1 Maccabees 1:11-15. In those days (the days after the death of Alexander the Great when Antiochus Epiphanes became king over the Jews), lawless men of Israel convinced many that they would be better off if they made a covenant with the Gentiles all around them "for since we separated from them many evils have come upon us." So the people went to the king and he authorized them to observe the ordinances of the Gentiles. "So they built the gymnasium in Jerusalem ... and removed the marks of circumcision, and abandoned the holy covenant. They joined with the Gentiles and sold themselves to do evil."

All it takes is the rising of one bad leader to really lead the people astray. Antiochus was bad, but we don't even have to see his evil ways yet, we are just told that he is a sinful root and he became king over the Jews. And with that, the people began believing the lies from their own kinsmen that they would be better off in covenant with the Gentiles. Once they abandon God's true covenant with them in little ways, the slide starts and they quickly fall into evil.

God must get so tired of watching us do this! It seems almost inevitable as good and bad leaders rise and fall among every nation of the earth. But it is a lesson that what we really need is a permanent, eternal, good and perfect king. And guess what? Now we have one! The world is just awaiting his return.