Purim: For Such a Time As This

A special time is upon us.  The celebration of  PURIM will take place at sundown on March 9, 2020, and end at sundown on March 10. Many Christians are not familiar with this special day, celebrated mainly by the Jewish community.  But, the truths held within the remembrance of this day are amazing and definitely applicable to the Christian life.  In fact, though we tend to see ourselves as two separate groups- Jews and Christians– this is not how Jesus intended for us to be.  After all Ephesians 2:14 (New Living Translation) says:

“For Christ himself has brought peace to us. He united Jews and Gentiles into one people when, in his own body on the cross, he broke down the wall of hostility that separated us.”

We can see from this verse that our Jewish Savior came to unite us, not divide us. I could go into the long history of why this separation exists today, but that’s not the intent of this blog. My intent is for you to see how the truths contained in this special remembrance/celebration are applicable to your life, and how they are a shadow of what will come in the future. It is also an amazing lesson that teaches how we can always count on God to fight our battles. Most importantly, it reminds us of the persecution the Jewish people have endured and how important it is that we support and protect them.

What is Purim?  What is the significance of Purim?

So, let’s get right to it.  What is PURIM and what is the significance?  Purim is a holiday that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from extermination in ancient Persia. It is celebrated every year on the Hebrew biblical calendar on Adar 14 and/or 15th. On the Gregorian calendar Purim will fall in February or March each year.  This year, it will fall on March 9 and 10, 2020. This date of Adar 14/15 comes from what’s written in the book of Esther.

In the Bible, it is written in Esther 9:20-22:

“Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far,  to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.” 

Purim is to observed annually.  Much like the celebration of the Passover, which reminded the Jews of God’s deliverance from slavery, the holiday of Purim is also a reminder of God’s grand deliverance- this deliverance was from death.

THE STORY OF ESTHER: For Such a Time as This

To know the story of Purim, one needs to read the story of Esther.  It is interesting to me that Esther is the 17th book of the Bible because this story is one of great victory. I love studying biblical numbers and if you were to do a study of the number 17, you would see it points to victory.  The amazing victory in the story of Esther comes from God’s divine intervention and providence.

God’s Name is in the Book of Esther!!!

While God’s name (the way we recognize it) is not mentioned in the book of Esther (story of Purim), his fingerprints are everywhere!  Also, God’s name is mentioned, but it is done in the form of an acrostic poem. In Judaism, it was not uncommon to use acrostic poems in the biblical text. In an acrostic poem, the initial letter of each line of text spells out a word, which is often the subject of the poem. This is a type of literary form found in the book of Esther, if you look at the original Hebrew. The letters or characters of the acrostic would have stood out on the scroll being read, and the name of God would stand out. If the story were being read aloud to an audience, these letters of the acrostic would be emphasized in a way that would alert the audience.  If one were to read Esther in this way, you could find God’s name five times!  Did I mention five is the number of GRACE??? Well, you will see God’s providence and GRACE all over this story.

What does Purim mean?

Purim actually means the Feast of Lots. This name comes from the fact that the day was chosen for the Jews to die by way of lottery.  The evil Haman cast lots (purim) to decide the date the Jews would be wiped out as an ethnic group.  Esther 3:7 describes this:

“In the twelfth year of King Xerxes, in the first month, the month of Nisan, the pur (that is, the lot) was cast in the presence of Haman to select a day and month.”

Haman was part of a kingdom where choosing lots, or relying on chance, was part of the culture.  The belief in one Almighty Sovereign God (the God of the Bible) did not exist in the Persian kingdom because it was a pagan kingdom. The reliance on luck and chance was prominent in that nation. When you hear the story of Esther, however, you will see how chance has nothing to do with this story. In fact, God goes out of his way to show this.

Proverbs 16:33 says, “the lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” In God’s economy luck is just a word.  GOD IS IN CHARGE- not dice or rabbits’ feet!

At this time, the Jews were living among the Persians.  It was a time of prosperity in the Persian kingdom and King Xerxes occupied the throne.  The King’s wife, Queen Vashti, has not pleased the King, and has openly defied him.  He ultimately decides she can no longer be queen.

