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Context No. 1339 of 4322 · 1 Maccabees

Context · Reflection

1 Maccabees 10:46-50: in context

46Now when Jonathan and the people heard these words, they gave no credence to them, and didn’t accept them, because they remembered the great evil which he had done in Israel, and that he had afflicted them very severely. 47They were well pleased with Alexander, because he was the first who spoke words of peace to them, and they were allies with him always. 48King Alexander gathered together great forces and encamped near Demetrius. 49The two kings joined battle, and the army of Alexander fled; and Demetrius followed after him, and prevailed against them. 50He strengthened the battle exceedingly until the sun went down; and Demetrius fell that day.

Two rival kings, Alexander and Demetrius, are competing for the loyalty of the Jews. Demetrius has sent lavish promises and concessions. But when Jonathan and the people hear his words, they give them no credence and do not accept them, because they remember the great evil he had done in Israel and how severely he had afflicted them. They stay loyal instead to Alexander, who had been the first to speak words of peace to them. Then the two kings meet in battle; Alexander's army flees at first, but in the end Demetrius falls that day, his fine promises dying with him.

The wisdom in this scene is in why the Jews were not fooled: they gave no credence to Demetrius's words because they remembered what he had done. His letter was full of encouragement, honors, and gifts, but they weighed it against his record, the great evil and severe affliction he had inflicted on them, and the record outweighed the rhetoric. They understood that a man's track record is a truer guide to who he is than his present promises, especially promises made when he suddenly needs something. It is easy to be swayed by fine words in the moment, by flattery and generous offers, and to forget the pattern of behavior that came before them. But words are cheap, and someone who has shown by a long history of deeds what they are is unlikely to have become someone else overnight simply because it now serves them to sound reasonable. There is discernment in judging by the record and not only by the rhetoric, in letting what a person has consistently done weigh more than what they conveniently say. The Jews remembered, and their memory kept them from being deceived by a man whose promises would prove as short-lived as his own life.

Am I swayed by fine words and generous promises in the moment, or do I weigh them against the record of what a person has actually done over time, letting deeds count for more than convenient rhetoric?

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