Maybe you have never heard of Purim. But you have heard of Esther! Purim is the Jewish celebration of how God used Queen Esther to save the Jewish people hundreds of years before Christ. Today is Purim.
God used the faith of Esther, a young Jewish girl. Her uncle Mordecai saw that the Jews were about to be exterminated by the Persians. He urged her to intercede for her people with the king. He said, “Who knows that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?” Esther bravely interceded with the king. Even though she was first in the harem, she could not afford to displease the king. However, she realized that there was a more important King to please! So her interceding saved God’s people.
Though the book of Esther follows Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible, she really belongs before them chronologically. While some Jews had returned to Judea, most still lived in Persia. And a decree to kill them would have included Persia and Judea. Esther’s courage to save her people happened around 473 B.C. And ever since, the Jews have celebrated their deliverance at the Feast of Purim. Esther’s courage allowed Ezra to go and lead God’s people 15 years later. And then it allowed Nehemiah to go and rebuild the walls of Jerusalem 13 years after that. The restoration of the Jewish nation was necessary in order to bring the Messiah into the world 450 years later.
And so we all owe a debt to Esther. Today, God is still rescuing people, both Jews and Gentiles, through the Gospel—the good news of Jesus the Messiah.
We will have one of Abraham’s children with us in a couple weeks to share Messiah in the Passover. We will learn how the Passover (which was the Jewish feast on which Jesus died) prefigured Jesus as the Lamb of God. We will learn how someone like our guest, (Boris, a modern Jew) came to know Jesus as his Messiah. At the same time we will be supporting a ministry that reaches many other modern day Jews around the world for their salvation. This is the one time every year or two that we can support this work.
This program will be Friday, March 12 and 7:00 PM. Join us for this exciting story. And what better time to pray for the salvation of the Jewish people through Jesus, their Messiah and our Savior. It is amazing what God is doing among them these days.
Lord, bless our Messiah in the Passover program in three weeks. And let your servants continue to reach out to the Jewish people. Lord, release your blessing on our Jewish missionary friends. They, like many of your servants, depend on speaking engagements for support, and they have not had many opportunities because of the pandemic.
Lord, today raise up Esther’s and Mordecai’s and even secular leaders to bless and protect your people everywhere. Be with our missionaries, who are called to many countries and tribes. Enable them and protect them.
May there be new fruit arising from these ministries as we see lives changed by the Gospel. And may you be glorified Lord, as we see prophecies being fulfilled!
In the Name of Jesus our Messiah and Savior, Amen.