Day 285: Story of Hanukkah (2026)

Fr. Mike Schmitz (0:04)

Hi, my name is Fr. Mike Schmitz, and you're listening to The Bible in a Year podcast, where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a Year podcast is brought to you by Ascension. Using The Great Adventure Bible Timeline, we'll read all the way from Genesis to Revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds, and I'll weave it into that story today. It is day 285 We are four days into the Maccabean revolt. We're reading 1 Maccabees, Chapter 4, Sirach Chapter 10, 11, and 12, as well as Proverbs Chapter 22, Verses 9 through 12 As always, the Bible translation we are reading from is the Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition. I'm using The Great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a Year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com/bible in a Year. You can also subscribe to this podcast by clicking on subscribe, and it is day 285 We're reading 1 Maccabees, Chapter 4, Sirach Chapter 10, 11, and 12, and Proverbs Chapter 22, Verses 9 through 12

The First Book of Maccabees, Chapter 4, The Battle at Emmaus. Now Gorgias took 5,000 infantry and a thousand picked cavalry, and this division moved out by night to fall upon the camp of the Jews and attack them suddenly. Men from the Citadel were his guides, but Judas heard of it, and he and his mighty men moved out to attack the king's force in Emmaus, while the division was still absent from the camp. When Gorgias entered the camp of Judas by night, he found no one there, so he looked for them in the hills because he said, These men are fleeing from us. At daybreak, Judas appeared in the plain with three thousand men, but they did not have armor and swords such as they desired. And they saw the camp of the Gentiles strong and fortified with cavalry round about it, and these men were trained in war. But Judas said to the men who were with him, Do not fear their numbers, or be afraid when they charge. Remember how our fathers were saved at the Red Sea when Pharaoh with his forces pursued them. And now let us cry to heaven to see whether he will favor us and remember his covenant with our fathers and crush this army before us today. Then all the Gentiles will know that there is one who redeems and saves Israel. When the foreigners looked up and saw them coming against them, they went forth from their camp to battle. Then the men with Judas blew their trumpets and engaged in battle. The Gentiles were crushed and fled into the plain, and all those in the rear fell by the sword. They pursued them to Gezerah and to the plains of Edomia and to Isadas and Jamnia, and three thousand of them fell. Then Judas and his force turned back from pursuing them, and he said to the people, Do not be greedy for plunder, for there is a battle before us. Gorgias and his force are near us in the hills, but stand now against our enemies and fight them, and afterward seize the plunder boldly. Just as Judas was finishing this speech, a detachment appeared coming out of the hills. They saw that their army had been put to flight, and that the Jews were burning the camp, for the smoke that was seen showed what had happened. When they perceived this, they were greatly frightened, and when they also saw the army of Judas draw up in the plain for battle, they all fled into the land of the Philistines. Then Judas returned to plunder the camp, and they seized much gold and silver, and cloth dyed blue and sea purple and great riches. On their return they sang hymns and praises to heaven, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. Thus Israel had a great deliverance that day.

First Campaign of Lysaias Those of the foreigners who escaped went and reported to Lysaias all that had happened. When he heard it, he was perplexed and discouraged, for things had not happened to Israel as he had intended, nor had they turned out as the king had commanded him. But the next year he mustered sixty thousand picked infantrymen and five thousand cavalry to subdue them. They came to Ijumea and encamped at Betzur, and Judas met them with ten thousand men. When he saw that the army was strong, he prayed, saying, Blessed are you, O Savior of Israel, who did crush the attack of the mighty warrior by the hand of your servant David, and did give the camp of the Philistines into the hands of Jonathan, the son of Saul, and of the man who carried his armor. So do you hem in this army by the hand of your people Israel, and let them be ashamed of their troops and their cavalry, fill them with cowardice, melt the boldness of their strength, let them tremble in their destruction, strike them down with the sword of those who love you, and let all who know your name praise you with hymns.