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Week 3: Maccabees

Objective: 

  • Historical Context of the Story of the Maccabees

  • Faithfulness to the Lord
  • Protecting the Law and Temple under all circumstances

Resources:

Fr Luka Maher Series:

Body:

  • This topic is just to cover the most famous story in the book of Maccabees and get an idea on what the story is about. This story happened about 200-150 years before the birth of Christ.
  • Chapter 1 explains how the Greek kingdom was started by Alexander the great after he defeated the Persian kingdom.
  • The Greek kings were not as bad as the eighth king over Jerusalem who was called Antiochus Epiphanes. He was Antiochus the IV. He is considered by many Church fathers to be the "Anti-Christ" of the Old Testament. His actions and persecutions to the Jews foreshadow the acts of the real Anti-Christ before the Second Coming. He is the horn spoken by Daniel is his prophecy.
  • To compact his actions, Mattathias the priest, and his sons summoned the people and encouraged them to fight back.
  • Judas who was called Maccabeus went through many wars against the Greeks. The Book's name came from his title.
  • 2 Maccabees explains a lot of background stories that lead to the many wars we read about in 1 Maccabees.
  • 2:42-48 The Hasideans were Jews who strictly upheld the law. Together with Mattathias they began cleansing Israel of impurity, attacking both Gentiles and Jewish traitors. The Hasideans' strictness will lead them to care too much about the letter and not the Spirit. Later, this group will be called the Pharisees.

Reading: *** From the Orthodox Study Bible***

  • 1 Maccabees Chapter 1: 1-28
  • 2 Maccabees Chapter 6:1-31
  • 1 Maccabees Chapter 2: 1-26
  • 1 Maccabees Chapter 3: 1-33
  • 1 Maccabees Chapter 4: 36-61
  • 1 Maccabees Chapter 6:1-13

Key verse(s):

"For this very reason, He never withdraws His mercy from us. Although He disciplines us with calamities, He does not abandon His own people." 2 Maccabees 6:16

Comments:

Review/recap questions:
**Servant may add more questions

Homework:
**Servant may add more questi

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