Indeed the Lord works in mysterious ways!
“Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel.”
Then again there is little mystery to spiritual accountability to God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit!
“And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her… And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceedingly much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.”
So there was opportunity but was there the Will of God and aligned Free Will of His servant Judith?
What activity usually aligns one’s Free Will with the Will of God?
“Praying with tears… Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayest raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.”
Prayer…
“And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body… delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
Assassination breeds war…
What wins wars?
“And because the Assyrians were not untied together, they went without order in their flight; but the children of Israel pursuing in one body, defeated all that they could find.”
Unity and the Will of God for sure wins wars and brings peace…
Recognition of the spiritual catalyst of the Book of Judith is as important in closure as it is in the beginning…
“Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people, for thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore also the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.”
And Praise to the Lord indeed…
“Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying: Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto his a new psalm, extol and call upon his name. Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head. Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God. O Adonai. Lord. Great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee. Let all thy creatures serve thee… thou didst send forth thy spirit…they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.”
So important was and is the musical worship of God, Jesus, and The Holy Spirit…
“And on festival days she came forth with great glory. And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.”
Longevity and Spiritual Righteousness certainly has its place and reward in life!
Here are the backup notes for the third section, Chapters 12-16 of the Book of Ruth:
Judith Chapter 12: Judith Given Freedom in the Camp; Judith Attends a Banquet of Holofernes.
Judith Given Freedom in the Camp:
…and bade her tarry there…
Judith to Holofernes: As thy soul liveth, my lord, thy handmaid shall not spend all these things till God do by my hand that which I have purposed…
She desired that she might have liberty to go out at night and before day, to prayer, and to beseech the Lord… And he (Holofernes) commanded his chambermaids, that she might go out and in, to adore her God as she pleased, for three days.
She prayed to the lord the God of Israel, that he would direct her way to the deliverance of his people. And going in, she remained pure in the tent, until she took her own meat in the evening.
Judith Attends a Banquet of Holofernes:
Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman to consent of her own accord to dwell with me.
All that shall be good and best before his eyes, I will do. And whatsoever shall please him, that shall be best to me all the days of my life.
And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her.
And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceedingly much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.
Judith Chapter 13: Holofernes is Drunk; Judith Prays for Strength; Judith Beheads Holofernes; Judith Returns to Bethulia; Judith Reveals the Death of Holofernes; Ozias Blesses the Lord and Judith; Achior Sees the Head of Holofernes.
Holofernes is Drunk:
And Judith was alone in the chamber. But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.
Judith Prays for Strength:
Praying with tears… Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayest raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.
Judith Beheads Holofernes:
…and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.
And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.
…delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
Judith Returns to Bethulia:
And the two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer…
Judith cried to the watchman (of Bethulia): Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shown his power in Israel.
Judith Reveals the Death of Holofernes:
…they called all the ancients of the city…
…and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace…
Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him… Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians… where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman…
…and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory… Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
Ozias Blesses the Lord and Judith:
Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.
Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth… so magnified thy name this day… hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Achior Sees the Head of Holofernes:
Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel…
Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
But after he recovered his spirits, he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her, and said: Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.
Judith Chapter 14: Judith Tells the Israelites to Attack; Conversion of Achior; The Israelites Attack; Death of Holofernes Discovered.
Judith Tells the Israelites to Attack:
Hang ye up this head upon our walls
Fear shall fall upon them
And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet.
Conversion of Achior:
Then Achio seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the Gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred until this present day.
The Israelites Attack:
And immediately at break of day…
Go in, and awake him, for the mice, coming out of their holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.
Death of Holofernes Discovered:
For he thought that he was sleeping with Judith
He cried out in a loud voice, with weeping, and rent his garments
An intolerable fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were exceedingly troubled.
Judith Chapter 15: The Assyrians Flee; Bethulia Enriched by Assyrian Booty; Joachim Honors Judith; Holofernes Possessions Given to Judith.
The Assyrians Flee:
…courage and counsel fled from them, and being seized with trembling and fear they thought only to save themselves by flight.
And because the Assyrians were not untied together, they went without order in their flight; but the children of Israel pursuing in one body, defeated all that they could find.
Bethulia Enriched by Assyrian Booty:
Went into the camp of the Assyrians, and took away the spoils, which the Assyrians in their flight had left behind them, and they were laden exceedingly.
