle what seems dead in us, so that we need not despair of or write off as gone for good what has grown cold, but can hope that God will bring it back to flame.

Lord, this passage recalls how, when the temple was to be purified, the sacred fire that had seemed lost was rekindled. When the fathers were led into exile, godly priests had hidden some of the altar fire in a dry well; and after many years, when Nehemiah sought it, they found not fire but a thick liquid. Yet when this was poured on the sacrifice and the sun shone out, a great blaze was kindled, and all marveled. What had seemed lost, the sacred fire, hidden and reduced to a strange liquid over long years, you rekindled, bringing back to flame what seemed gone. Show me the movement from what seemed lost to what you rekindled. The sacred fire had been hidden away during the exile; over the long years it had seemed to disappear, no longer fire at all. It would have been easy to think it lost for good. But at your time, it blazed up again; you rekindled what had seemed lost. This is a picture of hope for the things in my own life that seem to have died out. A faith that has grown cold, a hope that has faded, a love that seems reduced to embers, a calling that seems long lost: what seems gone, you can rekindle. I need not write off as dead for good what has grown cold or seems gone. Let me rest in that, for you can rekindle what has seemed lost. I can look at something in my life that has grown cold, a faith, a hope, a love, a calling, and write it off as lost for good; but you rekindled the sacred fire that had seemed lost, bringing it back to a great blaze. When something in me has grown cold and seems gone, keep me from despairing of it; you who rekindled the hidden fire can rekindle it, Lord, bringing back to flame what appeared to have died out, so that I need not write off as gone for good what has grown cold, but can hope that you will bring it back to flame.