Celebration: The Feast of the Jews

10/19/2011 7:23:31 AM

SPIRITUAL DIARY

My Worship Time                                                                             Focus:  Celebration: The feast of the Jews

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                         Reference:  Ester 9:17-32

                Message of the verses:  “17  This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar, and on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 18  But the Jews who were in Susa assembled on the thirteenth and the fourteenth of the same month, and they rested on the fifteenth day and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing. 19  Therefore the Jews of the rural areas, who live in the rural towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a holiday for rejoicing and feasting and sending portions of food to one another.

    “20 ¶  Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21  obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, 22  because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23  Thus the Jews undertook what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24  For Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the adversary of all the Jews, had schemed against the Jews to destroy them and had cast Pur, that is the lot, to disturb them and destroy them. 25  But when it came to the king’s attention, he commanded by letter that his wicked scheme which he had devised against the Jews, should return on his own head and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26  Therefore they called these days Purim after the name of Pur. And because of the instructions in this letter, both what they had seen in this regard and what had happened to them, 27  the Jews established and made a custom for themselves and for their descendants and for all those who allied themselves with them, so that they would not fail to celebrate these two days according to their regulation and according to their appointed time annually. 28  So these days were to be remembered and celebrated throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and these days of Purim were not to fail from among the Jews, or their memory fade from their descendants. 29  Then Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim. 30  He sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, namely, words of peace and truth, 31  to establish these days of Purim at their appointed times, just as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had established for them, and just as they had established for themselves and for their descendants with instructions for their times of fasting and their lamentations. 32  The command of Esther established these customs for Purim, and it was written in the book. “

                As we first look at when the celebration of Purim took place there seems to be some disagreement as to which day it was to be celebrated on because in Susa there was two days of fighting and in the rural areas of the kingdom there was only one day of fighting, thus the disagreement.  Mordecai wrote a letter to the Jews and told them to celebrate it on both days, and in the end both he and Ester wrote another letter to the Jews to affirm the first letter.  It has been written “Too often God’s people defeat the enemy and then celebrate the victory by fighting among themselves!” 

                What follows will be a brief explanation of how Purim is celebrated today by the Jews.  Pur is the Babylonian name for lot, as they cast lots to see which day the Jews would be destroyed, and Purim is the plural for Pur.  “Today, the Jews begin their celebration with a fast on the thirteenth day of the month (V.31), commemorating the date on which Haman’s evil decree was issued (3:12).  They go to the synagogue and hear the Book of Ester publicly read; and whenever the name of Haman is mentioned, the cry out ‘May he be accursed!’ or ‘May his name perish!’  Children bring a special Purim rattle called a ‘gregar’ and use it to make noise every time they hear Haman’s name read.

                “On the morning of the fourteenth day of the monthly, the Jews again go to the synagogue, where the Ester story is read again and the congregation engages in prayer.  The story about Moses and the Amalekites (Ex. 17:8-16) is also read.  Then the celebrants go home to a festive holiday meal with gifts and special foods, and the celebrating continues on the next day.  They also send gifts and food to the poor and needy so that everybody can rejoice together.”

                I suppose that what we can learn from all of this is that first of all God is faithful to His promises as can be seen in this story.  We can also remember that the true Christians roots go into the “Olive tree” of the Jews as Paul explained in Romans 11:17-24.  Christians who are from a “wild Olive tree” are grafted into the “Olive tree” of Israel.  The Scriptures come from Israel, all of them, and our Lord Jesus Christ was born into a Jewish family.  All of the first Christians were from Israel, and of course Jesus said to the woman at the well in John chapter four “Salvations is from the Jews, (John 4:22).” 

                Spiritual meaning for my life today:  It is good to take time to look back at all of the good things that God has provided for me and the best thing is salvation.  Not taking salvation for granted is something that is very important and not being proud of it in the wrong way is also something that I should never do.  The Pharisees did this and it got them into a lot of trouble.  I want to also remember the price the Jews had to pay so that I could receive this great salvation provided for by the Lord Jesus Christ.

My Steps of Faith for Today:

1.       Remember to put on the spiritual armor:  The belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, the shoes of the gospel of peace, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.  Remember to use it today when it is needed to defeat the enemy.

2.       Continue to learn contentment.

10/19/2011 7:57:51 AM