Insomuch that from the least to the greatest all were made rich by their spoils.
Joachim Honors Judith:
And Joachim the high priest came from Jerusalem to Bethulia with all his ancients to see Judith
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people, for thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore also the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.
And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Holofernes Possessions Given to Judith:
And thirty days were scarce sufficient for the people of Israel to gather up the spoils of the Assyrians.
But all the things that were proved to be the peculiar goods of Holofernes, they gave to Judith in gold, and silver, and garments and precious stones, and all household stuff, and they all were delivered to her by the people.
Judith Chapter 16: Canticle of Judith; A Celebration of Three Months; The Last Years and Death of Judith.
Canticle of Judith:
Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying: Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto his a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.
Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.
Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God. O Adonai. Lord. Great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.
Let all thy creatures serve thee… thou didst send forth thy spirit…they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.
A Celebration of Three Months:
And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.
The Last Years and Death of Judith:
And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.
And on festival days she came forth with great glory.
And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.
Day 175: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Peaceful Judith Sings a New Psalm to the Lord!
Read and inspired by the Old Testament, The Book of Judith, Chapters 12-16 (END)
Bible Notes:
This book tells how the pious widow Judith saved her City, Bethulia, from the cruel general Holofernes. After an account of his campaign and his siege of Bethulia, the book tells how the beautiful Judith tricked Holofernes, killed him with his own sword, and liberated her City from the Assyrians.
Judith Chapter 12: Judith Given Freedom in the Camp; Judith Attends a Banquet of Holofernes.
Judith Given Freedom in the Camp:
…and bade her tarry there…
Tarry—to remain or stay, as in a place; sojourn—to delay or be tardy in acting, starting, coming, etc.; linger or loiter—to wait.
Judith to Holofernes: As thy soul liveth, my lord, thy handmaid shall not spend all these things till God do by my hand that which I have purposed…
She desired that she might have liberty to go out at night and before day, to prayer, and to beseech the Lord… And he (Holofernes) commanded his chambermaids, that she might go out and in, to adore her God as she pleased, for three days.
She prayed to the lord the God of Israel, that he would direct her way to the deliverance of his people. And going in, she remained pure in the tent, until she took her own meat in the evening.
Judith Attends a Banquet of Holofernes:
Go, and persuade that Hebrew woman to consent of her own accord to dwell with me.
All that shall be good and best before his eyes, I will do. And whatsoever shall please him, that shall be best to me all the days of my life.
And the heart of Holofernes was smitten, for he was burning with the desire of her.
And Holofernes was made merry on her occasion, and drank exceedingly much wine, so much as he had never drunk in his life.
Judith Chapter 13: Holofernes is Drunk; Judith Prays for Strength; Judith Beheads Holofernes; Judith Returns to Bethulia; Judith Reveals the Death of Holofernes; Ozias Blesses the Lord and Judith; Achior Sees the Head of Holofernes.
Holofernes is Drunk:
And Judith was alone in the chamber. But Holofernes lay on his bed, fast asleep, being exceedingly drunk.
Judith Prays for Strength:
Praying with tears… Strengthen me, O Lord God of Israel, and in this hour look on the works of my hands, that as thou hast promised, thou mayest raise up Jerusalem thy city: and that I may bring to pass that which I have purposed, having a belief that it might be done by thee.
Judith Beheads Holofernes:
…and loosed his sword that hung tied upon it.
And she struck twice upon his neck, and cut off his head, and took off his canopy from the pillars, and rolled away his headless body.
…delivered the head of Holofernes to her maid, and bade her put it into her wallet.
Judith Returns to Bethulia:
And the two went out according to their custom, as it were to prayer…
Judith cried to the watchman (of Bethulia): Open the gates for God is with us, who hath shown his power in Israel.
Judith Reveals the Death of Holofernes:
…they called all the ancients of the city…
…and she went up to a higher place, and commanded silence to be made. And when all had held their peace…
Praise ye the Lord our God, who hath not forsaken them that hope in him… Behold the head of Holofernes the general of the army of the Assyrians… where the Lord our God slew him by the hand of a woman…
…and the Lord hath not suffered me his handmaid to be defiled, but hath brought me back to you without pollution of sin, rejoicing for his victory… Give all of you glory to him, because he is good, because his mercy endureth for ever.
