Click above to watch video.
OR
Click below to play audio and read along.
Good morning my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
Of all the holidays you celebrate each year, which are your favorite and why? What makes those days so special? The food, the gathering of friends and family, the events celebrated, time off from work or school. Over the past several days we’ve been immersed in the remarkable story of Esther found in the Old Testament Bible book which bears her name. It’s an amazing story, isn’t it? As you may know it is one of the great annual festivals for the Jewish people around the world even today. It’s called “PURIM”.
Esther 9:20 tells us Mordecai made sure all the details of that historic event we looked at yesterday were recorded in the annals of King Xerxes. Furthermore, “Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate ANNUALLY the 14th day 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 to joy and their mourning into a day of celebration.” (Esther 9:20-22) This was the official establishment of “Purim” as an annual festival.
For more than three millennia the Jewish people have had annual festivals which beckon them, all around the world, to celebrate the remarkable, miraculous intervention of God in the ongoing, unfolding story of God’s ‘chosen people’.
“Passover”, of course, celebrates God’s remarkable plan to help more than 1 million Hebrew slaves gain deliverance from generations of brutal slavery in Egypt. Despite his hard heart of refusal, finally through 10 miraculous plagues of God, Pharaoh conceded and released the Hebrew slaves as the angel of death ‘passed over’ all Jewish homes which had blood on their door frames, throughout all of Egypt that night. (Exodus 12)
“Purim” is amazingly similar because this annual festival celebrates God’s miraculous intervention in the holocaust plan of Mr. Haman to annihilate all Jews in the Persian kingdom in one day. Almost exactly 1000 years separate Passover and Purim. While ‘Passover’ was God’s deliverance of His people from suffocating slavery, ‘Purim’ was Almighty God’s deliverance from those who intended their extermination. This event is called “PURIM” (Esther 9:26) because the date for that kingdom-wide ethnic cleansing had been determined by Haman casting the lots, known as the ‘pur’. (Esther 9:24 & 3:7)
While the “Passover” celebration normally lasts a full week (Exodus 12:12-17) “Purim” is a two-day celebration because after the success of the decreed Purim day of self-defense, Queen Esther had requested a second day and King Xerxes had permitted it. (Esther 9:13) Esther’s record says it this way: “Because of everything written in Mordecai’s letter and because of what they had seen and what happened to them, the Jews took it upon themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year…these days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and city…” (Esther 9:26-28)
We need to pause for a few seconds right here friends for reflection.
What annual events are important for you and your family? What history do those annual events honor and celebrate?
What significance do those events have for your family, generation after generation?
And finally, what role does God have in those annual family events in your family?
How well do your children and grandchildren understand this?
If you’ve ever had the great privilege of being invited by a Jewish family to be part of either their ‘Passover’ or ‘Purim’ family celebration I’m sure you were greatly blessed, am I right?
May I give you a fresh challenge today: If you do not have any annual family gatherings which celebrate some great God event in your family history, why not start one?
How? Think back over the story of your family and I’m sure you can find one or more very significant events in which God clearly did miraculous things which had a great impact on the future of your family. Why not make that an annual celebration event, gathering your family together to REMEMBER and to thank God for all He has done in your family? Perhaps even give your family celebration a special name!
And as with all great Jewish festivals, make sure the children understand why your family celebrates what God has done in your family story and how they, the next generation, are an important part of carrying on God’s blessing.
Here’s a wonderful worship song which honors that idea and I’ll meet you here again tomorrow as we close the remarkable story of Esther, but first I hope you’ll consider establishing a family day which celebrates God’s involvement in your unique family heritage.
Today’s Scripture: Esther 9:20-28.
Choose below to read or listen.
 |  |
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
Archived back issues of “Walking with Jesus” and other resources are available by clicking here to open our ‘home page’ (or go to HOME at upper right of this page).
Share with friends. Subscribe below for daily “Walking with Jesus”.