1 Maccabees

And I got to say, it's been a gift.

It's been a grind in so many ways, right? Like even in 1 Maccabees and in Sirach, there's a lot of wisdom and there's these incredible stories.

But at times it can be hard to keep our focus.

So I just want to pray, let you know that I'm praying for you.

That's amazing.

Today, we're reading First Maccabees chapter five, Sirach chapter thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, Proverbs chapter twenty-two verses thirteen through sixteen.

As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.

I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.

Either way, you can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on Subscribe and receiving daily episodes and updates.

It's day 286.

We're reading First Maccabees chapter five, Sirach thirteen, fourteen, and fifteen, and Proverbs chapter twenty-two verses thirteen through sixteen.

The First Book of Maccabees, chapter five.

We are four days into the Maccabean Revolt.

We're reading First Maccabees, chapter four, Sirach, chapter ten, eleven, and twelve, as well as Proverbs, chapter twenty-two, verses nine through twelve.

As always, the Bible translation we are reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition.

I'm using the Great Adventure Bible from Ascension.

If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear.

You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on Subscribe, and it is day two hundred and eighty-five.

We're reading First Maccabees, chapter four, Sirach, chapter ten, eleven, and twelve, and Proverbs, chapter twenty-two, verses nine through twelve.

The first book of Maccabees, chapter four.

That is a wise thing.

Now, moving on to 1 Maccabees 3, we have Judas Maccabeus, right? Judas the Hammer, and, uh, he is doing well.

He is fighting for the freedom of the people of Israel, and word gets around that Judas Maccabeus is kind of the dude.

And so Antiochus, right? Remember he...

In fact, sometimes the Lord allows us to call upon His name and allows us to fall into exile, right? To be defeated and brought into a place of captivity so that He can teach us, so that He can, He can correct us, so that He can, He can join our sufferings to His.

So, there's, there's a promise there.

But in the story of 1 Maccabees, uh, God blesses them.

He blesses their rebellion, the revolt against the Greeks.

Our first lesson comes from the Apocrypha, which the Church in Rome names Deuterocanon, and which our sixth article determines that the Church doth read for example of life and instruction of manners, but yet doth it not apply them to establish any doctrine.

The First Book of Maccabees, the second chapter.

In those days, Mattathias, son of John, son of Simeon, a priest of the clan Joarib, moved from Jerusalem and settled in Modin.

He had five sons, John, surnamed Gedi, Simon, called Thassi, Judas, called Maccabeus, Eleazar, called Avarun, and Jonathan, called Aphus.

But [laughs] we are in great, uh, company right now in day two eighty-two.

We're reading First Maccabees chapter one, which is actually quite a long chapter.

All these chapters in Maccabees are a bit longer, so settle in and enjoy this story.

It's, it's remarkable.

And so enjoy the story.

The story is remarkable.

Um, First Maccabees is what we're doing for the next number of days, and then afterwards is Second Maccabees.

They're kind of the same story told in different ways.

Dr. Grant's Between the Testaments has also been consulted, and had that volume been more in accord with a belief in the plenary inspiration of Scripture, the book now in my reader's hand might perhaps not have been prepared.

The Old Testament Apocrypha, especially 1 Maccabees, Josephus, and various Jewish histories of recent date, have also afforded considerable help.

It will be observed that my object has been not merely to give a chronological outline of events or a series of biographical sketches, but to trace throughout lessons and warnings for any who today, as those in the days of Nehemiah, have sought to return to and obey the word of God, in separation from the infidelity and apostasy of the times.

Such are exposed to similar dangers, though of a spiritual character, as those which confronted the Jews.

On the other hand, the dominant party in the days of Simon II and Onias III was the Hellenizing faction, bringing in Grecian ways and customs.

They saw no deliverance for the Jews save in following the ways of the nations.

They cried, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen, 1 Maccabees chapter 1 verse 11, and sought to popularize as far as possible the new ways.

Greek philosophy, Greek games, and even tolerance of Greek religion were persistently advocated.