1 Maccabees 8:23-32: a reflection

23“Good success be to the Romans, and to the nation of the Jews, by sea and by land forever. May the sword and the enemy be far from them. 24But if war arises for Rome first, or any of their allies in all their dominion, 25the nation of the Jews shall help them as allies, as the occasion shall indicate to them, with all their heart. 26To those who make war upon them, they shall not give supplies, food, weapons, money, or ships, as it has seemed good to Rome, and they shall keep their ordinances without taking anything in return. 27In the same way, moreover, if war comes first upon the nation of the Jews, the Romans shall willingly help them as allies, as the occasion shall indicate to them; 28and to those who are fighting with them, there shall not be given food, weapons, money, or ships, as it has seemed good to Rome. They shall keep these ordinances, and that without deceit. 29According to these terms, the Romans made a treaty with the Jewish people. 30But if hereafter the one party and the other shall determine to add or diminish anything, they shall do it at their pleasure, and whatever they add or take away shall be ratified. 31Concerning the evils which King Demetrius is doing to them, we have written to him, saying, ‘Why have you made your yoke heavy on our friends and allies the Jews? 32If therefore they plead any more against you, we will do them justice, and fight with you on sea and on land.’”

In the treaty made between Rome and the Jewish people, the terms include a striking phrase about how the agreement was to be kept: They shall keep these ordinances, and that without deceit. The commitments made were to be kept faithfully, honestly, without deceit, each side truly doing what it had promised. The value at the heart of the treaty was faithfulness to one's word: to keep the commitment made, and to keep it honestly, without deception.

Notice the standard the treaty set for keeping commitments: faithfully, and without deceit. It was not enough to make the agreement; it was to be kept, and kept honestly, without the deception that would undermine it. To make a commitment and then fail to keep it, or to keep it only in appearance while deceiving, would betray the trust on which the agreement rested. The treaty called for real faithfulness: keeping one's word truly, without deceit. Commitments were to be honored, not merely made, and honored honestly.

That standard is worth taking to heart, for we too make commitments that call to be kept faithfully and without deceit. We make promises, agreements, commitments, to others and to God; and the question is whether we keep them faithfully, honestly, without deception, or whether we fail to keep them, or keep them only in appearance while deceiving. Keep your commitments faithfully and without deceit, as the treaty required; do not make promises you fail to keep, or keep them only in appearance while deceiving. Let your word be reliable, your commitments honored truly and honestly, without the deception that betrays trust; for faithfulness to our commitments, kept without deceit, is the ground of trust, as the treaty between Rome and the Jews called for the terms to be kept faithfully and without deceit. Be faithful to your word, honoring your commitments honestly, that you may be trusted.

Lord, in the treaty made between Rome and the Jewish people, the terms include a striking phrase about how the agreement was to be kept: they shall keep these ordinances, and that without deceit. The commitments made were to be kept faithfully, honestly, without deceit. The value at the heart of the treaty was faithfulness to one's word: to keep the commitment made, and to keep it honestly. Show me the standard the treaty set for keeping commitments: faithfully, and without deceit. It was not enough to make the agreement; it was to be kept, and kept honestly. To make a commitment and then fail to keep it, or to keep it only in appearance while deceiving, would betray the trust on which the agreement rested. The treaty called for real faithfulness: keeping one's word truly, without deceit. Take that standard to my heart, for I too make commitments that call to be kept faithfully and without deceit. I make promises, agreements, commitments, to others and to you; and the question is whether I keep them faithfully, honestly, or whether I fail to keep them, or keep them only in appearance. Help me keep my commitments faithfully and without deceit, as the treaty required; keep me from making promises I fail to keep, or keeping them only in appearance while deceiving. Let my word be reliable, Lord, my commitments honored truly and honestly, that I may be trusted.