The King decides to have a beauty contest to find a new queen. A search was made throughout all the provinces of the land. Only the most beautiful virgins were chosen and brought back to the palace. Once chosen, these women endured 12 months of beauty treatments. (On a side note ladies, I’d say this is a bit much. Seriously, how many lotions and shampoos do you need?)   Read the verses below which explain how Esther is chosen as the favorite among the virgins…………..

Esther is given favor

“Now there was in the citadel of Susa a Jew of the tribe of Benjamin, named Mordecai son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, who had been carried into exile from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, among those taken captive with Jehoiachin king of Judah.  Mordecai had a cousin named Hadassah, whom he had brought up because she had neither father nor mother. This young woman, who was also known as Esther, had a lovely figure and was beautiful. Mordecai had taken her as his own daughter when her father and mother died.

When the king’s order and edict had been proclaimed, many young women were brought to the citadel of Susa and put under the care of Hegai. Esther also was taken to the king’s palace and entrusted to Hegai, who had charge of the harem.  She pleased him and won his favor. Immediately he provided her with her beauty treatments and special food. He assigned to her seven female attendants selected from the king’s palace and moved her and her attendants into the best place in the harem.

Esther had not revealed her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had forbidden her to do so.  Every day he walked back and forth near the courtyard of the harem to find out how Esther was and what was happening to her.” Esther 2:5-10 NIV

Here we see something quite interesting.

Esther, who is a Jew, receives favor when she is chosen to become part of the harem. She is even given special food to ensure the utmost care. She’s given 7 attendants and moved to the best place in the harem.

Certainly this is not chance. It just so happens Esther is Jewish and later in the story we will see it is THROUGH HER that the Jewish people will be able to escape their horrible fate. Out of all the women chosen (and you can bet there were A LOT to choose from) she is given special favor.

What does Esther’s name mean?

One thing to note is that her Jewishness is HIDDEN.  Her cousin and caregiver, Mordecai warns her to keep it hidden. This is quite telling because Esther’s name actually means hiding place, or to conceal. If you were to say the name Esther it would have sounded like “I am a Hiding Place, or I am Hidden.”

Esther also had a Hebrew (Jewish) name which is Hadassah. This word means myrtle or “aroma of righteousness.” The myrtle plant has little flowers that resemble stars in the sky.  Keep in mind that Esther had to take on a Persian name so she could hide her Jewishness. So, we see God’s hidden hand hiding a hidden young woman among the Persians…..sent on a hidden mission that will be revealed.  Soon, we will see her Hebrew name come to life when she becomes the star God made her to be.

Because of God’s hidden hand, Esther wins the beauty contest and gains favor.  Esther 3: 17,18 reveals:

“Now the king was attracted to Esther more than to any of the other women, and she won his favor and approval more than any of the other virgins. So he set a royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.  And the king gave a great banquet, Esther’s banquet, for all his nobles and officials. He proclaimed a holiday throughout the provinces and distributed gifts with royal liberality.”

Esther is in a royal position: For Such a Time as This

So now Esther is in a royal position. Here’s where the story gets really interesting and we will see once again that chance is not chance, but God’s providence.

Mordecai (Esther’s cousin) just happens to be sitting at the King’s gate when he overhears two of the king’s officers plotting evil. Mordecai hears these officers describing a plan to assassinate the king. Just so you know, “it didn’t just happen” that Mordecai was there at the right time to hear this plot! Later, this incident will prove pivotal in the Jews being spared certain death.

God allowed Mordecai to be in this place at just the right time to hear the officers’ plan.

After hearing of the plot, Mordecai reports this to Queen Esther, who then reports it to the king.  Esther takes care to make sure Mordecai is given credit and the incident is recorded in the Book of Annals in the presence of the king.

