Jewells of Thought

Today’s topic is the Maccabbees, Mattathias was tested by a Seleucid official to eat pork a restrictedfood for the Jews and to make an offereing to a pagan god. This man killed the representative making a bold stance and emboldening his 5 sons to do likewise and take up the side of righteousness. Judah was the best and strongest of the brothers. Ms. Hunt wrote a book about this very story and I have it and have read it through.

The read wasn’t always easy it was like the Dark Ages and as she commented we are now in a similar era even now… but not as excruciating as she details in the book of “Judah’s Wife”. She reiterates what she wrote on our Facebook page about the mother not eating pork and the torture that ensued.

Some of the comments I noticed this morning was the fact some people still don’t recognize the name ‘Maccabbee’. It was either her book or a preacher that I first heard it from and an interest took hold or another book altogether written about the same time period about a young Cleopatra and the Hasmonean Dynasty. Really for 400 years of silence a lot of sounds of battle were happening all over the world in Egypt, Israel with one of the many Herods. Herod the Great married the Hasmonean princess Mariamne plus don’t forget Rome with, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.

This book about Judah was difficult to digest for me. “The Queen’s Handmaid” was written by Tracy Higley. Mariamne’s story with her despicable husband Herod the Great is shown in detail with her pregnancy and her brother’s death Aristobolus who was supposed to become the High Priest. Herod, arranged for his death along with his supposed sister who dealt in witchcraft. Whoever thinks the 400 years was boring because it is simply called the silent years should think again.

History is always happening silence is just in reference to the fact that God was not speaking to His people again, like in Exodus during the 400 years of slavery. Ironically the American Liberals want to use this 400 years of time as an American thing, it’s straight from the Bible. Slaves in America were not slaves for 400 years. Plus when Joseph brought his family to Egypt they were not slaves to begin with he was the Vizier. A few generations of kings had to die before the turn around happened. maybe closer to 350 years it’s just an estimation.

She promised tomorrow’s Devotion would be happier than today’s. Yet we need to be reminded of today’s lesson. Especially when there are still those who don’t understand what the Maccabees experienced with the Seleucids and what the Hasmonean Era meant to Hanukkah and the birth of Christ and Christmas. The Hasmoneans were Sadducees in the New Testament, but during the 400 years they were essentially the good side opposing tyranny. The basics about these guys was that they followed the Law and were zealous for God at a time when it was safe to do so.

Again today I learned that I know more than I think I do at times. Sometimes it’s nice to know what others are shocked to not know. When books are left out of scripture though because it was not God-breathed how do you know what was left out of the Bible? This is something the historian in me and the reader of books couldn’t leave well alone. Yet it’s necessarily in our Sunday School pamphlets.

There is also the idea that too much information that doesn’t help to inform your personal salvation doesn’t need to be confusing. This would be a more in depth study for someone saved for a while and that can digest the information more than a beginning believer. The Bible itself is not all sugar and roses real effects and consequences happen. That’s why salvation is personal and a life-changing decision. You have to be all in or snares will harm you in big ways if you are not determined or ready with some support.

Did you notice I haven’t mentioned anything about running out of oil from Hanukkah? Ms. Hunt didn’t speak about the usual Hanukkah story that emanates around this time of year. What she did specifically say was that Hanukkah would not exist if not for Judah and his Maccabean Family. The high priests for generations had been through the descendants of Aaron. Tensions high among the Jews deepened during this time. The Pharisees rejected the Hasmoneans ruling, because they were not of Aaron’s line but of Mattathias’s Family. What would have happened if this family had done nothing at all?

Then finally the end of the 400 years came. The Jews had two bitter, but somewhat studious groups among them the Pharisees and the Sadducees. ‘Star of Wonder’ is such a good way to find the truth about the Nativity Story in all the various nuances of the time period of the people and the countries involved. God truly brought about a large puzzle of moving pieces to make everything fit for a specific purpose. The unrest of the silent years leading to the promised messiah. The ability to move to Egypt quickly. So many pieces had to fit and their purpose had great meanings.

I hope my thoughts on these Devotions are comforting in some way if not informational. There are some thoughts that are new for me and others that are simply reinforced.