Festival of Purim

And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. - Esther 9:20-22

Today is the fourteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, on the Hebrew calendar. This means that today is the first day of the Festival of Purim, commemorating God’s dramatic turnaround on behalf of His people, which we can read about in the Book of Esther.

In brief, the story of Purim is this:

The king of Persia had deposed his wife and needed a new one. All the beautiful virgins of his kingdom were brought before him and he selected Esther to be his queen, not knowing that she was Jewish. The king's top advisor, a wicked man named Haman, hated the Jews, particularly a Jew named Mordecai who just so happened to be Esther's cousin. Mordecai would not bow down to Haman, and this enraged him.

Therefore, Haman arranged for the king to issue a decree of destruction against all Jews in the empire on the 13^th day of the 12^th month, the month of Adar. Haman had hatched his evil plot and cast lots, which was like rolling dice, to determine the date on which his plan, and this decree, would go into effect. According to the decree, all Jews in the empire could lawfully be killed, and their goods could be plundered. Due to the extensive size of the Persian Empire at that time, from India to Ethiopia, this meant that if this decree were to be fully carried out, then every Jewish person on the face of the planet could have been eliminated.

All over the empire when the Jews learned of this decree, they wept, mourned, fasted, and wore sackcloth and ashes as a sign of terrible loss and grief. It seemed the fate of the Jewish people was sealed and that they were quite possibly finished forever.

But God was not about to allow the light of His people to be snuffed out. When Mordecai learned of Haman’s plot, he urged Esther to represent her people before the king even if it cost her very life. He knew that deliverance would come for the Jews and exhorted Esther to recognize God’s sovereignty in having her be born, “for such a time as this.” So, Esther fasted and prayed for three days with no water or food. Then courageously, she risked her life to go before the king, saying, “If I perish, I perish.” The king received her and listened to her request. She invited the king, along with Haman, to attend a banquet. Then, she invited them both for another banquet the next night.

Haman made every preparation for the destruction of the Jews, especially his nemesis, Mordecai. Haman became more and more proud and full of himself, bragging about his status with the King and how he imagined the King was going to honor him. But God resists the proud while giving grace to the humble. So, God caused the King to have a sleepless night on which he requested to have the logbooks of his reign read to him. Through this, the King discovered that Mordecai was deserving of a reward for something that he had done years earlier, and he determined to honor Mordecai for it.

Haman had prepared a seventy-five foot pole for Mordecai to be gouged on and displayed for everyone to see the result for someone who refused to bow down to Haman. But after the king’s restless night, Haman was commanded to parade Mordecai around on the king’s horse, acknowledging Mordecai as someone the king delights to honor.

At Esther’s second banquet for the king and Haman, she revealed her Jewishness and exposed Haman's evil plot against the Jews. The King ordered that a new decree be issued which authorized the Jews to defend themselves and take vengeance on anyone who tried to kill them according to Haman’s initial decree. The Jews, who had been mourning and weeping, were now filled with joy and gladness.

In a series of marvelous turnarounds orchestrated by God, Haman was hung on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai's execution, Esther continued as queen, and Mordecai became the king's top adviser! Hallelujah!

When the thirteenth day of the twelfth month finally came, it was the Jews who were victorious over their enemies in an amazing display of God’s sovereign rule, even though God is never explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther. So, on the 14th day of the month, Jews everywhere celebrated and rejoiced! Mordecai and Esther declared that there should be a festival each year to remember these events and to rejoice by giving gifts to the poor.

To this day, it is Jewish tradition to read aloud the entire Book of Esther in a jovial manner on the day of Purim. Everyone applauds, "Yay!" at every mention of Mordecai’s name; sighs with an, "Ahhh…" at every mention of Esther’s name because of her beauty; and shouts "Boo!" accompanied by noisemakers at every mention of Haman’s name to symbolize his name being blotted out. Gifts are given to the poor and gifts of food are sent between friends. I encourage you to take some time to read this precious book, recalling God’s faithful hand of deliverance for His people.

But Purim also reminds us of another day still yet to come. Jesus assured us that as His followers, we will be hated by the whole world on account of His name. There will be martyrs in the last days, as there were in the early church. It may even appear that a decree has gone out for our annihilation. Some will grow weary and give way to the schemes of the evil one because of the intense pressure of persecution along with the disasters, wars, famine, and other hardships that will be abounding. Many will fall away from the faith, turning from Jesus and revealing second-soil hearts.

Nevertheless, the Gospel of His Kingdom, repentance for the forgiveness of sins, must be proclaimed to all nations before the end will come. Therefore, like Mordecai, we must know the ways of our God and not bow to any idol of this world, refusing the mark of the beast, even if our ability to participate in commerce depends on it. And, like Esther, we must be willing to risk our very lives to stand for the truth of our salvation in Jesus. But mostly, like Jesus, we must take on the form of a servant of God and by the power of His Spirit, become obedient even unto death, if that is what is required of us. Why? Because we know that this world and all its empires will crumble in an hour, when God works the greatest turnaround of all time, casting down the proud and exalting the humble who look to Him for salvation.

The same God who turned the whole situation around on the day of Purim for the good of His people is the same God who is working all things together for our good as we follow Him in our walks of faith and obedience.

This world is not our home. This world is not our hope. If we perish, we perish, but let us remain faithful to Jesus no matter what we do. No doubt, God had each of us be born for such a time as this.

Happy Purim!

Purim Scriptures

Traditional Reading: The Book of Esther