The feeling is, unfortunately, timeless. And it's a feeling Simon Maccabaeus knew all too well, as we find in the Book of Maccabees I.
Imagine this: You're fighting for your people, for your faith, against overwhelming odds. You forge alliances, you offer aid. And then… the rug gets pulled out from under you.
That's precisely what happened. The text tells us, "At that time Simon sent him two thousand chosen men to aid him; silver also, and gold, and much armour." Two thousand seasoned fighters, plus a treasure trove of resources. That's not a small gesture. That's a significant commitment, a real investment in a partnership.
But what was the response? "Nevertheless he would not receive them, but brake all the covenants which he had made with him afore, and became strange unto him." He refused the help! He broke the agreements! He became… strange. Distant. Unreachable. Can you imagine the shock? The disappointment? The sense of… what was it all for?
And it gets worse. The erstwhile ally, not content with mere rejection, then sends Athenobius, described as "one of his friends," as an envoy. But it's not to apologize. It’s not to explain. It’s to make demands.
Athenobius’ message is blunt: "Ye withhold Joppa and Gazera; with the tower that is in Jerusalem, which are cities of my realm." He's accusing Simon of occupying territory that rightfully belongs to him.
"The borders thereof ye have wasted, and done great hurt in the land, and got the dominion of many places within my kingdom." The accusations pile up. Waste! Hurt! Dominion! The language is harsh, the tone accusatory.
What a slap in the face! After offering so much, Simon is now being treated as an enemy, an aggressor, a thief. It just goes to show, doesn't it? Even in the midst of epic struggles for freedom, human nature – with all its complexities and betrayals – remains a constant. What do you think Simon did next? How would you have reacted? The story, as always, continues…