Now a new character comes on the scene by the name of Haman. He is given an honored position and great authority under the king. Throughout the kingdom Haman is paid tribute by the people, who are expected to automatically bow in his presence. There is, however, one man who will not bow down to him. Can you guess who it is? I’ll give you a hint……….the very person who helps Esther get into the king’s palace is the one who refuses to bow down to Haman. That’s right- it’s Mordecai.  Read below to see what transpires:

“Then the royal officials at the king’s gate asked Mordecai, “Why do you disobey the king’s command?” Day after day they spoke to him but he refused to comply. Therefore they told Haman about it to see whether Mordecai’s behavior would be tolerated, for he had told them he was a Jew.”

When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai’s people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai. Instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes” Esther 2:3-5.

Wow! Haman is so upset by Mordecai’s refusal to bow that he’s willing to exterminate all the Jews! It is likely Haman already had a grudge against the Jews before this happened, but this was the “nail in the coffin” for him. Keep in mind that even though Jews had assimilated into the Persian kingdom, their ways were foreign and often angered the Persians. The Persians followed pagan gods and did not respect the ways of devout Jews. It is easy to see that Haman felt anger, resentment and ultimately hate for the Jews in Persia, who he considered as enemies.

Haman becomes so engulfed with hate that he rushes to the king’s presence and tells him the Jews are not to be tolerated. He paints a grand picture of how the Jews are enemies of the kingdom and it would best serve the king to do away with them. The king must have trusted Haman and the picture he painted because he allowed an edict to be issued where all Jews, young and old, would be exterminated on a single day ( a day that was chosen by a pur, or lot). This day would be the 13th of Adar.

Sadly, as you probably know, this isn’t the first time someone has tried to wipe the Jews out. If you take a trip through a history book you will find centuries of persecution for the Jews. The most well known is the The Holocaust, though that is just one incident of MANY that came before it. Unfortunately, we see this theme starting to play out again in our world today in the Middle East, and even in Europe, Africa, Asia and North/South America. As time marches forward, we will see much of this continue. When the Antichrist rises during the Tribulation, he will make Haman look like a tiny roach! The persecution unleashed by the Antichrist on the Jews will be worse than anything ever seen.

The story of Esther and Mordecai isn’t just a story. It’s history that has prophecy within it. It reminds us that the persecution of the Jewish people is something we must take seriously, and if we are ever faced with it, we must fight against it tooth and nail. We must use our royal positions as sons and daughters of the King (Jesus) to defend our Jewish brethren. We cannot sit in our royal robes while the Jews are being harmed!

When the Jews of the Persian provinces found out about the edict to exterminate them, they were stunned and confused. What had they done to deserve genocide?  There was great sadness, wailing and mourning among the Jews.

When Mordechai heard about the edict, he became overwhelmed with grief. He went to the king’s gate in sackcloth and ashes. Esther’s attendants let her know his condition. Esther was concerned and sent someone out to ask why Mordechai was grieving. Mordechai sent a copy of the text in the edict to Esther, as well as instructions for her to go to the king to plead for mercy on behalf of her people the Jews.

Now you can already see God’s hand at play here. Both Esther and Mordecai are in positions to stop the annihilation of the Jews. Now here’s something else you may not know and it is a sure sign of GOD’S ALMIGHTY HAND AT PLAY!

If you know your biblical history you might find Haman’s lineage interesting and quite telling. In Esther 3 Haman’s lineage is mentioned like this:   Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite.  This means Haman was a direct descendant of King Agag, the Amalekite. 

Why is this important?

Well, the Amalekites (Haman’s ancestors) are the enemies of the Israelites ,who attacked them as they were escaping from captivity in Egypt. The Amalekites are seen time and time again, engaging in other battles with the Israelites.

God tells the Israelites : “Remember what the Amalekites did to you along the way when you came out of Egypt. When you were weary and worn out, they met you on your journey and attacked all who were lagging behind; they had no fear of God. When the LORD your God gives you rest from all the enemies around you in the land he is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you shall blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!” (Deuteronomy 25:17-19)

Whoa! God is so upset with the Amalekites (Haman’s ancestors) that he says to BLOT OUT THEIR NAMES and HE TELLS THE ISRAELITES NOT TO FORGET THIS COMMAND!

