Haman got the king to agree to his plan and it was sealed with the king’s ring, the irreversible law of the Medes and the Persians. Over 75,000 of their avowed adversaries were slain and God’s people were delivered. Through reading the Megillah, which doesn’t mention G-d’s name openly, we are meant to put the ‘coincidences’ together and thereby reveal His presence in seemingly ‘natural’ events. Richard L. Strauss authored nine books, and served as pastor of churches in Fort Worth, TX, Huntsville, AL. She puts her hope in the Lord and waits for the answer to unfold even at the risk of her life. God works in unusual ways. Why do you think God put the book of Esther in the Bible? So it was that this simple Jewish girl became the queen of the Persian empire. 7:1-6). “Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king. The Talmud says this was because ‘the Jews took pleasure in the feast of Achashverosh”. The psalmist says: “For the wrath of man shall praise Thee” (Psa. The name Hadassah is derived from the Hebrew word hadas (Heb. 2:17). The Jews in captivity had been allowed to settle down, open businesses, and live normal lives, and only 50,000 of them chose to return to Israel when they had the opportunity. How he must have longed for the comfort and companionship of his deposed queen to soothe him in his shame and put his fractured ego back together. Mordecai may have missed God’s best by not returning to Israel, but his spiritual insight had increased since then. 1:11). It was a flattering offer, but she must have known that he would be less than an ideal husband, especially after what had happened to Vashti. Strange as it may seem, prayer is never specifically mentioned in this book, just as the name of God is never mentioned, but you can be sure that these Jews were praying. 4:13, 14). Besides that, he had more important things to do than worry about his harem. It is made up of 4, the number of the physical creation, and 6, the number of man. He was beginning to understand something of God’s sovereign grace and divine providence, beginning to see that God can use even the adversities of life to accomplish His purposes. The culprit who caused the trouble must have been Hitler’s Old Testament hero. This knowledge will be reflected measure-for-measure if properly analysed. They may be far from Him, but He cannot let them perish, for that would be contrary to His promises. Esther saves the life of Mordecai and her Jewish people. Haman is characterised as a descendant of the Amalekites, the arch-enemy of the Israelites. They called it the Feast of Purim, from the word Pur, meaning “lot” or “dice.” Haman had cast lots to determine the day the Jews should die (cf. Knowing this should broaden our perspective on the spiritual implication of the number seven. 4. Should an Unbeliever Partake of Communion? What then was the spiritual measure-for-measure theory of Haman’s decree upon the Jews? Scripture says, “And he was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. 3:7; 9:24, 26). The opinions, facts and any media content in them are presented solely by the authors, and neither The Times of Israel nor its partners assume any responsibility for them. How can you serve the Lord in them? It is a lasting memorial to God’s faithfulness. 1:5). On the night between the banquets, Ahasuerus could not sleep. Richard, was a 1954 graduate of Wheaton College, and received his Th.M. Esau in the Hebrew Bible, is the elder son of Isaac.He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and by the prophets Obadiah and Malachi. You’ve cited some wonderful history. He can take not only the circumstances of our lives that are beyond our control, but He can take the wrong decisions we have made, and even the sins we have committed, and work them out for good. Cynically, Haman still saw everything as mere ‘chance’ without a shred of Divinity. 2. Secular history tells us that he began that invasion not long after this magnificent convocation, in 481 B.C. She sent word saying, “Go, assemble all the Jews who are found in Susa, and fast for me; do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. For us to ‘defeat’ Amalek we must, spiritually, represent the opposing force. So, what was the spiritual lapse that ‘allowed’ Amalek’s attack? As they feasted together, the king said to Esther, “What is your petition, Queen Esther? He did for Esther. The name is of biblical origin, first cited in the Scroll of Esther (), “And [Mordechai] had raised Hadassah, she is Esther . According to the Hebrew Bible, Esau is the progenitor of the Edomites and the elder brother of Jacob, the patriarch of the Israelites. This woman’s parents were dead and her older cousin, Mordecai, was raising her. Our circumstances may not be all we would like them to be. 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. In the Bible, the number 10 is used 242 times. But that wasn’t enough for him. Rabbi Reuben Livingstone, who has been the Jewish Chaplain to HM Armed Forces since 2012. There is an enormous load of unhappiness and sorrow on that road, as many Christians will testify. Wisdom Concerning The Secret And Revealed Things, The Net Pastor's Journal, Eng Ed, Issue 38 Winter 2021, Living in Love: Secrets from Bible Marriages. The groups tend to offer paths to Jewish life through such portals as social justice, arts and culture, the environment, spiritual community or the search for wisdom. 