Day of Simon
Simon was one of the sons of Mattathias he had 5 sons.and each one of them had their own diferent caracteristics.
1 Maccabees ( apocraph) In those daies arose Mattathias the son of Iohn, the sonne of Simeon, a Priest of the sonnes of Ioarib, from Ierusalem, and dwelt in Modin.
2 And he had fiue sonnes, Ioannan called Caddis:
3 Simon, called Thassi:
4 Iudas, who was called Maccabeus:
5 Eleazar, called Auaran, and Ionathan, whose surname was Apphus.
We are dealing with the day of Simian, he was a Leader by leading israel after judah´s death and other brothers,
In israelites history, the israelite men allways were worries and the same time they toke care of their famelies and this mind set never changed
even before the maccabees.
Nehemiah 4:13
Therefore set I in the lower places behind the wall, and on the higher places, I euen set the people, after their families, with their swords, their speares, and their bowes.
During that time we were building jerusalem, the babylonians had destroyd,but still the heathens tryed to came against us,
Nehemiah 4:14 And I looked, and rose vp, and said vnto the Nobles, and to the rulers, and to rest of the people, Bee not ye afraid of them: Remember the Lord which is great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sonnes and your daughters, your wiues & your houses.
So they had to exolt themsefs strong, take care of themselfs and most trusting in the Most hIgh.
Back to Mattew and his sons: 1 Maccabees 2: 64-70
64 Wherefore you my sonnes be valiant, and shew your selues men in the behalfe of the law, for by it shall you obtaine glory.
65 And behold, I know that your brother Simon is a man of counsell, giue eare vnto him alway: he shall be a father vnto you.
66 As for Iudas Maccabeus hee hath bin mighty and strong, euen from his youth vp, let him be your captaine, and fight the battaile of the people.
67 Take also vnto you, all those that obserue the law, and auenge ye the wrong of your people.
68 Recompence fully the heathen, and take heed to the commandements of the law.
69 So he blessed them, and was gathered to his fathers.
After Mattathias died he gived instructions to his five sons, for Simon the one we deal with , was a wise men a mong brotheren, Mattathias understood that his son Simon had a gift to be a Leader,
In this truth is about the war. and you must have friends with those who presurve the law ,to make sure when war comes you all are ready for it,
Simion did . 1 Maccabees 13:3-7
3 And gaue them exhortation, saying: Yee your selues know, what great things I and my brethren, and my fathers house haue done for the laws, and the Sanctuary, the battels also, and troubles which we haue seen
4 By reason whereof all my brethren are slaine for Israels sake, and I am left alone.
5 Now therefore be it farre from me, that I should spare mine owne life in any time of trouble: for I am no better then my brethren.
6 Doubtlesse I will auenge my nation and the Sanctuary, & our wiues, and our children: for all the heathen are gathered to destroy vs, of very malice.
7 Now as soone as the people heard these words, their spirit revived.
In this point Simon stand by his own, becouse all brother was killed, but still not had a frad to stand for fight, against the Griks for the nations of Israel, but when the israel heard, about griks coming to invad judea, their were scared.becouze they sow 3 brothers diyng, and Simon was the last one left with Jonathon, who was capted.
The people realize that Jonathan was not back, they had only Simon as lider. 1 Maccabees 13: 8-9
8 And they answered with a loud voice, saying, Thou shalt bee our leader in stead of Iudas and Ionathan thy brother.
9 Fight thou our battels, & what soeuer thou commandest vs, that will we doe.
Tryphon was a Griks general who had kidnap Jonothan. He called to attack judea wile held jonathan in warde, 1 Maccabees 13:10-11-12
10-So then he gathered together all the men of warre, and made hast to finish the walles of Ierusalem, and he fortified it round about.
11 Also he sent Ionathan, the sonne of Absolom, & with him a great power to Ioppe, who casting out them that were therein, remained there in it.
12 So Tryphon remoued from Ptolemais, with a great power to inuade the land of Iudea, and Ionathan was with him in warde.
Tryphon heard that Simon his coming to fight him, so Simon understood Tryphon held jonathan with fals accusation, being won his money. ! Maccabees 13:13-14-15
But Simon pitched his tents at Adida, ouer against the plaine.
14 Now when Tryphon knew that Simon, was risen vp in stead of his brother Ionathan, and meant to ioyne battell with him, he sent messengers vnto him, saying,
15 Whereas we haue Ionathan thy brother in hold, it is for money that he is owing vnto the kings treasure, concerning the businesse that was committed vnto him.
Tryphon asked hundread talent of silver and also two of Simon sons, so that their mee release jonathon free, they had him for ramson.
1 Maccabees 13;16 Wherefore, now send an hundred talents of siluer, and two of his sonnes for hostages, that when he is at liberty he may not reuolt from vs, and we will let him goe.
Simon was wandering if he pay the ramson for childream, would couse of death to jonathon , and he thought if he pay the money, people would say; i cause him to be keel. And if i pay the money Tryphon still keel both, my two sons , jonathon and the rest of people.