Well, these enemies of Israel continue to attack and harass them. Eventually, the job of wiping out the Amalekites is given to King Saul ( 1 Samuel 15). Saul was specifically told by God to wipe out ALL THE AMALEKITES, INCLUDING KING AGAG.  Saul, however, drops the ball. He spares King Agag, the King of the Amalekites!

Saul’s act of outright disobedience leads to the eventual birth of a certain horrific character in the book of Esther who wants to kill all the Jews!!!! Who is it???? Haman of course.  But, be prepared to see the hidden hand of God move in this story.

Saul and Mordecai

Saul is actually a descendant of KISH. He is referred to as a son of KISH and he’s from the tribe of Benjamin.  Well, Saul did not get the job done when it came to getting rid of the Amalekite king. But, guess what? Mordecai, is also a son of KISH and he’s from the tribe of Benjamin!  That’s right- Mordecai is a direct descendant of Saul!

We are going to see very soon how Mordecai gets the job done that Saul couldn’t do. What are the chances that God would use a descendant of Saul to get rid of the same evil descendants in the future?????? This is how you know God is in charge of the operation because the odds of this happening on its own are zero. God has a hidden weapon in Mordecai, and as well as a hidden heroine named Esther, whose name means hidden!

Now back to the story…………

Esther reads Mordechai’s instructions, but she answers him by saying:

 “All the king’s officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that they be put to death unless the king extends the gold scepter to them and spares their lives. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king.” (Esther 4:11)

Mordecai responds to Esther in way that tells all who read the story that it IS NOT BY CHANCE that she is in the position to act. Mordecai sends this message:

 “Do not think that because you are in the king’s house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” ( Esther 4:14)

FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS

Those words, “for such a time as this” scream out to the reader that God has ordained this time! God is not into lots or pur (LUCK). God doesn’t play that way! He’s going to show the Persians he doesn’t use pagan rules to get things done. His hand is called PROVIDENCE and it’s evident with flashing lights spelling out, “THE LORD DID THIS.”

This is the same for our own lives. If we just look more closely at the events unfolding in our lives, we can see God allows certain people and circumstances in our lives for a such a time as this! 

Esther fasted at Passover

Esther realizes it’s time for action, not sitting idly on her throne.  She declares a fast for three days and three nights. And guess what? The time of this fast IS NOT BY CHANCE either! This fast happened during Passover!  Of all the times to fast! Keep in mind the feast of Passover commemorates when the Israelites placed the blood of an innocent unblemished lamb on their doorposts so they would escape the plague of the firstborn. After this, they fled into the wilderness, escaping the slavery and bondage of the Egyptians. The death of the Passover lambs foreshadowed the future death of Jesus, who died as the Passover lamb during the time of Passover!  Esther fasting at Passover for the deliverance of her people reminds us of the deliverance God gave his people on Passover and that God’s hand of redemption is all over what will happen in this story!

Esther and the rest of the Jews of the kingdom fast. After this, Esther goes to the king. To her relief the king is quite pleased to see her and even grants her a request.

Now Esther has a plan in mind already and she makes an unusual request. She invites the king and Haman to a banquet she has prepared. Sounds kind of strange right? I mean, why would Esther invite the guy who wants to exterminate her people to a banquet? Don’t worry, she knows what she’s doing.  And in case you’re wondering, the King does not know Esther is Jewish. She has kept that hidden. But, she will reveal it at just the right time!

This happens in our own life stories. Certain things are revealed to us at the right time. God knows when that right time is!

The king and Haman come to the banquet. The king asks Esther if there is anything else she requests. Strangely enough, she asks for the king and Haman to come to another banquet she’s prepared.

Haman is elated at the attention he’s receiving from the queen. He goes about the town in high spirits until he sees Mordecai, who once again, does not bow in his presence.  After much contemplation and some insistence from his family, Haman decides he will build a giant pole on his very own property and have Mordecai impaled on it.

Meanwhile, that very evening the king goes to bed, but for some odd reason he cannot sleep. He decides he will pass the time by looking at the book of chronicles (also known as the Book of Annals). This is the same book where Mordecai’s name is recorded. Remember, it was written inside the book that Mordecai uncovered an assassination plot against the king. The king reads this in the book and immediately asks if anything special was done for Mordechai for his amazing life-saving deed.

