Summary

The first thing he does is to seek out that part of the covenant people who have forsaken the covenant with the Lord. This part of the people has come to think and act according to the values and standards of the Greek culture. They have adapted their lives to the world. Their lives are characterized by the motto: You cannot live in the modern world according to the standards of the Lord in the Bible. This no longer fits today’s world and life. We need to adapt to the culture of today or else people will not come to church.

Antiochus will make friends with precisely this apostate part of the covenant people. He will praise them for their modern attitude to life. His goal is to make this part of the people fall away from the Lord even more. He wants to make sure that they will then openly break with the Lord and his service. This is how the devil goes about his work with all his influence and cunning, especially against God’s people, especially in the church. The power of the devil is great. People are always tempted to listen to his voice and to live by what their own sinful hearts direct them to do.

It is at the very time that the devil uses his powers in this way that we see the glorious work of the Holy Spirit. It is he who causes people to remain faithful to the Lord, against all the powers of the world and the devil. You can see this clearly in the second part of this verse, But the people who know their God shall stand firm and take action.

The Lord always upholds his children and his church. He ensures that his holy covenant continues. He ensures that the Saviour he promised is in fact coming. He ensures that there remain those among his people who will not go with the world and will not adapt to it. He ensures that they will not bow down to Zeus. He ensures that in times of temptation there will always be men and women who, based on his love, will want to live with him, and with him alone.