January Reading from The Message
Community is critical. It is essential to the Christian walk and it was life-sustaining for the Jewish people in exile. The story of Esther is a testament to how a community of faith can survive in a hostile world. Be encouraged from the final chapters of the book of Esther as we see the origin story of the Purim holiday.
Mordecai wrote all this down and sent copies to all the Jews in all King Xerxes’ provinces, regardless of distance, calling for an annual celebration on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of Adar as the occasion when Jews got relief from their enemies, the month in which their sorrow turned to joy, mourning somersaulted into a holiday for parties and fun and laughter, the sending and receiving of presents and of giving gifts to the poor.
And they did it. What started then became a tradition, continuing the practice of what Mordecai had written to them.
Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the archenemy of all Jews, had schemed to destroy all Jews. He had cast the pur (the lot) to throw them into a panic and destroy them. But when Queen Esther intervened with the king, he gave written orders that the evil scheme that Haman had worked out should boomerang back on his own head. He and his sons were hanged on the gallows. That’s why these days are called “Purim,” from the word pur or “lot.”
Therefore, because of everything written in this letter and because of all that they had been through, the Jews agreed to continue. It became a tradition for them, their children, and all future converts to remember these two days every year on the specified dates set down in the letter. These days are to be remembered and kept by every single generation, every last family, every province and city. These days of Purim must never be neglected among the Jews; the memory of them must never die out among their descendants.
Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, backed Mordecai the Jew, using her full queenly authority in this second Purim letter to endorse and ratify what he wrote. Calming and reassuring letters went out to all the Jews throughout the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom to fix these days of Purim their assigned place on the calendar, dates set by Mordecai the Jew—what they had agreed to for themselves and their descendants regarding their fasting and mourning. Esther’s word confirmed the tradition of Purim and was written in the book.
Scripture Insight
Is it possible for a community of faith to exist in a hostile world? Can a community of faith prevail in society without demonstrating usefulness to that society or exercising influence in that society? In other words, can a community of faith survive simply and solely because it’s a community of God’s people?
The answer the book of Esther gives to this question is a resounding yes. And that yes is celebrated at the Feast of Purim when the story of Esther is read to the people. Purim is an annual feast in the early spring that’s characterized by rejoicing and thanksgiving. There are exchanges of gifts between friends, and charity is shown to the poor. Life together is celebrated as a joyous gift. A people who once faced the possibility of not being alive are emphatically and enthusiastically alive. The community isn’t explained in historical terms, and it isn’t analyzed in sociological terms—it’s enjoyed in the rituals and revelries of a festival.
The two themes—the indisputable fact of the community and the irrepressible feast of the community—are interwoven in the story and the festival. The story of the survival of the community is told; the joyous festival is celebrated. Esther and Purim, the story and the feast, are two parts of the same thing—namely, the community of faith.
Coloring and Journaling the Story of God
The Canvas Bible has nearly 300 hand-drawn illustrations, including 150 hand-lettered Bible verses. Make this Bible one of a kind by adding your own beauty and style. Take a look at both cover options and get your copy here.
- Fill the extra space with your own illustrations and prayers.
- Immerse yourself in the words of Scripture.
- Decorate this Bible as a gift for someone you love.
- Slow down as you color and enjoy a more relaxed pace.