Daily Old Testament: 2 Maccabees 10 and My Own Article on "Friends' Testimonies" (Part 8)

2 Maccabees 10 - The Maccabaeans restore the Temple, pull down foreign altars and then encourage a penitent spirit among the people, begging God’s forgiveness and praying that never again will the people be subject to such cruel and godless oppression.

They celebrate for eight days and institute this celebration for future times as well – the Festival of Shelters [Sukkot].

Then the story goes on to the history of Antiochus’ Epiphanes’ son Antiochus Eupator – age 8. He [or someone] appoints a man named Lysias to be chief governor of Greater Syria, “replacing Ptolemy Macron, who had been the first governor to treat the Jews fairly” (10:12).

The king’s friends go to Eupator and accuse Macron of being a traitor because he abandoned the island of Cyprus, which King Philometor of Egypt had placed under his command, and gone over to Antiochus Epiphanes. . . . No longer able to maintain the respect that his office demanded, he [Ptolemy Macron] committed suicide by taking poison” (10:13).

Another military assault against the Jews is recounted, this time by Gorgias, governor of Idumea and the Idumaeans. Judas Maccabaeus and his men capture the town and kill about 20,000. About 9,000 take refuge in two forts and Judas has to move on to other places. He leaves his brothers Simon and Joseph behind to continue the siege. Some of Simon’s men are lured into accepting a bribe of some silver in return for letting some of the men escape from the fortresses. Judas is furious when he learns this and has the men executed (10:22). He then is successful in taking the forts.

A general named Timothy [or Timotheus] brings a large force from Asia against Judea. As “the enemy forces were approaching, Judas and his men prayed to God. They put on sackcloth, threw earth on their heads, and lay face downwards on the steps of the altar, begging God to help them by fighting against their enemies, as he had promised in his Law” (10:25-26).

The fight begins. “When the fighting was at its worst, the enemy saw five handsome men riding on horses with gold bridles and leading the Jewish forces. These five men surrounded Judas, protecting him with their own armor and showering the enemy with arrows and thunderbolts” (10:29-30). The enemy becomes so confused, they are easily defeated. Timothy escapes to a fortress at Gezer but Judas and his men take the fort on the fifth day, killing Timothy and his brothers. The Jews celebrate the victory “by singing hymns and songs of thanksgiving to the Lord, who had shown them great kindness and had given them victory” (10:38).

“Friends’ Testimonies”

Part 8

The other virtue closely connected with simplicity for early Friends was the call to integrity. When they stood before a magistrate, they refused to make a ceremony of honesty by employing oaths. They simply kept to “yes” and “no” as Jesus had urged (Matt. 5:37). Fox and other leaders continually stressed the importance of integrity as part of the witness they made:

Do rightly, justly, truly, holily, equally to all people in all things . . .

Wrong no man, over-reach no man, if it be never so much to your advantage, but be plain, righteous and holy. . . . Let justice be acted and holiness in all things, without any guile, fraud or deceit. . . .

Loathe deceit . . . hard-heartedness, wronging, cozening, cheating or unjust dealing. But live and reign in the righteous Life and Power of God . . . doing the Truth to all, without respect to persons, high or low whatsoever, young or old, rich or poor . . .

. . . live in the Power of Truth and Wisdom of God, to answer the just Principle of God in all people upon the earth. And so answering . . . it, thereby you come to be as a city set upon a hill. . . .So, let your lives preach, let your Light shine, that your works may be seen, your Father may be glorified, your fruits may be unto holiness and that your end may be everlasting Life. . . .” (Fox, Letters, 154-155).

        

Friends’ reputation for honesty and fair dealing became legendary and remains a source of justifiable pride among Friends. Honesty had always been something important to me, but now I fully recognized and acknowledged God’s part in that in my life.

Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 31 and 1 Corinthians 4

Deuteronomy 31 – The next four chapters bring the Torah to a close.  The Schocken version points out that they end not with achievement of the goal—entry into the Promised Land but with a people filled with hope and commitment and readiness; and he says, furthermore that the very end of the Hebrew Bible—II Chronicles 36 parallels this with Cyrus vowing to build a house for YHWH in Jerusalem and inviting the people to “go up.”