1:1). Our responsibility is to let Him use us where we are. The results of that dinner party were awesome. Then let the young lady who pleases the king be queen in place of Vashti” (Esth. God does not want us moaning over our plight and looking for a way out. Cynically, Haman still saw everything as mere ‘chance’ without a shred of Divinity. How does the Holy Spirit and filling work? In fact, he performed a miracle for our encouragement. She spoke with quiet dignity rather than selfish demands or angry accusations. We must take advantage of the opportunities He has made available to us in the here and now. 76:10). She later found out that he had deceived her. 15:8, 9). When he was a little tipsy from his wine, he called for his beautiful queen, Vashti, so that he could show her off before his friends (Esth. This principle in Jewish tradition allows us to understand the spiritual cause of Amalek’s attack on the Jewish nation and is the reason we read Parshat Zachor on the Shabbat before Purim, which describes Amalek’s attack on the Israelites and subsequent defeat and focusses us on the meaning of those events. But God loves to perform miracles for people who see themselves as part of His program, who view their circumstances as part of His appointment, and who live to do His will right where they are. Please note that the posts on The Blogs are contributed by third parties. The precise meaning of the Spirit's role in Romans 8:26-27 is variously interpreted, though it is usually associated with the regulation and purification of our requests as the interpreter of the mind of God. 3:7; 9:24, 26). The Jewish people celebrate the … I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. “And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she found favor and kindness with him more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti” (Esth. The commentaries explain that Haman, from the seed of Amalek, ignored the many signs of providence in the Megillah story. God turned it to a day of victory, and they were grateful to Him for deliverance. A beauty contest is not a bad way to find a wife, if good looks are all you are looking for. What did you learn from the relationship of Ahasuerus and Esther that will profit your relationship with each other? Both Mordecai and Esther were so grateful to God for His faithfulness that they sent letters to the Jews in all the provinces in Persia instructing them to celebrate the two days of their deliverance every year. If we are facing trying circumstances, it might be wise to solicit the prayer support of other Christians. If He does not use Esther to deliver them, He will use some other means. They provide Him with the opportunity to demonstrate His sovereign love and care, and they provide us with an opportunity to glorify Him. The book describes a mortal conflict between Haman, the enemy of the Jews, and a jew called Mordecai. He asked for the record of his reign to be read to him. The consequences of willful sin can be unbearable. The first time Amalek is mentioned in the Torah is after the crossing of the Red Sea which followed the miracles in Egypt. The whole thing sounded like fun to the king, so he gave his permission, and the search was on. Esth. And God will honor it. The man of the house was none other than the king of the greatest empire in the world of his day. Amalek, say the Rabbi’s, attributed ‘open miracles’ to mere chance and coincidence and refused to acknowledge the divine. Even though Mordechai warned them from attending and indulging, they overruled him; effectively removing Jewish practice from the picture for political considerations. He vowed not only to punish Mordecai, but to exterminate every living Jew in the Persian empire, and incidentally, that would include those in the land of Israel as well, for they were part of the empire. Demons. And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this?” (Esth. Q. 4:16). He would bow his knee to none but God, and that infuriated Haman. Within the ranks of those British Jews who have served in conflict – whether in the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women (AJEX) or, latterly, the Armed Forces Jewish Community (AFJC) – it is well understood that wars happen through human failings even as victories – physical and spiritual – are often about the rectification of those failings. We may have been the victims of circumstances, or we may have made decisions which we thought were right but which have not worked out as we expected. Rabbi Reuben Livingstone LLM CF, is senior Jewish chaplain to HM Armed Forces and AJEX. “When Mordecai learned all that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes, and went out into the midst of the city and wailed loudly and bitterly. The Meaning of Life: Where Did You Come From? The Meaning of Life: Why Are You Here? הדס), a myrtle tree from the Myrtaceae family. What then was the spiritual measure-for-measure theory of Haman’s decree upon the Jews? God already had a wife picked out for this heathen king. He will be honored when we claim His grace to be what He wants us to be and do what He wants us to do in our present circumstances. The name Hadassah (Heb. “And who knows whether you have not attained royalty for such a time as this.” What an outstanding illustration of the greatness of our God. Schwarz founded Kenissa (Hebrew for entryway), a network of “communities of meaning,” in 2015. 5. It was another hasty decision that Ahasuerus would live to regret. At the advice of his trusted counselors he decided to depose her by royal decree—the law of the Medes and the Persians which could never be reversed, not even by the king himself (Esth. One God, One Lord, One Body, Many Races? And then it was time for Esther’s second dinner party. And let the king appoint overseers in all the provinces of his kingdom that they may gather every beautiful young virgin to Susa the capital, to the harem, into the custody of Hegai, the king’s eunuch, who was in charge of the women; and let their cosmetics be given them. It does mean that when we put our lives in Christ’s hands and yield ourselves unreservedly to Him, we can be certain that He has a great plan for us from that moment on. You see, believers are a part of God’s great program on earth; they should be living with confidence as people of destiny. We do not need to air all our dirty linen, run down our spouses or gossip about anybody else involved in the problem. A similar chain of events took place in the Purim story. All we need to do is admit that we have a need and ask our friends to stand with us in prayer. She answered quickly, reminding him that no one entered the king’s presence without being invited unless he was tired of living, and that the king had not invited her into his presence for a full month. In fact He has allowed you to come to this place in your life for a definite purpose, “for such a time as this.” He has something specific for you to accomplish in your present situation, and He wants you to look for the opportunities in that present sphere of influence.