HEBREWS, HAMMERS, AND HASMONEANS
What does a small, homegrown militia in the 2nd Century BCE have to do with Yeshua (Jesus)? Why should students of the bible – and especially ministry leaders – take the time to become more well-informed with a group of people who are not even mentioned in our Protestant Bibles? These are the questions we’re going to address in this brief article.
First, who is this homegrown militia in the 2nd century BCE? Well, we’re talking about the Maccabees and, as the title of the article states, the Hasmoneans. In common usage, these two monikers are largely synonymous, but we will define them here simply as follows: Maccabees refer to Judah (aka Judas) Maccabeus and his four brothers; Hasmonean refers to the entire dynasty that was established during their time as an independent Judean state.
While the Hasmoneans are not mentioned in the Protestant Bible (their story is found in the Apocrypha), they play an important role in setting the stage for the New Testament world into which Yeshua was born. See, they revolted against the Seleucid (Hellenistic) ruler at the time, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who had taken over the Judean land. He forced Jews to neglect the Torah commandment of circumcision, and even went so far as to sacrifice unclean animals (pigs) on the altar of the Lord in the Temple in Jerusalem.
The term Maccabee means “hammer” in Hebrew, and referred to Judah Maccabee being a strong and capable tactician and military leader. Despite having a much smaller force than the Seleucids, he led multiple successful campaigns against them, allowing the Jews to retake Jerusalem, purify the temple, and establish themselves – albeit temporarily – as a largely independent nation.
If the oppressive reign of the Seleucids had been allowed to continue, there wouldn’t have been a place for many of the necessary encounters that we find in the New Testament. Without a temple, where would Yeshua’s parents have presented Him at the time of His circumcision (Luke 2:21-24)? Further, if the Seleucid rule had continued, they wouldn’t have even been able to circumcise Him at all, which would have prevented a requirement of the Law, in addition to presenting Him as the firstborn. Mary and Joseph wouldn’t have been able to offer the proper sacrifice which Luke explicitly points out (because it was necessary according to God’s Law).
Think of all the times Messiah was present at the Temple, and the numerous, important moments of His ministry that took place there. Think of when He overthrew the tables of the moneychangers (John 2:14-15); when He was in Solomon’s Porch at the Festival of Dedication (aka Hanukkah, a festival that began because of the victory of the Maccabees over Antiochus) (John 10:23-24); when He was teaching in the Temple daily (Luke 19:47); even when He was being tempted by the devil and taken up to the “pinnacle of the Temple” (Matthew 4:5).
Now clearly, armed with this background information, anyone should be able to agree that it is important that Judah Maccabee and his brothers established the Hasmonean Dynasty and paved the way for the religious and cultural world into which Yeshua took on flesh. But how does this relate to ministry leadership? What makes this knowledge more than just ammunition for winning a round of Jeopardy!?
I would like to assert a takeaway – and an encouragement – here for ministry leaders. As ministry leaders, we need to be willing to take a stand for our faith. That kind of sounds like a given but bear with me. The Maccabees were living under an oppressive foreign regime that was – quite literally – killing them for obeying what God commanded them to do. There are many believers out there in the world today who still face this level of persecution. (I suppose a secondary point here still worth mentioning is to pray for the persecuted Church). You will face times of adversity. In fact, some theologians would say (a la Bonhoeffer), if you’re not dealing with some level of suffering or persecution, you haven’t experienced what it’s like to take up your cross and follow Christ. The apostles experienced this as well and responded in kind: “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29) This may mean many different things. It could mean losing a job opportunity, or relationships. It may mean losing that promotion to senior pastor. It will most certainly mean that you will not be the most popular person (which is definitely not fun if you’re a youth pastor). Just like the Maccabees were willing to give it all for their faith and obedience to God, your gifting as a minister will require a willingness to risk it all. But just like the Maccabees, just like the apostles, and just like Messiah Yeshua Himself, your faithful obedience to God is better than any worldly pleasure or materialistic possession in existence.
Ministry is hard work, and it often goes unnoticed and underappreciated. But take heart and remember – especially in your moments of the most adversity – the words Messiah spoke in Matthew 5:11-12:
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in this same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Blessings in Messiah,
Jonathan
Further Reading on the Maccabees:
Herms, Ronald. 2018. “2. Interpretive History.” In Early Jewish Literature: An Anthology, edited by Brad Embry, Ronald Herms, and Archie T. Wright, 1:169–70. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
Josephus, Flavius, and William Whiston. 1987. The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged. Peabody: Hendrickson.
Cohen, Shaye J. D. 2014. From the Maccabees to the Mishnah. Third Edition. Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press.