2 Maccabees -- An Historical Account

Read 2 Maccabees 1 and 2
Today's Devotion -- 2 Maccabees 2:19-31
19This is the story of Judas Maccabeus and his brothers, of the purification of the great temple, the dedication of the altar, 20 the campaigns against Antiochus Epiphanes and his son Eupator, 21and of the heavenly manifestations accorded to the heroes who fought bravely for Judaism, so that, few as they were, they seized the whole land, put to flight the barbarian hordes, 22regained possession of the world-famous temple, liberated the city, and reestablished the laws that were in danger of being abolished, while the Lord favored them with all his generous assistance.
23All this, which Jason of Cyrene set forth in detail in five volumes, we will try to condense into a single book.
24In view of the flood of statistics, and the difficulties encountered by those who wish to plunge into historical narratives where the material is abundant, 25we have aimed to please those who prefer simple reading, as well as to make it easy for the studious who wish to commit things to memory, and to be helpful to all.
26For us who have taken upon ourselves the labor of making this digest, the task, far from being easy, is one of sweat and of sleepless nights, 27just as the preparation of a festive banquet is no light matter for one who thus seeks to give enjoyment to others. Similarly, to win the gratitude of many we will gladly endure these inconveniences, 28while we leave the responsibility for exact details to the original author, and confine our efforts to giving only a summary outline. 29As the architect of a new house must give his attention to the whole structure, while the man who undertakes the decoration and the frescoes has only to concern himself with what is needed for ornamentation, so I think it is with us.
30To enter into questions and examine them thoroughly from all sides is the task of the professional historian;
31but the man who is making an adaptation should be allowed to aim at brevity of expression and to omit detailed treatment of the matter. 32Here, then, we shall begin our account without further ado; it would be nonsense to write a long preface to a story and then abbreviate the story itself. (NAB)
taken from http://www.usccb.org/nab/bible

I don't have too much of a devotional thought to go along with this today, but I thought this portion of text was important so we would have a good understanding of the purpose for 2 Maccabees.

If you were to write a Biblical-style account of the Church and faith today, what key points would you include?