August 3, 2013 – 1 Maccabees 11 – 11:37

Not only do you need a chart to keep track of the different tribes and generations of Israel, but you need something to keep all the rulers of the other nations in line too.  One king marries the daughter of another and believes they are friends, but he stabs him in the back going into other lands and rising against him, then they both die leaving someone new in charge of all.  And remember that all this is happening when communication was done by men on horseback riding from town to town and the man that is sent might not actually make it.  How long would it take for news that the king is dead to get from one side of the kingdom to the other.  How long for news that another person is in revolt or that you have a new king.  And in the midst of all of the turmoil and likely confusion, Jonathon is trying to stay on the right side and keep his people together.  How spoiled we are over how easy it is to communicate.