PURIM 2022 by Raphael ben Levi
We are approaching a time in the Jewish calendar of remembrance and retelling as we prepare to celebrate the Feast of Purim in the next few weeks.
In Judaism, Purim is regarded as a minor feast yet it is one of the most popular of all Jewish holidays! It got its name, courtesy of Haman the Amalakite and enemy of the Jews who cast the “pur” (dice) to establish a supposedly ‘auspicious’ date for destroying them. Luck and superstition were central beliefs among the pagan Gentile nations, but in this case things backfired badly for Haman who chose the wrong people to pick a quarrel with! However, this violent demonic spirit continues to thrive in the world today even as it has done through history.
It is customary to attend the Purim celebration in fancy dress as characters from the story. This tradition is based upon the way Esther concealed her Jewish identity at the beginning the story.
The Jewish people had been living in exile under the Persian, King Xerxes who was a direct descendant and 30th in line from Rameses II ‘The Great,’ Pharaoh of Egypt (1304 B.C—1237 BC). Now, in a curious twist, Xerxes was used by God (through Esther) to deliver those his forefathers had kept in bondage for over 200 years.
The majority of the Jewish exiles were reluctant to return to Israel. They had adapted a lifestyle in exile that had become just too comfortable. They built a well organised community first in Babylon (Iraq) and later in Persia (modern day Iran) and they considered it an inconvenience to be uprooted. Had they responded differently from 70 years earlier under King Cyrus with his offer to allow them to return to their Homeland, there would have been no Jewish community left in captivity to facilitate the story of Purim. The implications of this should be a cause to pause for thought.
Amid all the twists and turns in the story of Purim, the faithfulness of God is evident throughout. This principle can also be applied for every believer. We serve a God who promises to deliver His people from every destructive intention of the enemy. Therefore, we remain undaunted and confident in every circumstance knowing that greater is He who is in us than He who is in the world!
