The Bible in a Year (with Fr. Mike Schmitz) - Day 294: Judea Gains Independence (2023)

Episode Date: October 21, 2023

In our reading of 1 Maccabees today, Fr. Mike highlights the the establishment of the new independent sovereign nation of Israel in the land of Judah. We learn how Simon takes command and enforces the law all around the land. Fr. Mike reminds us that even today, Christians are governed by Jesus himself and ultimately to belong to him. Today's readings are 1 Maccabees 13, Sirach 32-33, and Proverbs 23:17-21. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to the Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of Scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using the Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story today. It is day 294. We're reading 1st Book of Maccabees, chapter 13, Sirach 32 and 33,

as well as Proverbs chapter 23, verses 17 through 21. As always, the Bible translation I'm reading from is the Revised Standard Version, 2nd 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 slash Bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast. And when you subscribe, you will receive daily updates and daily episodes automagically. That's how it's going to work. It's like magic. Just subscribe and automagically, you receive the updates.

As I said, it's day 294. We're reading first book of Maccabees chapter 13, Sirach chapters 32 and 33 and Proverbs chapter 23 verses 17 through 21. The first book of Maccabees chapter 13, Simon takes command. Simon heard that Trifo had assembled a large army to invade the land of Judah and destroy it. And he saw that the people are trembling and fearful. So he went up to Jerusalem and gathering the people together, he encouraged them saying to them, you yourselves know what great things I and my brothers and the house of my father have done for the laws and the sanctuary. You know also the wars and the difficulties which we have seen. By reason of this, all my brothers have

perished for the sake of Israel, and I alone am left. And now, far be it from me to spare my life in any time of distress, for I am not better than my brothers. But I will avenge my nation and the sanctuary and your wives and children, for all the nations have gathered together out of hatred to destroy us. And the spirit of the people was rekindled when they heard these words, and they answered in a loud voice, You are our leader in place of Judas and Jonathan your brother. Fight our battles, and all that you say to us we will do. So he assembled all the warriors and hastened to complete the walls of Jerusalem, and he fortified it on every side. He sent Jonathan the son of Absalom to Joppa, and with him a considerable army. He drove out its occupants and remained there. Deceit and treachery of Trifo. Then Trifo

departed from Ptolemaeus with a large army to invade the land of Judah, and Jonathan was with him under guard, and Simon encamped in Adida facing the plain. Trifo learned that Simon had risen up in place of Jonathan his brother, and that he was about to join battle with him, so he sent envoys to him and said, It is for the money that Jonathan your brother owed the royal treasury, in connection with the offices he held, that we are detaining him. Send now a hundred talents of silver and two of his sons as hostages, so that when released he will not revolt against us, and we will release him. Simon knew that they were speaking deceitfully to him,

but he sent to get the money and the sons, lest he arouse great hostility among the people, who might say, Because Simon did not send him the money and the sons, lest he arouse great hostility among the people, who might say, Because Simon did not send him the money and the sons, he perished. So he sent the sons and the hundred talents. But Trifo broke his word and did not release Jonathan. After this, Trifo came to invade the country and destroy it, and he circled around by the way to Adara. But Simon and his army kept marching along opposite him to every place he went. Now the men in the citadel kept sending envoys to Trifo,

urging him to come to them by way of the wilderness and to send them food. So Trifo got all his cavalry ready to go, but that night a very heavy snow fell, and he did not go because of the snow. He marched off and went into the land of Gilead. When he approached Baskama, he killed Jonathan, and he was buried there. Then Trifo turned back and departed to his own land. Jonathan's Tomb And Simon sent and took the bones of Jonathan his brother, and buried him in Modin, the city of his fathers.

All Israel bewailed him with great lamentation, and mourned for him many days. And Simon built a monument over the tomb of his father and his brothers. He made it high that it might be seen with polished stone at the front and back. He also erected seven pyramids opposite one another for his father and mother and four brothers. And for the pyramids, he devised an elaborate setting, erecting about them great columns, and upon the columns he put suits of armor for a permanent memorial, and beside the suits of armor carved ships, so that they could be seen by all who sailed the sea. This is the tomb which he built in Modin. It remains

to this day. Judea gains independence. Trifo dealt treacherously with the young king Antiochus. He killed him and became king in his place, putting on the crown of Asia, and he brought great calamity upon the land. But Simon built up the strongholds of Judea and walled them all around with high towers and great walls and gates and bolts, and he stored food in the strongholds. Simon also chose men and sent them to Demetrius the king with a request to grant relief to the country, for all that Trifo did was to plunder. Demetrius the king sent him a favorable reply to this request and wrote him a letter as follows.