Moses is 120; he will not cross over the Jordan.  Yahweh himself will lead them in.  Moses committed the Law to writing and gave it to the Levites.  It is to be proclaimed every seven years on the pilgrimage of Sukkot when all Israel gathers to hear this instruction proclaimed.  Joshua and Moses meet at the “Tent of Appointment” and YHWH appears there too in the “column of cloud.” He predicts the unfaithfulness of the people and his abandonment of them. He is also given a Song to teach the people.

1 Corinthians 4 - We are Christ’s servants, stewards of the mysteries of God (4:1).  Having just finished some of the earliest Christian writings – the Didache, Ignatius of Antioch and Clement – I can say how wonderful it is that Paul sees himself as “steward” of these deepest mysteries. The others dwell so steadily on the “dos” and “don’ts” of the Christian community. Paul will not be judged by them or even by himself.  He will be judged by God He urges them again not “to go beyond what is written,” (4:6) [said in both JB and NAB to be obscure—maybe a reference to the OT promises and their fulfillment in the cross, maybe a gloss]. Somehow they must be making claims and boasting of having come into some advanced state or mystery—maybe the very kingdom of God itself—but Paul brings them up by reminding them while they are reveling in this claim, he is still weak and deprived, serving the gospel, being ridiculed and persecuted for the sake of the gospel.  They need to stop their boasting.

Daily Bible Reading: Deuteronomy 15-16 and Matthew 27:55-66

Deuteronomy 15 – Every seven years the people shall have a “relaxation of debts” for kinsmen.” The NAB notes that we are not sure if this meant a suspension of interest or of payments on debt, or release from the full amount of any debt.  There should be no one of you in need.”  Kinsmen who sell themselves for debt shall be freed every 7^th year.  They are also to watch that they do not get resentful when the year of “release” approaches (15:9). You need to look beyond the seeming loss to the blessing God will bestow (15:10).  The saying “the needy will always be among you” (15:15) is here as it is in the NT, but a periodic dealing with the issue is provided for here.  Remember you were once slaves.  So when you offer him freedom every seventh year, you are also to offer him food-stuffs to sustain him in his freedom as the Israelites also took goods with them from Egypt. (15:13) He may choose to stay and be your for life though. If he does you are to pierce his ear (15:17).

Deuteronomy 16 – The month of Abib [later Babylonian Nisan] around Mar/Apr is set for celebration of Passover.  Eat only unleavened bread (the bread of affliction—in memory of the fear they felt in leaving so hurriedly) for seven days.  Meat [in Exodus lamb was specified, but not here] for Passover may only be sacrificed in the place God chooses.  On the 7^th day, a solemn meeting in honor of God.  Seven weeks from the day of first harvest comes Pentecost (Feast of Weeks – the day after 7 X 7 days) giving what you can out of whatever God has granted you.  This is a time for making merry, remembering also orphans, widows and aliens. Today the festival is called Shavuot – the time of the giving of the Torah.

           

The Feast of Booths or Shelters, a seven-day holiday commemorating the wandering in the desert when they lived in shelters, at completion of the harvest is a pilgrim feast – “do nought but make merry.”  Today it is call Sukkot, commemorating God’s providence and miraculous survival of His people. Three times a year then—at these three feasts--every male shall appear before the Lord with an offering.  The people must also appoint judges; they  “must be impartial. . . Justice and justice alone shall be your aim, that you may have life. . .” (16:20).

Matthew 27:55-66 - Jesus is buried in a tomb belonging to Joseph of Arimathea and a guard posted (27:64). Mary Magdalene and the other Mary, the mother of James and Joseph, keep watch too (27:61).

The Words of Jesus on the Cross Compared in the Gospels:

·      Matthew and Mark

o   “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46 and Mark 15:34)

·      Luke

o   “Father forgive them, they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34 – not in oldest papyruses].

o   “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

o   “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).

·      John

o   “Woman, behold your son. . .Behold your mother” (John 19:26).

o   “I thirst” (John 19:28).

o   “It is finished [or accomplished]” (John 19:30).

§  See my piece on John: http://catholicquaker.blogspot.com/2011/05/genesis-and-john.html