Dedication
Summary
A religious ceremony by which persons, places, or things are devoted to a holy purpose and set apart for God's service.
☩Biblical Examples
Throughout Scripture, dedications marked significant moments in Israel's worship. Moses dedicated the Tabernacle in the wilderness, and Solomon dedicated the first Temple with an elaborate ceremony lasting several days. The returned exiles dedicated the Second Temple after the Babylonian captivity. Besides sacred places, the Jews practiced dedication of walls, houses, and even private dwellings, with some form of dedicatory solemnity observed for cities, gates, and buildings.
☩Requirements for Dedicated Things
The Mosaic Law established specific regulations for dedicated things. Offerings must be without blemish—a defective gift was an insult to God. Dedicated things were generally not redeemable once consecrated, signifying the permanence of the commitment to God. Furthermore, all offerings had to be voluntary, expressing the worshiper's willing heart rather than mere obligation.
☩The Feast of Dedication
The annual Feast of Dedication commemorated the cleansing and rededication of the temple by Judas Maccabeus in 164 B.C., following its desecration by Antiochus Epiphanes. This eight-day festival began on the 25th of Chislev (December), and unlike other major feasts, could be celebrated anywhere, not just Jerusalem. The feast was characterized by mirth, gladness, and special illuminations—Josephus called it 'Lights' from the joy accompanying it. At this winter feast, Jesus walked in Solomon's porch and delivered His discourse claiming unity with the Father, prompting the Jews to take up stones against Him.
☩Christian Practice
The precedent of dedication ceremonies in the Old Testament was continued in Christian practice, though references to church dedications are rare in the first three centuries due to persecution. The earliest authentic accounts concern the cathedral of Tyre in 314 A.D. and Constantine's church in Jerusalem. In Christian usage, dedication typically refers to the setting aside of places for sacred purposes, acknowledging that while God is everywhere, certain spots are reserved for communion with the Creator.
Related Verses27 mentions
See Also
References
- 1.American Tract Society, "Dedication," in American Tract Society Bible Dictionary (American Tract Society, 1859).
- 2.Don Fleming, "Dedication," in Bridgeway Bible Dictionary (Bridgeway Publications, 1990).
- 3.John Kitto, "Dedication," in A Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature, vol. I (Mark H. Newman, 1845).
- 4.Richard Watson, "Dedication," in A Biblical and Theological Dictionary (John Mason, 1831).
- 5.James Orr (ed.), "Dedication, Feast of," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. II (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 6.James Hastings (ed.), "Dedication, Feast Of," in Dictionary of Christ and the Gospels, vol. I (T. & T. Clark, 1906–1908).
- 7.Charles G. Herbermann et al. (ed.), "Dedication," in The Catholic Encyclopedia, vol. IV (Robert Appleton Company, 1907–1912).