King Demetrius, to Simon, the high priest and friend of kings, and to the elders and nation of the Jews, greeting. We have received the gold crown and the palm branch which you sent, and we are ready to make a general peace with you and to write to our officials to grant you release from tribute. All the grants that we have made to you remain valid, and let the stronghold that you have built be your possession. We pardon any errors and offenses committed to this day, and cancel the crown tax which you owe, and whatever other tax has been collected in Jerusalem shall be collected no longer. And if any of you are qualified

to be enrolled in our bodyguard, let them be enrolled, and let there be peace between us. In the 170th year, the yoke of the Gentiles was removed from Israel, and the people began to write in their documents and contracts, in the first year of Simon,

the great high priest and commander and leader of the Jews. The Simon, the great high priest and commander and leader of the Jews. The Capture of Gezerah by Simon. In those days, Simon encamped against Gezerah and surrounded it with troops. He made a siege engine, brought it up to the city, and battered and captured one tower. The men in the siege engine leaped out into the city, and a great tumult arose in the city. The men in the city, with their out into the city and a great tumult arose in the city. The men in the city with their wives and children went up on the wall with their clothes torn and they cried out with a loud voice asking Simon to make peace with them. They said, do not treat us according to our wicked acts, but according to your mercy.

So Simon reached an agreement with them and stopped fighting against them. But he expelled them from the city and cleansed the houses in which the idols were and then entered it with hymns and praise. He cast out of it all uncleanness and settled in it men who observed the law. He also strengthened its fortifications and built in it a house for himself. Simon regains the citadel.

The men in the citadel at Jerusalem were prevented from going out to the country and back to buy and sell. So they were very hungry, and many of them perished from famine. Then they cried to Simon to make peace with them, and he did so. But he expelled them from there and cleansed the citadel from its pollutions. On the twenty-third day of the second month, in the one hundred and seventy-first year, the Jews entered it with praise and palm branches and with harps

and cymbals and stringed instruments and with hymns and songs because a great enemy had been crushed and removed from Israel. And Simon decreed that every year they should celebrate this day with rejoicing. He strengthened the fortifications of the temple hill alongside the citadel, and he and his men dwelt there. And Simon saw that John his son had reached manhood, so he made him commander of all the forces, and he dwelt in Gezerah. The Book of Sirach, Chapter 32. If they make you master of the feast, do not exalt yourself. Be among them as one of them. Take good care of them, and then be seated. When you have fulfilled your duties, take your place, that you may be merry on their account,

and receive a wreath for your excellent leadership. Speak, you who are older, for it is fitting that you should, but with accurate knowledge, and do not interrupt the music. Where there is entertainment, do not pour out talk, do not display your cleverness out of season. A ruby seal in a setting of gold is a concert of music at a banquet of wine. A seal of emerald in a rich setting of gold is the melody of music with good wine. Speak, young man, if there is need of you, but no more than twice, and only if asked. man, if there is need of you, but no more than twice, and only if asked. Speak concisely, say much in few words, be as one who knows and yet holds his tongue. Among the great, do not act as their equal, and when another is speaking, do not babble. Lightning speeds before the thunder, and approval precedes a modest man.

thunder, and approval precedes a modest man. Leave in good time, and do not be the last. Go home quickly, and do not linger. Amuse yourself there, and do what you have in mind, but do not sin through proud speech. And for these things bless him who made you, and satisfies you with his good gifts. He who fears the Lord will accept his discipline, and those who rise early to seek him will find favor. He who seeks the law will be filled with it, but the hypocrite will stumble at it. Those who fear the Lord will form true judgments, and like a light they will kindle righteous deeds. A sinful man will shun reproof and will find a decision according to his liking. A man of judgment will not overlook an idea, and an insolent and proud man will not cower in fear.

