1 Maccabees 11:13-19: a reflection

13Ptolemy entered into Antioch, and put on himself the crown of Asia. He put two crowns upon his head, the crown of Egypt and that of Asia. 14But King Alexander was in Cilicia at that time, because the people of that region were in revolt. 15When Alexander heard of it, he came against him in war. Ptolemy marched out and met him with a strong force, and put him to flight. 16Alexander fled into Arabia, that he might be sheltered there; but King Ptolemy was triumphant. 17Zabdiel the Arabian took off Alexander’s head, and sent it to Ptolemy. 18King Ptolemy died the third day after, and those who were in his strongholds were slain by the inhabitants of the strongholds. 19Demetrius became king in the one hundred sixty-seventh year.

This passage records a rapid, dizzying sequence of rising and falling among kings. One king enters a city and crowns himself with two crowns, the crown of Egypt and that of Asia, at the height of his triumph. But another king comes against him; there is war; and within days the triumphant king dies, and others fall with him. The one who wore two crowns is gone almost as soon as he had grasped them.

Notice how quickly worldly power and glory pass in this account. One moment a king crowns himself at the pinnacle of his triumph, wearing two crowns; a few days later he is dead. The power and glory that seemed so solid, worth grasping at such cost, vanished in a moment. The crowns that were seized with such ambition could not be held; the triumph was fleeting, gone almost before it was enjoyed.

That is a picture of the fleeting nature of worldly power and glory. People pursue power, status, and honor at great cost, grasping for crowns as though they would last; but such things are fleeting, and can vanish in a moment, sometimes at the very height of their attainment. To stake our lives on the pursuit of power and glory that can pass in three days is folly. Do not give your life to grasping for worldly power, status, and honor, which are fleeting and cannot be held. The crowns of this world are seized with ambition only to slip away; build your life instead on what lasts, on God and his kingdom, which cannot be taken away. Do not be like the king who crowned himself and died three days later; seek the honor that does not fade, and the kingdom that cannot be shaken, rather than the fleeting crowns of this world.

Lord, this passage records a king crowning himself with two crowns at the height of his triumph, only to die a few days later; the power and glory that seemed so solid vanished in a moment. Show me the fleeting nature of worldly power and glory. People pursue power, status, and honor at great cost, grasping for crowns as though they would last; but such things are fleeting, and can vanish in a moment, sometimes at the very height of their attainment. To stake my life on the pursuit of power and glory that can pass in three days is folly. Keep me from giving my life to grasping for worldly power, status, and honor, which are fleeting and cannot be held. The crowns of this world are seized with ambition only to slip away; help me build my life instead on what lasts, on you and your kingdom, which cannot be taken away. Keep me from being like the king who crowned himself and died three days later; help me seek the honor that does not fade, and the kingdom that cannot be shaken, rather than the fleeting crowns of this world.