For Such a Time as This

Can you see the hand of God here? Isn’t it interesting that even though the king was notified when the plot first happened, it wasn’t until NOW that he asked that something be done for Mordecai? Also, it just so happened he couldn’t sleep on that particular night? AND…. the king just happened to want to see the record books????  This is going to play out in an interesting way very soon……

This can happen in our own lives. Certain events transpire at just the right time and when they do the miraculous happens. Sometimes the events are days or years apart, but they fit together like pieces of a puzzle. One day, it all comes together and you see why things happened the way they did. You couldn’t see or understand at the time. But, then the king opens a book at the right time and BAM, you realize why!

Now, back to Mordecai! As the king is contemplating what is to be done for Mordecai, guess who just happens to walk in the palace to talk to the king about impaling the guy the king wants to honor????? You got it, HAMAN!  Another “not by chance” moment!

What happens next makes Haman both furious and dumbfounded. The king asks Haman to honor Mordechai by placing a royal robe and crest upon him, and by parading him through the streets on a horse.  What’s funny is that Haman is the one who has to place the robe on Mordechai and it is  Haman who has to proclaim, “This is what is done for the man the king delights to honor!”  God has made Haman give honor to the very man he despises.

The Enemy’s Time is Short

This is true of Israel and her enemies to this very day. Those same enemies who fire rockets at Israel today will one day have to eat their words and evil deeds. You cannot escape God’s plan. He doesn’t act on luck. He acts on his promises. This is also true in your life regarding your enemies. It may appear they have one up on you for a while. But, God’s got their number and he’s waiting for the best time to dial it up!  Ring ring, it’s time to pay up!!!

Haman ends up paying BIG TIME!  He knows his number is up.  Still, he goes to the banquet Esther has prepared.

During the banquet the king asks Esther if there is anything she requests.

THE SUCH A TIME AS THIS MOMENT HAS ARRIVED.

ESTHER MAKES HER REQUEST.

“Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request.  For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.” (Esther 7:3,4)

At this point Esther is revealing her identity as a Jew, but it is the right time to reveal it.

 King Xerxes asked Queen Esther, “Who is he? Where is he—the man who has dared to do such a thing?” (Esther 7:5)

Esther reveals IT IS HAMAN.

Haman shrank back in terror as the king realized the edict Haman had him sign was to kill Esther’s people the Jews. This fact was hidden from him before, but now it has been revealed at such a time as this.

The king is so enraged he leaves the room to contemplate Haman’s fate.

Seeing the king has left the room, in a fit of desperation, Haman begs Esther to spare his life. And it JUST SO HAPPENS (not by coincidence) that the king walks in and sees Haman groveling to the queen. The king is even more furious.

One of the king’s officials informs the king that Haman has a 75 foot pole set up on his property to impale Mordecai, the very man the king honored.  Again, not by chance that Haman had that pole built!!!!

The king demands that Haman be impaled on his very own property and on the pole he built to impale Mordecai!  Talk about IRONY!  This irony isn’t by chance. It’s divine irony!  It puts Shakespeare to shame!!!

We also see here how Mordecai finishes the job that his ancestor Saul did not. Saul did not kill Agag, king of the Amalekites.  But, many years later God sends Mordecai to deal with this same enemy -Haman, who is an ancestor of King Agag.  Mordechai, however, does the job right!

Can you see the hand of God everywhere in this story?????

Esther was chosen for such a time as this

God appointed Esther for this task long ago before she ever had an inkling of it. Even the deaths of her parents played a part in who she would become and how she would come into the royal position she received. Her life and character was being molded so she would be ready for her such a time as this.  Moredecai was molded as well. No doubt it was hard raising his orphaned cousin all those years. No doubt it was difficult being a devout Jew in a sea of paganism. But, it was all in preparation for the task that would save the lives of the Jewish people.

