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They tried to kill us. We won (by God’s grace). Let’s eat! This is a short summary of most every Jewish Holiday. Well, at least it’s true for Purim. Every year on the 14th day of Adar (this year, Feburary 28-March 1) Jewish people around the world celebrate the biblical holiday of Purim. Traditions include the public reading or chanting of the entire book of Esther; and perhaps most famously, a Purim play (or Purim Shpiel), which tells the Esther | ||||||
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story. Though the story itself is dramatic, the play
itself is usually quite comical. The audience participates by ‘booing’ at every mention of Haman the villain, and cheering our hero and heroine, Mordecai and Esther. Another tradition is baking and eating fruit filled, triangle shaped pastry called “Hamantashen.” Hamantashen are shaped like Haman’s hat, but are also called Haman’s ears (Hebrew), or Haman’s pockets (German/Yiddish). Anyway, they’re quite tasty and not too fattening. So, on with the show! |
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Haman thinks there are way too many Jews and decides to rid the empire of these sorts, especially Mordecai, who wouldn’t bow down to him! Mordecai tells Esther to intercede with the king on behalf of her people. Hesitant at first, Esther, after some coaxing and challenges from Uncle Morty, goes to the king and exposes Haman’s plot. Haman is hung on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai, the Jews are saved (again), and Purim is established to remember this victorious event. Hurray! Now can we eat? Sure, but there's one aspect of this story that might go overlooked. In fact, the book of Esther is unique among all of the biblical books in that the name of God is never mentioned. Why? One reason may be that those who will not identify with God’s call are not identified with God’s name. God Who is faithful to His promises will always providentially secure His people, but without a personal response to God, one has no testimony. In the story of Esther, we see the result of spiritual compromise. Esther was concerned for her own safety, but the safety of her people apparently was not her concern. Esther became indifferent to Scriptural details. She accepted counsel to hide her identity as a Jew, and therefore, her identification with the God of Israel. Even after being chosen Queen she still hid her identity (Esther 2:20).
Selfish Ambition
But God brought problems which interrupted her personal agenda. God permitted a Haman, a vicious anti-Semite, to shake up Esther’s world. Though Mordecai clearly exhorted her to intercede with the king on behalf of her people, Esther wanted no part of any plan that would endanger her. Mordecai had a challenge to the Queen.
As a result of Mordecai’s exhortation, Esther repented, pleaded to the King on behalf of her people’s welfare and the Jewish people were then preserved from extinction once again (Esther 4:15-16; 7:3-6; 9:20-25). What made such a change in Esther that she would risk it all to help her people? The truth of Mordecai’s challenge encouraged Esther’s timid heart. Mordecai challenged the false security of Esther’s passivity: “If you remain silent at this time, deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish.” Many people think that not doing evil is equal to doing righteousness. In Luke 16, the rich man did not actually do anything to hurt Lazarus. Still he found out too late that by not pro-actively helping the homeless Lazarus, he was still a guilty sinner (Luke 16:19-25). The sin of omission—not doing what we should do—is as wicked to God as the sin of commission—doing what is wrong. Esther must not be silent when her words could be the means of deliverance from destruction for the Jewish people. So also, believers today dare not think that they can keep silent about the Gospel when they know that it is the only means of saving the Jewish people and all people from judgment. Are we so different from Esther? Yet silence also in our case would be a sin of omission. Scripture consistently encourages us to warn others of the judgment to come and the need to repent and believe.
Scripture clearly teaches believers to share the Good News with all people, yes, even to the Jew first. Even if in our disobedience we keep silent, God will be faithful to His word, “help will come from another place” and the Jewish people will live despite the Hamans, the Hitlers, and the Hamas (Genesis 12:3; Jeremiah 31:35-37). Perhaps God would have raised up another country to destroy Persia, as He raised up the Medo-Persian Empire to destroy Israel’s previous oppressor, Babylon (Daniel 5:30-31). Then Esther and her family would have died with the Persian royal household where she thought she was so secure. She could either identify with God, His promises, and His people, or identify with His enemies. Mordecai also challenged the false security of Esther’s position: “Who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” Esther had married Ahasuerus, the most powerful man of his time. Did she think that this marriage and queenly position would provide her with the security her soul needed? Sometimes people marry to fulfill their lives only to find that they are still just as lonely and empty. Neither marriage, nor career, nor wealth can fulfill anyone's life. It is not in a palace, but in the promises of God that our desires can find true satisfaction. As the Scripture states, “My God shall supply all your needs through His riches in Glory in Messiah Yeshua” (Philippians 4:19), and “We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37). Our jobs, status in life, wealth, and connections are not our security, but mere opportunities to share the life of Messiah. Our only true security is in our saving relationship with God. Esther’s problem was imagining the fantasy of a spiritual middle ground, but there is no middle ground with God. Praise the Lord that Esther finally repents —“I will go into the king” (Esther 4:16). God brought a disobedient child of His into repentance in order to save His people and demonstrate His faithfulness.
What then is the message of the Purim story? Simply this: God is
faithful to keep His people by using any ordinary person who will
repent, trust, and serve Him. God wants to use you today just as He used
Esther long ago. Perhaps Mordecai’s Purim challenge to Esther is God’s
challenge to you as well. Be spiritually pro-active in life—in your
family, community, and congregation. Do not keep silent; rather, share
God’s love in Yeshua with others. Y |
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