2 Maccabees is an abridged version of a five-volume Greek history book that is now lost to the ages. It begins with the period preceding 1 Maccabees, but then continues on through that period (and perhaps past it--I haven't finished it yet).
For the most part, this section is more historical than spiritual. It recounts still more political intrigue, betrayals, maneuvering for office, etc. High priests with grand ambitions lead the people away from God and the law, plot each others' demise, and bribe the powerful to gain advantage. Many Jews are led astray, drawn to the attractions of the Greek life. These events set the stage for the heroics of the Maccabees, who will come on the scene shortly.
What struck me in this section, though, are the stories of the martyrdom of the scribe, Eleazar, followed by the story of the mother and her seven sons. In both stories, the protagonists refuse the king's order that they eat pork, in violation of God's law. They willingly and joyfully embrace martyrdom, secure in the knowledge that they are pleasing God. And for the first time, the concept of life after death for the faithful and obedient is raised in the Old Testament. It is described as a resurrection of the body and a community of those who have passed to the next life. It is beautifully evoked and described by the seven sons and their mother in their dying words. The mother encourages her sons:
Since it is the Creator of the universe who shapes each man's beginning, as He brings about the origin of everything, He, in his mercy, will give you back both breath and life, because you now disregard yourselves for the sake of His law.
And the last of her sons, facing death, says:
My brothers, after enduring brief pain, have drunk of never-failing life, under God's covenant.
These stories are incredibly powerful. The courage and the hope in the Lord exhibited by these martyrs are marvelous and humbling examples to me.
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