„BOŻE MOCE” W OBRONIE NARODU ŻYDOWSKIEGO W ŚWIETLE KSIĄG MACHABEJSKICH
„GOD’S POWERS” IN THE DEFENSE OF THE JEWISH PEOPLE IN THE LIGHT OF THE BOOKS OF MACCABEES

Summary/Abstract: Analyzing the content of both Books of Maccabees, one can notice that their authors firmly emphasized the question of supernatural help which God had been giving to the Jewish people, who were under the rule of the Seleucid Empire. It is particularly visible in the struggle undertaken in defense of the Law, the homeland, the temple and native customs. Although battles were often fought against enemies of considerable military advantage, the troops of fighting Jews were in the end – with God’s help – victorious. Moreover, the miraculous intervention of God was described by the author of 2Ma by means of supernatural revelations of mysterious characters in which God Himself revealed his own power as well as defended his people. Therefore, the Jews – being the witness of these events and keeping God’s interventions in the history of their own nation in mind – had no doubt that God Himself – showing his power – was fighting against their enemies. This conviction is clearly expressed in the following worlds of 1Ma 12:15: “(…) we have the support of Heaven to help us, thanks to which we have been delivered from our enemies, and they are the ones who have been brought low.” On the basis of the text of both books it can be seen that God’s help was usually a response to prayers full of faith, as it is stated in 2Ma 1:8: “we prayed to the Lord, and our prayer was heard.” The efficacy of the prayer and – consequently – the support given by God were essentially dependent upon the fidelity to the Law of those who prayed and fought.

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