1 Maccabees 13;17 Heereupon Simon, albeit he perceiued that they spake deceiptfully vnto him, yet sent he the money, and the children, lest peraduenture he should procure to himselfe great hatred of the people
Simon send the childrean´s and hundread talent and bring back jonathon also.
18-Who might haue said, Because I sent him not the money, and the children, therefore is Ionathan dead.
19 So he sent them the children, and the hundred talents: Howbeit Tryphon dissembled, neither would he let Ionathan goe.
Tryphon try to attack any city and simon was alert anytime 1 Maccabees 13:20
And after this came Tryphon to inuade the land, and destroy it, going round about by the way that leadeth vnto Adora, but Simon and his host marched against him in euery place wheresoeuer he went.
21 Now they that were in the towre, sent messengers vnto Tryphon, to the end that he should hasten his comming vnto them by the wildernesse, and send them victuals.
22 Wherefore Tryphon made readie all his horsemen to come that night, but there fell a very great snow, by reason whereof he came not: So he departed & came into the countrey of Galaad.
23 And when he came neere to Bascama, he slew Ionathan, who was buried there.
24 Afterward Tryphon returned, and went into his owne land.
25 Then sent Simon and tooke the bones of Ionathan his brother, and buried them in Modin the citie of his fathers.
26And all Israel made great lamentation for him, and bewailed him many daies.
27 Simon also built a monument vpon the Sepulchre of his father and his brethren, and raised it aloft to the sight, with hewen stone behind and before.
28 Moreouer hee set vp seuen pyramides one against another, for his father and his mother, and his foure brethren.
29 And in these he made running deuices, about the which he set great pillars, and vpon the pillars he made all their armour for a perpetuall memory, and by the armour, ships carued, that they might be seene of all that saile on the sea.
30 This is the Sepulchre which he made at Modin, and it standeth yet vnto this day.
31 Now Tryphon dealt deceitfully with the yong king Antiochus, and slew him,
32 And he raigned in his stead, and crowned himselfe king of Asia, and brought a great calamitie vpō the land.
33 Then Simon built vp the strong holds in Iudea, and fensed them about with high towres, and great walles and gates and barres, and layd vp victuals therein.
34 Moreouer Simon chose men, and sent to king Demetrius, to the end he should giue the land an immunitie, because all that Tryphon did, was to spoyle.
35 Unto whom king Demetrius answered and wrote after this maner.
36 King Demetrius vnto Simon the high Priest, and friend of kings, as also vnto the Elders and nation of the Iewes, sendeth greeting.
37 The golden crowne, and the scarlet robe which ye sent vnto vs, we haue receiued, and wee are ready to make a stedfast peace with you, yea and to write vnto our officers to confirme the immunities which we haue granted.
38 And whatsoeuer couenants we haue made with you, shall stand, and the strong holdes which yee haue builded shalbe your owne.
39 As for any ouersight or fault committed vnto this day, we forgiue it, and the crowne taxe also which yee owe vs, if there were any other tribute paide in Ierusalem, it shall no more be paide.
40 And looke who are meet among you to be in our court, let them be inrolled, and let there be peace betwixt vs.
41 Thus the yoke of the heathen was taken away from Israel, in the hundred and seuentieth yeere.
43 In those dayes Simon camped against Gaza, and besieged it round about; he made also an engine of warre, and set it by the city, and battered a certaine towre, and tooke it.
44 And they that were in the Engine leapt into the citie, whereupon there was a great vproare in the citie:
45Insomuch as the people of the citie rent their clothes, and climed vpon the walles, with their wiues and children, and cried with a lowd voice, beseeching Simon to grant them peace.
46 And they said, Deale not with vs according to our wickednesse, but according to thy mercy.
47So Simon was appeased towards them, and fought no more against them, but put them out of the citie, and cleansed the houses wherein the idols were: and so entred into it, with songs, and thankesgiuing.
48 Yea, he put all vncleannesse out of it, and placed such men there, as would keepe the Law, and made it stronger then it was before, and built therein a dwelling place for himselfe.
49 They also of the towre in Ierusalem were kept so strait, that they could neither come foorth, nor goe into the countrey, nor buy, nor sell, wherefore they were in great distresse for want of victuals, and a great number of them perished through famine.
50 Then cried they to Simon, beseeching him to bee at one with them, which thing hee graunted them, and when he had put them out from thence, he cleansed the towre from pollutions:
51 And entred into it the three and twentieth day of the second moneth, in the hundred seuentie and one yere, with thankesgiuing, and branches of palme trees, and with harpes, and cymbals, and with viols and hymnes, and songs: because there was destroyed a great enemy out of Israel.
The day of Simon we shoul kept, but is not a feast to be replace as sabbath. The Most High gave statutes conserne to each biblical feast and holy day feast. The day of Simon does not caintain status as holy cavocation.
Let us celabrate with houner and in rememberimg of our forefathers, and give each other gift and love to the most needed.