Victory does not come from weapons nor from the great number of combatants, nor even from the ability of the most experienced warriors, but from the same ideal that unites people, who receive strength from God.
Newsroom (12/07/2023 09:00, Gaudium Press) Few people have never heard of Judith, the providential woman who, full of trust and persevering in prayer, delivered the Jewish people from the hands of Holofernes, the marshal of Nebuchadnezzar, King of the Assyrians.
According to the biblical account, Nebuchadnezzar wanted to subject the whole earth to his empire; but when some peoples refused to submit, he was filled with anger “and swore by his throne and his kingdom that he would take vengeance on them all” (Jt 1:12). To this end, he summoned Holofernes, ordering him to march to the west and strike “without any consideration” (Jt 2:6) all those who despised his orders. It was not enough to plunder the wealth, destroy the cities and kill those who resisted him; it was also necessary to exterminate all the gods of the earth, “so that he alone might be called god by all the nations” (Jt 3:13).
Thus, after a long campaign marked by ferocity, the Assyrian marshal approached the kingdom of Judah. But unlike the other peoples, the Israelites, “united in heart and soul, cried out to the Lord” (Jt 4:10) and prepared to face the pagan army.
A woman changes the course of events
The heart of the story unfolds in the stronghold of Bethulia, besieged by Holofernes’ troops and reduced to a calamitous state by the lack of water. Exhausted by thirst, the Israelites had gathered round their chief, Uzziah, and asked him to surrender the city. However, he begged them to wait a little longer for the Lord’s mercy: “If no help comes after five days, we will do as you have proposed” (Jt 7:25).
It is at this point that we see the emblematic figure of Judith, a rich widow, pious and extremely beautiful, esteemed as a Saint by all who knew her. By divine inspiration, she made a decision that would drastically change the course of events. Without revealing to anyone what she had in mind to accomplish, she informed the leaders of the people that she would leave the city that night accompanied only by a servant.
Before leaving, however, she withdrew into prayer, placing herself in God’s hands and imploring him to give her the strength and courage she needed to carry out her mission: “Your power is not in the multitude, O Lord, nor do you delight in the strength of horses; the proud have never pleased you, but the prayers of the meek and humble have always been accepted. [Remember your promise, O Lord; inspire the words of my mouth and give firmness to the resolve of my heart” (Jt 9:16, 18).
A few hours later she and her maidservant stood before the enemy general, winning his favour and overcoming him by her extraordinary wisdom and beauty. And after a few days, at the right time, the Lord delivered him into her hands: while Holofernes was asleep drunk with wine, Judith took a sword and cut off his head, putting it in a sack.
Then she returned to Bethulia and told the people the good news, and was acclaimed by Uzziah with these words of praise: “Blessed be the Lord, maker of Heaven and earth, who has led you to cut off the head of our greatest enemy! He has given such glory to your name this day that your praise will never cease to be celebrated by men, who will remember the power of the Lord forever” (Jt 13:24-25).
Destruction of Nebuchadnezzar’s army
So far, this is the best known part of the story. But there is one aspect of it that holds valuable lessons for us.
The Assyrian army was composed of “one hundred and seventy thousand infantrymen and twelve thousand horsemen, besides the men-at-arms whom he had taken captive” (Jt 7:2). In a short time they had swept through Mesopotamia, spreading terror in their path.
After announcing to the Israelites the death of Holofernes and showing them his severed head, Judith ordered them to attack the camp. She knew that the Assyrians were still unaware of what had happened, and predicted that they would be terrified when they discovered it.
Trusting in her words, the Israelites armed themselves and acted as they were told. At the break of dawn, Nebuchadnezzar’s troops awoke to the war cries of the Jews and rushed to Holofernes’ tent to await his orders. And what was their surprise to see him dead!
“When the whole army learnt that Holofernes had been beheaded, they lost their reason and counsel. Shaken by astonishment and terror, they sought salvation in flight. Without exchanging a word with their neighbour, with their heads bowed, leaving everything behind, they fled across the plains and over the mountains, seeking to escape the Hebrews” (Jt 15:1-3). This was the end of that undefeated and powerful army!
Everyone had their part to play in the victory
Where did the Jews get the strength to win in such an unequal confrontation?
It certainly did not come from the weapons or the large number of combatants, nor from the ability of the most experienced warriors. Humanly speaking, they were at a disadvantage; yet a common ideal united the chosen people.
The Assyrians were far more numerous and incomparably better prepared for war, but there was no unity among them, so they scattered and retreated. And as they “fled in disorder, the Israelites who were pursuing them formed together in battalions and destroyed all they could hit” (Jt 15:4)
Through Judith, the chosen people had received the strength of the Lord God of hosts. Although the words of that woman of “a manly soul and a valiant heart” (Jt 15:11) seemed to ask something impossible of them, they were able to recognise in them the voice of the Most High. God was asking them to trust and to take this bold step, so that everyone could play their part in the victory already won by the gesture of their heroine.
The victory has already been won by the Blood of the Lamb
It is not difficult to draw a parallel between the situation narrated in this biblical passage and the days in which we live. The souls who seek to remain faithful to God’s Law today constitute a group which, to the eyes of the world, may seem small and weak, surrounded on all sides by the enemy’s hosts… However, those who analyse everything with eyes of faith know that they are clothed in the invincibility of God himself!
The victory of good has already been won by the Blood of the Lamb when He immolated Himself on the Cross. And from those who follow Him on this path of pain and glory, the Lord demands the same as He once asked of the chosen people, namely, that they go forward full of joy and confident in his promise.
“Take courage! I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). Imbued with this certainty of God’s triumph in history, those who persevere to the end will see the fulfilment of their hopes.
Text extracted, with minor adaptations, from the Heralds of the Gospel Magazine, July 2018, n. 199.
Compiled by Sandra Chisholm
