Return to Judea

Synopsis     1Maccabees 5:45-64     1/19/2021 

After defeating the Greek forces in Gilead, Judas gathered all the Jews living there. He had them load up their families and belongings. And then the entire community began to march toward Judea.  

The road led through Ephron, a city east of the Jordan. But the people there would not allow the Jews to pass. So, Judas attacked the city and destroyed it. Then the Jews passed through. Afterward, they crossed the Jordan. And then they went and offered sacrifices at the temple because not one man had been killed. 

However, while Judas and his brothers were away, Joseph and Zacariah decided to attempt their own military adventure. They called the home forces together and formed an army to attack the Greeks stationed at Jamnia. However, the Greeks soundly defeated the Jews. In fact, nearly two thousand Jews died killed in a single day.  

Return to Judea 

Gilead was a pleasant land. So much so that the tribes of Reuben and Manasseh chose this place as the alternative to entering the Promised Land with the rest of Israel. Now, it’s not clear that Judas Maccabeus was working with actual descendants from those tribes. But, these Jews had chosen to live far away from Jerusalem and God’s presence in the temple. 

So, after defeating Timothy’s army, he strongly encouraged the people to relocate to Judea. Together they returned to the safety and proximity of God’s presence.  

Returning to God 

This world offers many pleasantries. So, it is an easy trap to become attached to one worldly delight or another. But the deepest security and satisfaction are the result of staying close to God. In the Word, in the Eucharist, in the daily experiences of life – seek God first!   

“Say to them: Thus says the LORD of hosts, Return to me—oracle of the LORD^* of hosts—and I will return to you, says the LORD of hosts.” Zechariah 1:3