Faithful Eleazer

Synopsis     2Maccabees 6:12-28     4/2/2021 

King Antiochus outlawed all Jewish religious customs. He intended to destroy Jewish religion forever.   

As the author points out, this was not because God intended to destroy the Law of Moses or the people. To the contrary, God’s purpose was to chastise Judea because of its sins. God intended to purify Israel through this chastisement.   

After King Antiochus declared Jewish worship illegal, local leaders devised tests and trials to identify and execute faithful Jews. One of these tests required the Jewish people to eat pork. Should a Jew refuse the pork, then he was tortured to death.  

In Jerusalem, there lived a faithful old scribe. He was revered by all men, even the tormentors. When it came for his time to eat pork, he refused. This alarmed the tormentors. And so, they took Eleazer off to the side to speak with him. They offered to bring some meat from a ceremonially clean animal that would not offend him. All they asked was that he pretend the meat was pork. Then, he could eat some of the ceremonially clean meat and be done with the scrutiny.  

However, Eleazer refused. He knew the meaning of his example. And he anticipated that God would reward him in the resurrection for his faithfulness.  

Faithful Eleazer 

Eleazer persevered in well-doing even though it cost his life. 

Faithfulness 

In its essence, faith means to treat Jesus like the person He is. It means to believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 

“Because of it the ancients were well attested.” Heb 11:2