May 15, 2010 - The Feast Of Purim

Meditation on Esther 9

The Jews in the Persian Empire were mourning because of the casting of the lot by Haman to designate the thirteen day of the month of Adar to be the day for all the Jews to be killed. (Esther 3:7, 13) But through the teaching of Mordecai to Queen Esther and the fasting and bravery of Esther to see the King Xerxes, the whole matter was changed to in favor of the Jews to defend for themselves against all their enemies. Haman and his ten sons were hanged.

So Mordecai was promoted to be the highest official in the King's court. He and Esther sent out a decreed in the name of the King to all the Jews to have a memorial feast of Purim every year to fast a day and then celebrate in the next two days during the same period which the lot was first cast to destroy them. So the mourning was turned into joy and giving of gifts to the poor. Today, the Jews still celebrate this festivity with the reading of the book of Esther.

The casting of the lot was called Pur. So the festival was called Purim. But a thoughtful person would surely know that the whole matter was due to the providence and salvation of the LORD. The fasting of Esther and the Jews was certainly an act of total reliance on the Lord who only could turn a tragedy around. So the Feast of Purim should be a remembrance of God's doing in the lives of those who trusted in Him.

Proverbs 16:33 says, "The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the LORD.” (KJV)