Ozias Blesses the Lord and Judith:
Blessed art thou, O daughter, by the Lord the most high God, above all women upon the earth.
Blessed be the Lord who made heaven and earth… so magnified thy name this day… hast prevented our ruin in the presence of our God.
And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Achior Sees the Head of Holofernes:
Holofernes, who in the contempt of his pride despised the God of Israel…
Then Achior seeing the head of Holofernes, being seized with a great fear he fell on his face upon the earth, and his soul swooned away.
Swooned—to faint; lose consciousness—to enter a state of hysterical rapture or ecstasy.
But after he recovered his spirits, he fell down at her feet, and reverenced her, and said: Blessed art thou by thy God in every tabernacle of Jacob, for in every nation which shall hear thy name, the God of Israel shall be magnified on occasion of thee.
Judith Chapter 14: Judith Tells the Israelites to Attack; Conversion of Achior; The Israelites Attack; Death of Holofernes Discovered.
Judith Tells the Israelites to Attack:
Hang ye up this head upon our walls
Fear shall fall upon them
And when you shall know that they are fleeing, go after them securely, for the Lord will destroy them under your feet.
Conversion of Achior:
Then Achio seeing the power that the God of Israel had wrought, leaving the religion of the Gentiles, he believed God, and circumcised the flesh of his foreskin, and was joined to the people of Israel, with all the succession of his kindred until this present day.
The Israelites Attack:
And immediately at break of day…
Go in, and awake him, for the mice, coming out of their holes, have presumed to challenge us to fight.
Death of Holofernes Discovered:
For he thought that he was sleeping with Judith
He cried out in a loud voice, with weeping, and rent his garments
An intolerable fear and dread fell upon them, and their minds were exceedingly troubled.
Judith Chapter 15: The Assyrians Flee; Bethulia Enriched by Assyrian Booty; Joachim Honors Judith; Holofernes Possessions Given to Judith.
The Assyrians Flee:
…courage and counsel fled from them, and being seized with trembling and fear they thought only to save themselves by flight.
And because the Assyrians were not untied together, they went without order in their flight; but the children of Israel pursuing in one body, defeated all that they could find.
Bethulia Enriched by Assyrian Booty:
Went into the camp of the Assyrians, and took away the spoils, which the Assyrians in their flight had left behind them, and they were laden exceedingly.
Insomuch that from the least to the greatest all were made rich by their spoils.
Joachim Honors Judith:
And Joachim the high priest came from Jerusalem to Bethulia with all his ancients to see Judith
Thou art the glory of Jerusalem, thou art the joy of Israel, thou art the honor of our people, for thou hast done manfully, and thy heart has been strengthened, because thou hast loved chastity, and after thy husband hast not known any other: therefore also the hand of the Lord hath strengthened thee, and therefore thou shalt be blessed for ever.
And all the people said: So be it, so be it.
Holofernes Possessions Given to Judith:
And thirty days were scarce sufficient for the people of Israel to gather up the spoils of the Assyrians.
But all the things that were proved to be the peculiar goods of Holofernes, they gave to Judith in gold, and silver, and garments and precious stones, and all household stuff, and they all were delivered to her by the people.
Judith Chapter 16: Canticle of Judith; A Celebration of Three Months; The Last Years and Death of Judith.
Canticle of Judith:
Then Judith sung this canticle to the Lord, saying: Begin ye to the Lord with timbrels, sing ye to the Lord with cymbals, tune unto his a new psalm, extol and call upon his name.
Her sandals ravished his eyes, her beauty made his soul her captive, with a sword she cut off his head.
Let us sing a hymn to the Lord, let us sing a new hymn to our God. O Adonai. Lord. Great art thou, and glorious in thy power, and no one can overcome thee.
Let all thy creatures serve thee… thou didst send forth thy spirit…they that fear thee, shall be great with thee in all things.
A Celebration of Three Months:
And it came to pass after these things, that all the people, after the victory, came to Jerusalem to adore the Lord: and as soon as they were purified, they all offered holocausts, and vows, and their promises.
And the people were joyful in the sight of the sanctuary, and for three months the joy of this victory was celebrated with Judith.
The Last Years and Death of Judith:
And chastity was joined to her virtue, so that she knew no man all the days of her life, after the death of Manasses her husband.
And on festival days she came forth with great glory.
And all the time of her life there was none that troubled Israel, nor many years after her death.
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