Do nothing without deliberation, and when you have acted, do not regret it. Do not go on a path full of hazards, and do not stumble over stony ground. Do not be overconfident on a smooth way, and give good heed to your paths. Guard yourself in every act, for this is the keeping of the commandments. He who believes the law gives heed to the commandments, and he who trusts the Lord will not suffer loss.

Chapter 33. Practical Advice. No evil will befall the man who fears the Lord, but in trial he will deliver him again and again. A wise man will not hate the law, but he who is hypocritical about it is like a boat in a storm. A man of understanding will trust in the law. For him, the law is as dependable as an inquiry by means of Urim. Prepare what to say, and thus you will be heard. Bind together your instruction and make

your answer. The heart of a fool is like a cartwheel, and his thoughts like a turning axle. A stallion is like a mocking friend, he neighs under everyone who sits on him. Why is any day better than another, when all the daylight in the year is from the sun? By the Lord's decision they were distinguished, and he appointed the year is from the sun. By the Lord's decision, they were distinguished and he appointed the different seasons and feasts. Some of them he exalted and hallowed and some of them he made ordinary days. All men are from the ground

and Adam was created of the dust. In the fullness of his knowledge, the Lord distinguished them and appointed their different ways. Some of them he blessed and exalted and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself. But some of them he cursed their different ways. Some of them he blessed and exalted, and some of them he made holy and brought near to himself. But some of them he cursed and brought low, and he turned them out of their place. As the clay in the hand of the potter, for all his ways are as he pleases,

so men are in the hand of him who made them, to give them as he decides. Good is the opposite of evil, and life the opposite of death. decides. Good is the opposite of evil, and life the opposite of death. So the sinner is the opposite of the godly. Look upon all the works of the Most High. They likewise are in pairs, one the opposite of the other. I was the last on watch.

I was like the one who gleans after the grape-gatherers. By the blessing of the Lord, I excelled, and like a grape gatherer, I filled my winepress. Consider that I have not labored for myself alone, but for all who seek instruction. Hear me, you who are great among the people, and you leaders of the congregation, listen. To son or wife, to brother or friend,

do not give power over yourself as long as you live and do not give your property to another, lest you change your mind and must ask for it. While you are still alive and have breath in you, do not let anyone take your place. For it is better that your children should ask from you than that you should look to the hand of your sons. Excel in all that you do. Bring no stain upon your honor. At the time when you end the days of your life, in the hour of death, distribute your inheritance. Fodder and stick and burdens for a donkey.

Bread and discipline and work for a servant. Set your slave to work and you will find rest. Leave his hands idle and he will seek liberty. Yoke and thong will bow the neck. And for a wicked servant, there are racks and tortures. Put him to work that he may not be idle for idleness teaches much evil. Set him to work as it is fitting for him and if he does not obey, make his chains heavy.

Do not act immoderately toward anybody and do nothing without discretion. If you have a servant, let him be as yourself, because you have bought him with blood. If you have a servant, treat him as a brother, for as your own soul you will need him. If you ill-treat him and he leaves and runs away, which way will you go to seek him? The Book of Proverbs, 23 verses 17 through 21. direct your mind in the way. Be not among wine bibbers or among gluttonous eaters of meat. For the drunkard and the glutton will come to poverty, and drowsiness will clothe a man with

rags. Father in heaven, we give you praise. We thank you so much for this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for the thousandth day in a row. We thank you for your wisdom. for the thousandth day in a row, we thank you for your wisdom. This just guides us and calls us to be long to you and calls us to live, live not foolishly, to live wisely. We ask you to please guard our thoughts and guard our minds that everything we say

and everything we think may be true, may be true things, may be good things, may be helpful things and wise things. Everything we do, give you glory, Father, and help our brothers and sisters around us. In Jesus' name we pray, amen. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, amen. So, okay, in 1 Maccabees 13, we have this story, the brothers. We have Judas, then Jonathan, now Simon.

And every one of those brothers is pretty remarkable right there when it comes to battle. Now, what they've done is they've fought back. And here is the new, I guess, independent sovereign nation of Judah, the sovereign nation of Israel, essentially, you might call it, here in the land of Judah in the city of Jerusalem. And they have freedom. And this is remarkable. And this is, again, this is one of the things we need to know, that for over 100 years, the people of Israel had their own sovereign nation because

they fought against the Greeks and alliances around them. And yeah, they were not only willing to do that, but they also fought in such a way that they wanted to keep the law, right? I mean, you see this today, we have Simon who's going all over the place. And as he goes to places, here's, you know, the city of Gezerah. You have the citadel in the city of Jerusalem where, yeah, I'll spare your lives, but you have to leave. Why? Because you have not been following the law.

