When the sun goes down today, Monday, March 6, 2023, the biblical holiday known as Purim will begin. This holiday is celebrated every year on the 14th of Adar on the biblical calendar. On the Gregorian calendar this would fall in February or March, depending on the year.
Purim is a holiday that commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from extermination in ancient Persia. In the book of Esther, the story of how Purim came to be is laid out verse by verse. It tells the amazing story of a young Jewish woman named Esther who stood up for her people at great cost to her own life. She used her royal position “for such a time as this.”
Purim not only commemorates the story of Esther and the deliverance of the Jewish people, but it also showcases victory over the enemy. This enemy wanted nothing more than to wipe out the entire Jewish population. The enemy’s name was Haman and he was the chief minister of King Xerxes. His hate for the Jews drove him to use devilish tactics to accomplish his goal. He wove a web of lies and fooled the king into believing the Jews living in the kingdom of Persia were traitors that deserved death.
“Then Haman said to King Xerxes, ‘There is a certain people dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom who keep themselves separate. Their customs are different from those of all other people, and they do not obey the king’s laws; it is not in the king’s best interest to tolerate them. If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will give ten thousand talents of silver to the king’s administrators for the royal treasury.”
The story of Purim has many parallels to our nation right now and has many lessons to teach us about dealing with evil in our generation.
In the story of Esther, Haman thinks he has the upper hand. He is certain he will accomplish his goal. Not so fast Haman! Enter Esther. She ends up in the royal palace, becoming the king’s wife, through God’s providence. At first, she doesn’t realize the royal position she holds will be the key in saving her people. It just so happens that Esther is a Jew herself, but this remains hidden until just the right “such a time as this” moment. It’s interesting because the name Esther means hiddenness, or to conceal. Esther is her Persian name, but her Hebrew name is Hadassah, which means myrtle, as well as “aroma of righteousness.” A myrtle plant has little flowers that resemble stars. Esther had to hide her Jewishness so this is why she took on a Persian name. But this hidden young woman would be the hidden weapon against an enemy who thought he had it all figured out. Like her Hebrew name reveals, she would be the shining star who stood up for her people.
When Esther finds out a decree has been written to annihilate the Jews, she has a choice. She can pass on the chance to get involved, which is the safer choice. Or, she can take action on behalf of her people by going to the king and pleading for mercy. This is not as easy as it seems because she can be put to death for going before the king without being summoned. But Mordechai (Esther’s cousin/adoptive father) reminds her of the providence of this time.
“For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?” Esther 4:14.
Esther does not let fear win. Instead, she acts. She decides she will go to the king and plead for the lives of her people, even if she perishes. To prepare she fasts for three days. She also asked other Jews to join in with her. “Go, gather all the Jews together who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day, I and my attendants will fast as you do,” Esther 4:16.
As believers, we are in a royal position to intercede for our nation and the world. Like Esther, we are shining stars in a world of darkness. We carry an aroma of righteousness that becomes evident when we speak the truth. We are a kingdom of priests who have been placed in this moment in time to plead for the lives of our people. We can react in fear, with hopes that deliverance will come from somewhere else. But if we become the intercessors who fast, pray and act, we can see victory in ways we never thought possible. This victory can come in many forms and we may not know the exact outcome, but we are called to act in our royal positions nonetheless. We intercede and it’s up to God as to how he will respond.
Esther goes to the king without being summoned. But to her relief, the king extends the golden scepter to her and even allows her to host two special banquets. It is at the second banquet that Esther reveals she is Jewish and she informs the king that Haman has conspired to exterminate her people through the decree that was written. The king is enraged and orders that Haman be impaled. Though the king could not reverse the original decree, he writes a new one.
“The king’s edict granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and protect themselves; to destroy, kill and annihilate the armed men of any nationality or province who might attack them and their women and children, and to plunder the property of their enemies.”
The tables turned on Haman quickly. He was even impaled on the very pole he had set up for the one Jew he hated the most–Mordechai (Esther’s cousin/adoptive father). Talk about irony! Also, because of the new decree written by the king, the Jews were able to fight back against their enemies. They had complete victory over them.
In America right now we are seeing many evil plots play out like a frightening movie. There are villains spreading lies as they try to remove our biblical foundations. The villain in the story of Esther is named Haman. This name sounds a lot like the Hebrew word hamas, which means violence. As a verb hamas means to rob, destroy and take by violence. This word probably sounds familiar to you because it’s the name of the Islamic terrorist organization that commits violent acts against Israel.
So, what do we do? Do we just sit back and let these “Hamans” have their way? Of course not! Like Esther and Mordechai, we face the villains of our nation with great resolve. We approach the King with prayer, fasting and praise. As intercessors, we fight with the weapons God gave us. We take up the Word as a sword.
Each year during Purim the Jewish people celebrate this spectacular victory over the enemy. It is written in the Word of God that they should continue to observe it. “These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.”
Why should they observe it? Because it reminds them each year that God has providence over nations and people. God is always working and he sets people in royal positions to be his hands and feet.
This year on Purim, let’s remember that God has placed us in our royal positions for such a time as this. We must heed the call when it comes. We must act with courage, knowing Jesus stands with us. Like Queen Esther, let us step up to the challenge and shine like the stars we were made to be.
Please post your prayer for a divine reversal in the spirit of Purim.
Angela Rodriguez. 67owls.com. 100trumpets.com. (Photo Credit: Unsplash.)