Purim

We will take a little pause in our Torah Portion to talk about a new beginning found in the story of Purim which is found in the book of Esther. I love the story of Purim, the salvation of Israel by the hand of Esther and Mordechai. Let’s take a walk through the Megillah to see what we can find.

One Day– Back in our Passover beginning, we have the first or beginning of months, which is the month of Nisan. Here in Esther, we are pointed to the same beginning.

Exodus 12:2: “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.”

Esther 3:7: In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

Day Two– Remember that the action verb of the second day is to divide. Here, in Esther, the people are scattered and separated or divided.

Esther 3:8: Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed (parad- to separate or divide) among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.

Day Three– Did you know that Mordechai is referred to as the SEED on more than one occasion? Trees with seeds inside of themselves, that produce seedy fruit, were established on the third day.

Esther 6:13: Then said his wise men and Zeresh his wife unto him, If Mordecai [be] of the seed of the Jews, before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him, but shalt surely fall before him.

Day Four– Rulers are established on day four. We have rulers of Persia who seek harm to God’s people and then we have Esther and Mordechai who seek the good of God’s people.

Esther 2:17: The king loved Esther more than all the other women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins; so he set the royal crown upon her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.

Esther 6:8-9: Let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king’s most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor.

Day Five– Multiply after your kind. Esther 8:17 shows us that many people participated or joined with the Jewish people somehow.

Esther 8:17: And in every province and city, wherever the king’s command and decree came, the Jews had joy and gladness, a feast and a holiday. Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them.

Day Six– Mordechai became an image bearer of the King, just like Adam. Misne which is translated as second to or next to the King means to be a copy or double. Adam was made in the image of the Holy One and placed as second in command.

Esther 10:3:  For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

Day Seven– Rest from enemies, from strife and struggle is what Shabbat is all about folks.

Esther 9:22: As the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.

Isaiah 14:3: It shall come to pass in the day the LORD gives you rest from your sorrow, and from your fear and the hard bondage in which you were made to serve, that you will take up this proverb against the king of Babylon, and say: “How the oppressor has ceased, The golden city ceased!

At first sight it looks like the Israelites are facing extinction, thankfully, the Holy One brings salvation through the obedience of Esther and Mordecai. Esther risked her own life for the life of her people, which is why I see redemption at play in the Purim story. Every new beginning should point us to the Redeemer, Yeshua. May you have a blessed Purim as you celebrate the Light overcoming darkness and good overcoming evil.