In our study of Esther chapter nine, we look at the faith that the Jews had in the Persian king and how it relates to our faith in King Jesus.
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The time approached for the king's order and decree to be carried out, the day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to overpower them. But, as it turned out, the opposite took place - the Jews overpowered those who hated them. Thus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar, the Jews assembled in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Achashverosh to attack anyone who tried to do them harm; and no one was able to withstand them; because all the peoples were afraid of them.
In chapter 8, we saw that the king had issued a proclamation that granted them salvation. Here, we see that the Jews believed the king and took him at his word. When the day came, they won the battle because they believed in the authority of the king and trusted in God. This is a picture of how we are saved from the effects of our sins. Our King Jesus has the authority to forgive us of our sins because of His sacrifice on the cross and the fact that He is the Son of God. If we believe that, we can stand against our own enemy which is Satan.
All the officials of the provinces, the army commanders, the governors and those occupied with the king's affairs helped the Jews; because they were afraid of Mordekhai. For Mordekhai had become a powerful person in the king's palace, and his fame had spread through all the provinces; Mordekhai continued to grow increasingly powerful.
Not only were they granted salvation but they were also shown favor by the politicians. Mordecai had been elevated to a position of great power and it was known that he was a Jew so the politicians did not want to cross him. This is a picture of the power that we have through the Holy Spirit and many times we will be shown favor by people of the world when they see the power of God at work in and through us.
The Jews put all their enemies to the sword; there was great slaughter and destruction, as they did whatever they wanted to those who hated them; in Shushan the capital, the Jews slaughtered 500 men. They put to death the ten sons of Haman the son of Hamdata, the enemy of the Jews - Parshandata, Dalfon, Aspata, Porata, Adalya, Aridata, Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai and Vaizata. But they did not touch the spoil.
In the capital city, the Jews also killed all of the sons of the man who had intended to kill the Jews. We notice that they did not do it for treasure as they did not take plunder. We must assume that this was an attempt to stamp out anti-Semitism (hatred of the Jews) but it is still alive even to this day.
The same day, after the king had been told the number of those killed in Shushan the capital, he said to Ester the queen, "If the Jews have slaughtered 500 men in Shushan the capital and the ten sons of Haman, what have they done in the rest of the royal provinces! Now, whatever your request, you will be granted it; whatever more you want, it will be done."
The events of the day were reported to the king and he could see the power of the God of the Jews. He asked the queen what else was desired as he now knew that she was a woman of God.
Ester replied, "If it pleases the king, let the Jews in Shushan act again tomorrow in accordance with today's decree; also have Haman's ten sons hanged on the gallows." The king ordered these things done - a decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman's ten sons. So the Jews in Shushan assembled also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and killed 300 men in Shushan, but they did not touch the spoil.
Esther's request of the king was for vengeance and it was granted as Haman's dead sons were put on display by being hung on a gallows. This is a simple picture of the vengeance that God is going to take on those who mess with His children.
The other Jews, those in the royal provinces, had assembled, defended their lives and won rest from their enemies, killing 75,000 of those who hated them, but without touching the spoil, on the thirteenth day of the month Adar. So on the fourteenth day of Adar they rested and made it a holiday for celebrating and rejoicing.
The Jews outside of Susa celebrated after the day of their deliverance while the Jews in Susa were having their day of vengeance.
However, the Jews of Shushan assembled on both the thirteenth and fourteenth days of Adar, so it was on the fifteenth that they rested and made it a holiday for celebrating and rejoicing. This is why the Jews of the villages, those who live in unwalled towns, make the fourteenth day of the month of Adar a day for celebrating and rejoicing, a holiday and a time for sending each other portions [of food].
Purim is celebrated even today and there is a difference in the day of celebration depending on where the Jew lives. No matter what day it is celebrated on it is still a day to remember the deliverance of God. We, as Christians, should take every day to remember how God has delivered us from sin and death through Jesus Christ. As the Jews gave presents to each other, we should give the good news of Jesus to all we meet.
Mordekhai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far, instructing them to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year, [to commemorate] the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; they were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions [of food] to each other and giving gifts to the poor.
Mordecai sent letters to all of the Jews establishing Purim as an annual holiday. The purpose was for the people to take time to remember what God had done for them in delivering them from their enemies. In our world today it seems like we have holidays for everything that we can imagine but most of them are not set aside for remembering the things of the Lord.
So the Jews took it upon themselves to continue what they had already begun to do, and as Mordekhai had written to them; because Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had thrown pur (that is, "cast lots") to crush and destroy them; but when Ester came before the king, he ordered by letters that [Haman's] wicked scheme, which he had plotted against the Jews, should recoil on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. This is why these days have been called Purim, after the word pur.
So, this became a national Jewish holy day celebrating the deliverance of God's people from death at the hands of their enemy. This was a time to remember how God had saved them and it is a picture of how we are saved from our own death penalty through the blood of Jesus Christ. The celebration was (and still is today) called Purim from the word pur for lot.
Thus, because of everything written in this letter, and what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had come upon them, the Jews resolved and took upon themselves, their descendants and all who might join them that without fail they would observe these two days in accordance with what was written in [this letter] and at the appointed time, every year; and that these days would be remembered and observed throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and that these days of Purim would never cease among the Jews or their memory be lost by their descendants.
We see, from this passage, the establishment of the Feast of Purim which is celebrated by Jews even today. We notice that this custom was established by the people and not directly prescribed by God. This is a very good tradition as it reminds God's people of His hand of deliverance but we must remember that it is still a tradition. There are many traditions in the church of today and often these traditions cause division and splits among the believers. That is the reason for so many denominations and why we must remember the difference between man's traditions and God's instructions.
Then Ester the queen, the daughter of Avichayil, and Mordekhai the Jew, gave full written authority to confirm a second letter about Purim. He sent copies of it to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Achashverosh, ensuring their peace and security and requiring the observance of these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordekhai the Jew and Ester the queen had enjoined them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants concerning the matters of fasting and lamenting. At Ester's order these matters of Purim were confirmed and put in writing in the book.
This Feast of Purim became the law of the land by this political order.
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