Purim
It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from
extermination. The story of Purim unfolds in the book of Esther. Esther was a young
Jewish woman living in Persia, who was raised by her cousin Mordecai after the
death of her parents.
There was a decree sent out after the queen of Persia (Vashti) refused to obey the
king Ahasuetus (Esther 1:17b) “the king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to
be brought in before him, but she came not”. The king’s decree called forth all the
young virgins in his territory (2:2-4) “then said the king’s servants that ministered to
him, let there be fair young virgins sought for the king. And let the king appoint
officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair
young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of
Hege the king’s chamberlain keeper of the women, and let their things for purification
be given them. And let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of
Vashti and the thing pleased the king, and he did so”. Esther was chosen (2:17)
“and the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor
in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal and crown upon her
head, and made her queen instead of Vashti”.
Esther’s background was kept secret at the request of Mordecai. (2:10) “Esther had
not showed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she
should not show it”.
Haman hated Mordcai because he refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted
to destroy the Jewish people. Haman, told the king that there is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in his provinces that lived by a
different law, from those of every other peoples and they do not observe the king’s
laws and requested the king not to tolerate them (3:8). The king gave the fate of the
Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased and Haman planned to exterminate all
of the Jews.
Mordecai heard of the plot, and persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of
the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone
who came into the king’s presence without being summoned could be put to death,
and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself,
then she went into the king (5:1-3) “now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther
put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite
the king’s house and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, opposite
the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing
in the court. that she obtained favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the
golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of
the scepter. Then said the king to her, what will you, queen Esther? And what is
your request? It shall be even given you to the half of the kingdom”. After
requesting 2 banquets with the king and Haman, she told him of Haman’s plot
against her people (7:1-6) “so the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the
queen. And the king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine.
What is your petition, queen Esther? And it shall be granted you; and what is your
request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther
the queen answered and said, if I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it
please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
For we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if
we have been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although
the enemy could not counter-veil the king’s damage. Then the king Ahasuerus
answered and said to Esther the queen, who is he, and where is he, that dare
presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, the adversary and enemyh is this
wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen”. Haman was
hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai (7:10) and the king issued
another decree that the Jews could defend themselves (8:13).
Mordecai sent letters to all Jews that were in all the province to establish that they
should keep the 14th and 15th days of Adar, yearly. As a feast in memory of their
deliverance. Wherefore this feast is called these days Purim (9:20-21,26). Purim
should be a reminder of the devil’s attempts to destroy the Jews, if we remember it,
this will avoid another Holacrus like Hitler committed during world war II and killed
over 6 million people. Or even what the Arab nations are trying to do. It has been
said by their leaders “they want to push all the Jews into the river and destroy them”.
God has said in Psalms 89:34-37 “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing
that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie to
David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall
be established for ever, as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah”.
The devil has been trying to get rid of Israel in an attempt to cause one of God’s
words to fail.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 21, 2008
It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from
extermination. The story of Purim unfolds in the book of Esther. Esther was a young
Jewish woman living in Persia, who was raised by her cousin Mordecai after the
death of her parents.
There was a decree sent out after the queen of Persia (Vashti) refused to obey the
king Ahasuetus (Esther 1:17b) “the king Ahasuerus commanded Vashti the queen to
be brought in before him, but she came not”. The king’s decree called forth all the
young virgins in his territory (2:2-4) “then said the king’s servants that ministered to
him, let there be fair young virgins sought for the king. And let the king appoint
officers in all the provinces of his kingdom, that they may gather together all the fair
young virgins to Shushan the palace, to the house of the women, to the custody of
Hege the king’s chamberlain keeper of the women, and let their things for purification
be given them. And let the maiden which pleases the king be queen instead of
Vashti and the thing pleased the king, and he did so”. Esther was chosen (2:17)
“and the king loved Esther above all the women, and she obtained grace and favor
in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal and crown upon her
head, and made her queen instead of Vashti”.
Esther’s background was kept secret at the request of Mordecai. (2:10) “Esther had
not showed her people nor her kindred, for Mordecai had charged her that she
should not show it”.
Haman hated Mordcai because he refused to bow down to Haman, so Haman plotted
to destroy the Jewish people. Haman, told the king that there is a certain people
scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in his provinces that lived by a
different law, from those of every other peoples and they do not observe the king’s
laws and requested the king not to tolerate them (3:8). The king gave the fate of the
Jewish people to Haman, to do as he pleased and Haman planned to exterminate all
of the Jews.
Mordecai heard of the plot, and persuaded Esther to speak to the king on behalf of
the Jewish people. This was a dangerous thing for Esther to do, because anyone
who came into the king’s presence without being summoned could be put to death,
and she had not been summoned. Esther fasted for three days to prepare herself,
then she went into the king (5:1-3) “now it came to pass on the third day, that Esther
put on her royal apparel, and stood in the inner court of the king’s house, opposite
the king’s house and the king sat upon his royal throne in the royal house, opposite
the gate of the house. And it was so, when the king saw Esther the queen standing
in the court. that she obtained favor in his sight, and the king held out to Esther the
golden scepter that was in his hand. So Esther drew near, and touched the top of
the scepter. Then said the king to her, what will you, queen Esther? And what is
your request? It shall be even given you to the half of the kingdom”. After
requesting 2 banquets with the king and Haman, she told him of Haman’s plot
against her people (7:1-6) “so the king and Haman came to banquet with Esther the
queen. And the king said again to Esther on the second day at the banquet of wine.
What is your petition, queen Esther? And it shall be granted you; and what is your
request? And it shall be performed, even to the half of the kingdom. Then Esther
the queen answered and said, if I have found favor in your sight, O king and if it
please the king, let my life be given me at my petition, and my people at my request.
For we are sold, I and my people to be destroyed, to be slain, and to perish. But if
we have been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my tongue, although
the enemy could not counter-veil the king’s damage. Then the king Ahasuerus
answered and said to Esther the queen, who is he, and where is he, that dare
presume in his heart to do so? And Esther said, the adversary and enemyh is this
wicked Haman. Then Haman was afraid before the king and the queen”. Haman was
hanged on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai (7:10) and the king issued
another decree that the Jews could defend themselves (8:13).
Mordecai sent letters to all Jews that were in all the province to establish that they
should keep the 14th and 15th days of Adar, yearly. As a feast in memory of their
deliverance. Wherefore this feast is called these days Purim (9:20-21,26). Purim
should be a reminder of the devil’s attempts to destroy the Jews, if we remember it,
this will avoid another Holacrus like Hitler committed during world war II and killed
over 6 million people. Or even what the Arab nations are trying to do. It has been
said by their leaders “they want to push all the Jews into the river and destroy them”.
God has said in Psalms 89:34-37 “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing
that is gone out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not lie to
David. His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before Me. It shall
be established for ever, as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah”.
The devil has been trying to get rid of Israel in an attempt to cause one of God’s
words to fail.
Sermon by: Harriet Bond
Date: March 21, 2008
