AWAKE, ARISE, AND TRIUMPH
Monday – March 6, 2023, Adar 13, 5783
PURIM OR FEAST OF LOTS
Greeting dear and precious saints of the Kingdom of God who have been purchased with the Precious Blood of Jesus and welcome back to The Three Minute Word blog. Please take a moment and share these teachings as widely as possible to expand our reach with the Truth. Thank you for sharing. Today I will be talking about the Feast of Lots or what may be better known as Purim and is celebrated on the 14th and 15th of Adar. The 14th of Adar begins at 6 pm today on the Hebrew Calendar. Purim, also known as the Feast of Lots is not one of the prescribed or appointed Feasts of the Lord found in Leviticus chapter twenty-three. It is a self-prescribed memorial by the Jewish people of God’s deliverance, His goodness to them. All of the deliverance’s of Israel recorded in the Holy Word are a testimony of the character, the abundant mercy, and forbearance of our God. Additionally, these accounts are a type and shadow, a prophetic picture, for each of us. Just as they were saved from destruction in that day, so are we saved from the devils planned destruction of us, by the Lord Jesus. He did it for them and He has done it for us! The account of this supernatural rescue of the Jewish people is found in the Book of Esther. Whether we know it or not, acknowledge it or not, every Christian has had a dramatic rescue from the plans of the evil Haman (devil).
This account of the goodness of God to His people, the Jews, takes place about 478 BC. The Medes and Persians were ruling much of the known world as shown by the map above. The map is courtesy of; www.freebibleimages.org. The Jewish people at this time for the most part are not in the Promised Land but in captivity. Evil leaders cause the people to sin which always leads to bondage. The leaders can only be evil as the people allow by not being diligent (which is evil), allowing deception and compromising the Word of God. Same story today, much of the Church is not partaking of our Promised Land (Promises found in Holy Scripture and obtained by faith in action) for the same reasons. Review this following passage and see the time of Esther and see our time.
2 Chronicles 36:5-16 (ESV)
5 Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God.
6 Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and bound him in chains to take him to Babylon.
7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried part of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon and put them in his palace in Babylon.
8 … Jehoiachin his son reigned in his place….9 Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem. He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD….11 Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem.
12 He did what was evil in the sight of the LORD his God. He did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the LORD.
13 He also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar …14 All the officers of the priests and the people likewise … And they polluted the house of the LORD that he had made holy in Jerusalem.
15 The LORD, the God of their fathers, sent persistently to them by his messengers, because he had compassion on his people and on his dwelling place.
16 But they kept mocking the messengers of God, despising his words and scoffing at his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD rose against his people, until there was no remedy. (Bold added)
Bottom line, they all did wickedly in the sight of God until there was no remedy. Apparently, a time comes when God’s people will not even consider repentance. Sadly, brother and sister this is all around us in the Church today. Back to Purim. So, Mordecai and his niece Esther end up as captives by the Medes and Persians (yes, Iranians). This pattern of continual rebelling against God and going into captivity was a recurring theme for Israel. Do you suppose there is a lesson there for you and me? Let’s look at how Esther and Mordecai ended up in captivity.
Esther 2:5-7 (ESV)
5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite,
6 who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away.
7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.
It appears from verse seven above that Mordecai is a cousin of Esther. They are both Jews, are taken captive from Jerusalem to the capital of this empire called Susa (Shushan) ruled by King Ahasuerus. Next, we find a rebellion (feminist movement) by the Queen so she was banished and a new Queen was sought and the King selected Esther. In the meantime, a wicked high-ranking official by the name of Haman is plotting to kill all of the Jews because he did not believe Mordecai respected him. Iran, Persians remain committed to this day to the extermination of the Jews. Mordecai discovers this plot and brings the news to Esther asking her to intercede with the King which brings us to a commonly quoted passage. Saints of God, you and I are brought to the Kingdom of God today for such a time as this as well.
Esther 4:13-17 (KJV)
13 Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king’s house, more than all the Jews.
14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? (Bold added)
15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer,
16 Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish.
17 So Mordecai went his way, and did according to all that Esther had commanded him.
Through a series of maneuvers Esther brings the true intent and the reality of this plot to kill all the Jews to the attention of her husband, King Ahasuerus. King Ahasuerus is enraged and has Haman and his ten sons hanged on the gallows Haman intended for Mordecai. Mordecai was promoted and the order was given that the Jews were free to kill those that had previously sought to kill them. To make this more pertinent to us today remember that the devil wants to kill us all (John 10:10) but now in Christ Jesus we are free and given to reign and rule over all principalities, power, might, and dominion (Ephesians 1:19-23). Now back to Esther. Following the exposure and elimination of Haman a great feast was instituted which the Jews celebrate to this day, called Purim.
Esther 9:20-22 (KJV)
20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far,
21 To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly,
22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
It is so important dear ones that we routinely celebrate the great victory and deliverance given us in Christ Jesus. In addition, we must celebrate our domination over evil forces in Jesus. Lord willing, I will pick up with our study of Isaiah tomorrow.
By: Dr. David R. Wood, Author, Bible Teacher, and Prophetic Voice
2 Chronicles 20:20 b (KJV)
20 … Believe in the LORD your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.
Receive the blessing in Jesus’ name!
Numbers 6:24-26 (MSG)
24 GOD bless you and keep you,
25 GOD smile on you and gift you,
26 GOD look you full in the face and make you prosper.
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