I. The Character of Judas. Judas Maccabeus was a man of unquestioned
courage. In the many battles which he fought he was always found at the
forefront in the most desperate engagement. More than that he was able to
arouse courage in a people that for centuries had learned only to bow
unresistingly before their conquerors. All the evidence found in the two
books of Maccabees indicates that he was inspired by the noblest
patriotism. The motive power in his patriotism was devotion to the law and
customs of his race. In this respect he was a leader supremely acceptable
to the Hasideans or Pious, who rallied about his standard. In any other
age or setting his devotion would have seemed but fanaticism. The
situation, however, was extremely critical. Disloyalty to the law and the
distinctive rites of Judaism was treason. If ever in the world's history
it was justifiable to meet force by force and to unshield the sword in
behalf of religion, this certainly was the occasion. In his military
tactics Judas revealed the cunning that characterizes the hunted. He
developed great skill in choosing a strategic position and in launching
his followers against a vulnerable point in the enemy's line. In this
respect he showed himself a disciple of David's able general Joab. They
were the same tactics that Napoleon employed so effectively in later days
and on larger battle-fields. Judas resembled in many ways Israel's first
king, Saul. He was impetuous, patriotic, intense, and energetic. He was
especially skilled in leading a sudden attack. His task also was
strikingly similar to that of Israel's first king, and like Saul in his
later days he showed the same inability to organize and hold his followers
in a time of comparative peace.

II. Obstacles against Which Judas Contended. When Judas was called to
champion the cause of the Jews, they were hated by the rest of the world.
It was a disorganized band of fugitives that rallied about him, without
homes, resources, or arms. Opposed to him were the large armies of a