We are chosen for such a time as this

Our lives are the same way!  God has appointed us to do something great in his kingdom. Our lives are being shaped to prepare us for this task that we may not even be aware of yet.  For myself, it wasn’t until I was 37 that I realized what my task was. But, when I look back on my life, I see how many events that were orchestrated by God framed the person I would become.  The process is still going on now as I continue moving forward to what God has planned for me. God is doing the same thing in your life! The painful experiences in your life are very well the Esther and Mordecai moments of your life!

The story isn’t over for Esther, Mordecai and the Jews, and of course, the story isn’t over for you!

That same day that Haman was impaled, the king gave Queen Esther the entire property of Haman.  Also, the entire family of Haman was eventually killed.  This sounds harsh, but remember that God commanded Saul to wipe out all the Amalekites. The same thing had to be done here.

The edict the king had written could not be overturned because edicts back then were permanent. So, the king issued a new edict which is described below:

“The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.  The day appointed for the Jews to do this in all the provinces of King Xerxes was the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar.  A copy of the text of the edict was to be issued as law in every province and made known to the people of every nationality so that the Jews would be ready on that day to avenge themselves on their enemies.” Esther 8:11-13

When that day came, the Jews were completely victorious. They were able to overpower and overtake all the Persians who attacked them. In fact, the Persians were seized with fear. All the officials within each province helped the Jews because they both feared and respected Mordecai.

This is amazing because we see how the tables completely turned! Before, Haman had the prestige and honor and the officials were loyal to him. But now we see Mordecai has the power and loyalty of the people, and it has allowed the Jews to obtain victory. The Jews killed all those who hated them.

This is similar to what will happen in the future when Israel’s enemies try to completely destroy her as a nation. Ezekiel 38 and 39 says God will fight for Israel, and her enemies will be slaughtered. The tables will turn in the blink of an eye, and like the Persians, the enemies of the Jews will be blindsided by their defeat.

You know what? The enemy may think he has victory over you, but God knows better. God is holding the plans for your life, not the enemy. The enemy’s days are numbered just like Haman’s days were numbered. His time is short, but your time is eternity if you know Jesus!

Purim is established

After the Jews overcame their enemies, a day of celebration was established.

“Mordecai  sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration…….So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction.  But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles.  (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) …………… the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants” (Esther 9:20-27)-NIV

Purim To Be Celebrated Every Year

So, to this day the Jews continue to remember this grand day. We should remember this day too! You know why? Because we are grafted in with the Jews! Jesus broke down that dividing wall and we became part of the olive tree with Israel. Read Romans 11 if you are unsure of this amazing fact.

We should be praying the Hamans of this world are defeated, just like Haman in the story of Esther. We should be on our guard when it comes to anti-Semitism and defend the Jewish people when the time arises.

God is in Charge

It is not by chance that Israel is back in their land after being scattered for thousands of years! God doesn’t throw dice! He doesn’t play poker. He keeps his promises, which does not rely on luck. The Jewish people are in their land because the spirit of Haman cannot stop what God has planned.

What’s his plan you ask?  He will redeem the nation of Israel and the entire world!

The stage is set. The clock is ticking. The watchmen are on the wall (think Esther and Mordecai). And the KING is on the throne.  God will never let the Jewish people be destroyed! One day, the fighting and animosity against them will disappear and they will finally know their Messiah Jesus! The Jews and Gentiles will walk together in peace- shalom!

God will never let the enemy have victory over you either! You may face trials and persecutions, but Jesus has the victory!  Remember, even death has no sting if we are in Christ!

God’s plans are often hidden to us, as in the story of Esther, but he is divinely working.

How can you celebrate Purim?

I love making Hamantaschen– better known as Haman’s ears cookies. I also love reading the story of Esther with my son to remind us of God’s providence and his plan for Israel.  This is also a great day to pray for Jewish friends or for the nation of Israel.

Some people go to parties and wear masks and costumes to go along with the theme of “being hidden” in the story of Esther.  Here is a link to a website with some Purim ideas.

I know this blog was long, but I really wanted you to get the full spectrum of what Purim is about, and see how it applies even to our lives.

And remember………..your “such a time as this” moment is in God’s hands.