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Thursday: The Miracle of Purim — 7 Comments

  1. I was contemplating why the decree against the Jews was not revoked. Then I remembered that in the kingdom of the Medes and Persians once a king had established a decree it could not be changed. (See Daniel 6:8 and Esther 8:8). However despite this problem God is able to save both Daniel through the lions den and Mordecai, Esther, and the Jews.

    It is interesting the both the story of Daniel in the lions den and Modecai seem to be around the worship of God vs obedience to the king. In both God delivered His people. Is this not the theme we see in Egypt as well (Ex 5:1-3)? The request to Pharaoh was to let God's people go to worship Him. Once again we see God is faithful to deliver His children!

    What encouragement... God never fails to set His people free to worship Him! We know He is going to do it again (Revelation 21:3). He is our God and we are His people.

    (28)
    • Thanks for the insightful comment. It made me reflect on the fact that there will always be conflict between the worship of the true GOD and the dictates of a pagan or secular Government. And the decision to worship GOD ultimately becomes a life or death matter the culmination of which we see in Revelation 13:15
      And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.
      But as seen in these Old Testament examples, the period of anguish brought soul searching and renewed closeness to GOD. Then deliverance and salvation

      (10)
  2. I did a bit of research this morning on the meaning of Purim in modern Jewish thinking and came up with this article. It is not too long and it gave me something to think about. It talks about the absence of God and the need to renew the covenant rather than celebrate the victory.

    Purim and Post-modern Jewish Thought

    (23)
  3. Respectfully, may I point out that the full quote of Ester 8:17 reads: ”In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.” This does not sound like they joined them for reasons based on their faith.

    I learned something about the Jewish history which I had not considered. Jewish people have been forcefully settled in many foreign countries due to their captivity from wars with their neighboring kingdoms. I wonder if this is evidence of another ‘mysterious’ way our God used to spread the knowledge of Himself - the God Supreme, to the heathen nations, using the Jewish people to make His presence known as they lived their life according to their religion.

    Esther’s great reward for risking her life was to win the king’s permission to allow the Jews to defend themselves against Haman’s plot. What is Purim? “Purim reminds us that, even though we face enemies, we will overcome adversity.” – Purim is the Hebrew word for “lots” and refers to the lottery that Haman used to choose the date of the massacre. (JHUB Embracing Interfaith)

    As we know, God still protects His People from the hate and animosity of their enemies - Jews and Christians alike. I believe that at its core, this is a spiritual war about the enemies' god(s) and the God of the Jews and Christians. I consider this persecution today as it was then when Haman sought to destroy them, because 'they had no fear of God' - Deut.25:18-19.

    Even today many 'Amalakites' assaile those of the Jewish and Christian faith in their God Supreme. How can we come along side the Jewish people defending themselves against those wanting to destroy them? We declare ourselves to be Christians who believe in the same God, and determine never ever to hate them, but stand up for the Jewish people living among us and defend their right to life, liberty, and happiness.

    (4)
  4. Personally, I still do not see King Ahasuerus, Command to "Bow down to Haman," as being the same as King Nebuchadnezzar's Command to Bow down to "His Image." It is also interesting as to how the book of, Esther, is the only book in the entire Bible that does not mention God's Name at all either. So again, I choose to believe that Mordecai was more prompted by his own "Selfish desires," to just not "Humble" himself to Haman nor King Ahasuerus' "Command" to "Honor Haman" as "Chief Prince" to King Ahasuerus.

    (1)
  5. This story, core of this week's lesson, now has more practical application than when we last studied it, for our World Pathfinder honour, a year or two ago. As it was for Easter, so it is for us today, pilgrims through our increasingly-unrecognizable, unrelatable world.

    Total dependence, through the liberty of the Sweet Holy Spirit, is necessary for living God's love while standing in representation of Heavenly culture. Yet, how wonderfully is God able to work through us, if we each choose to let Him ordain our every thought and our every move ... far beyond our own flesh and blood.

    Praise God for the "miracle of choice". Thank you God, for the choice to renew our covenant with You. Teach us to discern, absorb and adopt Your impeccable timing, in Jesus' name. (Ecclesiastes 3: 1-7)

    (4)

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