1 Maccabees 4:1-35: Living and Dying Nobly
Holy Tuesday, April 16, 2019
Do not fear their numbers or be afraid . . .
Judas Maccabeus and his Jewish followers were steeped in the scripture and so the idea of placing one’s fear in God’s hands in order to live and die nobly was a familiar message to them.
God speaks to Abram in Genesis 15:1 saying: Do not be afraid. I am your shield, your very great reward.
In Joel 2:21 the prophet exhorts all of creation to take heart.
Nearly a dozen times the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Daniel we are told that we need not be afraid because God is with us.
Zechariah tells us: Do not be afraid but let your hands be strong. (8:13)
In Psalm 21 the psalmist asks why we fear when we have the Lord as our rock and protector.
In Psalms 56 and 118 the writer reminds all of us to trust in God when we become fearful.
In Proverbs 3:24 we are encouraged to rest in God alone so that we do not fear.
When we allow assurance in our relationship with God to become part of our fiber, fear oozes away in the warmth of God’s light. The soldiers in today’s reading do this and their enemy is amazed when they see their courage.
Lysias saw how ready they were to either live or die nobly . . .
A re-post from March 2, 2012.
Images from: http://apoloblogology.blogspot.com/2008_11_01_archive.html and http://phillchida.blogspot.com/2011/06/love-letter-to-my-heavenly-father.html and
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