“These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.”
~ Esther 9:28
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you a risk taker? Are you willing to do something even though you might fail at doing it? Are you willing to lead out when no one else is willing to lead? Are you willing to die for a cause? Esther was willing to die for a cause. Because of being a very attractive gal, Esther – about 2500 years ago, ended up in the spotlight. Because another stunning gal – Vashti, had refused to let her drunken husband – Xerxes, parade her in public, Esther ended up becoming Xerxes’ wife. Because of Vashti’s insolence, Xerxes got rid of Vashti. Xerxes was a power king. Xerxes’ ruled over 127 provinces. Vashti – as Xerxes’ wife, had been the queen mother over the 127 provinces. When Xerxes got rid of Vashti for her brazen impudence, Esther – because of her stark beauty, was chosen to be Xerxes’ wife – making her the queen mother over the 127 provinces that Xerxes ruled over. Xerxes’ nationality was Persian. Esther’s nationality was Jewish. Xerxes did not know that Esther’s nationality was Jewish. When Esther’s dad and ma died – and because she had no one left in her immediate family to care for her, Mordecai – a cousin of Esther, adopted Esther. Mordecai – Esther’s foster dad, forbade Esther to let anyone know what her nationality was. Mordecai and Esther’s dad and ma had ended up in Persia when Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army years earlier took them there as captive exiles. When Esther – because of her being so elegant and exquisite, had Xerxes choose her to be his next wife, Mordecai began hanging out at Xerxes’ palace’s gate. Mordecai ended up on the good side of Xerxes when Mordecai overheard a couple of dudes making plans to assassinate him. Mordecai told Esther about these guys’ plans to do in Xerxes. When Esther passed the news on to Xerxes, Xerxes had the guys killed. In the meantime, Haman’s narcissistic egotism and fomenting hatred for guys and gals who were Jews was leading to one of those moments when evil and good come face to face where evil thinks that it has everything in place to do in good. Haman was Xerxes’ prime minister. When Haman set himself up to have everyone bow to him, Mordecai would not bow to him. When Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew, Haman thought that he had everything in place to kill all guys, gal and kids who were Jews in the 127 provinces that Xerxes ruled over. Haman sent out a Xerxes signet ring sealed edict that stated that on the 13th day of Adar that all guys, gals and kids who were Jews were to be executed.
By the time that what is recorded in Esther 9 took place, Haman’s dreams of seeing the people group of guys, gals and kids who were Jews completely expunged from off of planet Earth, Haman’s plans had become completely unraveled. Just as soon as Mordecai became aware of what Haman was planning to do, Mordecai went into action. Mordecai had Esther explain to her husband – Xerxes, Haman’s plans – which would have her being eradicated with her people group of guys, gals and kids. Because of Xerxes’ at times irrational, crazed personality, Esther had to take a real life risk when she told her husband king the plan that Haman – with Xerxes’ signet ring seal as an okay to do it, had already put into action. Because Esther was willing to take a big time life risk, the people group of guys, gals and kids who were Jews were saved from being totally annihilated. Instead of every single guy, gal and kid who were Jews being murdered, Jew or Israelite people group guys who were living in the city of Susa killed 500 enemy guys. Next day – which was the 14th day of Adar in the twelfth month in the Jewish calendar year – or at the end of February or the first of March on the calendar that your dad and ma use, Jew or Israelite people group guys killed 300 more enemy guys who were living in the city of Susa, hanged Haman’s ten kids – who were already dead, on the gallows that Haman had had built to hang Mordecai and killed 75,000 enemy guys who were living in the 127 provinces that Xerxes ruled over. Verse 28 says, “These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never cease to be celebrated by the Jews, nor should the memory of them die out among their descendants.” Guys and gals who are Jews still celebrate Shushan Purim every year on the 15th day of Adar by reading the Esther Book, giving food gifts to friends, donating money to the poor and eating a festive meal.
If Esther had been too frightened to talk to her scary husband – Xerxes, what do you think might have happened? What if God had not had Vashti be insubordinate to her husband king – resulting in Esther being selected to replace her as Xerxes’ wife queen? What if your grandpaa had stood up during a mission service over 33 years ago (now almost 50 years ago as of this editing) with every other dad and ma – which was to say to your dad and Aunt Lynn that if your dad and/or Aunt Lynn ever said that they had heard a call from God to become a missionary, that your grandpaa would always encourage your dad and/or Aunt Lynn to follow through on their call from God. Your grandpaa had absolutely no idea how big of a risk that he was taking when he did not stand up when Larry Wright asked that all the dads and mas in the church to stand up if . . .; your grandpaa knows today that the life risk that he took over 33 years ago to not stand up has led to guys, gals and kids who live in Bolivia and Guatemala accepting Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.
Esther 9 (767)