You have not been living the covenant. Now for us, that's troubling. It can be troubling for us because we're like, well, that sounds like a theocracy. At the same time, yes, it kind of is. And yet we recognize that here is what God had called. God had called his people to belong to him, to follow the law. Now we don't, as Christians, we don't believe in a theocracy. And as Christians, we believe, oh yes, the church is the theocracy. We belong to the Lord. But civilly speaking, we don't have that. What we do have is we have our own lives governed. Now this is the Lord. But civilly speaking, we don't have that. What we do have is we have our own lives

governed. Now, this is the thing. So, right, a theocracy is governance of the people by the rules of the religion, right? By the rules of, ultimately, by God and those who enforce God's law as they see it. But what we do is we have a theocracy in the church. And what that is, is we are governed. We are governed by the Lord, not the civil authorities, not the civil life where we're living in, but we're governed by the laws of God. We're governed by the covenant that Jesus establishes in his own blood. We're governed by the fact that he's poured out his spirit upon us so we can cry out, Abba, Father. In fact, the head of this monarchy is the Lord God himself. And you've been made into sons and daughters of this Lord God himself.

And so, you know, we can make as many connections between Maccabees chapter 13 and our own lives. But one thing to keep in mind is that what we're called to do is we're called to surrender. We're called to submit to the Lord's laws. We're called to live out the covenant that God has established with his people and with us. He's brought us into that. Hopefully that makes sense. I think I've been saying that for a while the last couple of days.

Hopefully that makes sense because as I noted, Maccabees, first Maccabees at least, is an historical book and they don't necessarily give us a sermon out of this. They just tell us this is what happened. But Sirach definitely does. I think there is some incredible, just first chapter 32. My gosh, if they make you the master of the feast, do not exalt yourself. Be among them as one of them. What kind of advice is this? This is amazing. This is, again, this is a dad to his son. It's so good. Going on, he says, take good care of them and then be seated.

When you have fulfilled your duties, then take your place. And that you may be merry on their account and receive a wreath for your excellent leadership. I love it. Speak, you who are older, for it's fitting that you should. But do it with accurate knowledge. Do not interrupt the music. Once again, a good dad giving some good advice. If you speak when you're older, that makes sense.

But also don't like say lies, do accurate knowledge and don't interrupt the music. When there is entertainment, do not pour out talk. Every one of us, we've been in a situation like that, right? You've been to like a dinner, maybe there's a fundraiser or something like this and they have a show and the person next to you is wanting to converse during the thing. You're like, listen, someone's up there talking. Don't do this. Or they're playing a song right now. Don't talk here. If they only would have read Sirach chapter 32, they would have known. Don't do that. And also, oh gosh, a ruby seal

in a setting of gold is a concert of music at a banquet of wine. What a beautiful image. The young man, this is verse seven in chapter 32, speak young man, if there is need of you, but no more than twice. And only if asked speak concisely, say much in few words, be as one who knows and yet holds his tongue. Ah, that is just in practical advice for all of us to follow and to, um, just, you know, be kind to each other and to defer. I think that's, that's a big piece of this is some of this wisdom

in Sirach is, yes, belong to the Lord and live for the Lord and follow the law. But another piece is just defer, defer to the people around you, recognize that they are significant and recognize that they matter. And this is one of the things that at the heart of every one of our lives is this awareness, right? As Christians, we realize that everyone around us matters. Everyone around us matters. Everyone around you matters. And so everyone around me matters. You all, every person listening to this, you all matter.

The fact that you're listening to the word of God for 294 days, that matters. The fact that you're allowing him to shape the way you think and the way you see the world and the way you act, that matters. Because above everything else, even if there's people around you that treat you like you don't matter, you matter to God. And you matter to us, this community that has walked and journeyed for almost an entire year.

You matter to us. You matter to me. And so I'm praying for you. Please, please pray for me. My name is Father Mike. I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.