Home
Audio by Sam
Upcoming Events
Messianic Leaders
Seminars/Programs
Women's Ministries
Messianic Tracts
Jewish Believers
Ministry Reports
E-Mail Q & A's
Word Articles

Bookstore
May Specials!

Russian Website
Beliefs & Vision
The WMM Blog
Support WMM
Links to Israel

Discover these 
Biblical festivals!


 

The Purim Story! by Sam Nadler
A Promise Fulfilled by Natalia Fomin
Never Give up! by Miriam Nadler

The Purim Story
By Sam Nadler

Every year on the fourteenth day of the Jewish month of Adar (usually in March) Jewish people around the world celebrate Purim. Traditions include the public reading or chanting of the entire book of Esther (Megillah), a Purim play or Purim Shpiel, which tells the Esther story.

Another tradition is baking and eating fruit filled triangle shaped pastry called Hamantashen that are shaped like Haman’s hat, but are also called Haman’s ears’ or Haman’s pockets.

The story of Esther takes place in Shushan, the ancient capital city of Persia. It is here we are first introduced to King Ahasuerus who ruled Persia 486-465 BCE.

(Hamantashen. Mmmm.)

The book of Esther is unique among the biblical books in that it is the only book where 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
Esther won the beauty contest and “was taken to King Ahasuerus and was made queen instead of Vashti” (Esther 2:17). He brought her to his royal palace in the tenth month in the seventh year of his reign... the first month in the twelfth year (Esther 2:16; 3:7).

But God brought problems to break up her self-centered life. 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. “Do not imagine that you in the king’s palace can escape any more than all the Jews. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place and you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:13, 14).

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. Silence in this 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. Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me (Ezekiel: 3:17-21).

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 Bin Ladens (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’s Purim Challenge
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 a life. It is not the palace, but the promises of God which can satisfy our desires. 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).

The Most Secure Place On Earth
Our jobs, status in life, wealth, and connections are not our security, but mere opportunities to share the Messiah. Our only true security is in our saving relationship with God. Let us not live as if we believe otherwise. Esther’s position as Queen was not her security, but the opportunity providentially given by God. The most secure place is not within the walls of a palace, but in the will of 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 woman to 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
 

Excerpted from Sam Nadler’s book: 
Messiah in the Feasts of Israel

Learn more about Purim and the rest of Israel's Feasts!

Available on CD or cassette!

Next Page

More Word from the Word

Special of the Month

Previous Month