Purim - The Festival of Lots
At the end of chapter two there is the tale of a plot to kill the king and although it only takes up three verses, it is key to the redemption of the Jews.
In those days, while Mordecai was sitting at the king’s gate, Bigthan and Teresh, two of the king’s officials from those who guarded the door, became angry and sought to lay hands on King Ahasuerus. But the plot became known to Mordecai and he told Queen Esther, and Esther informed the king in Mordecai’s name. Now when the plot was investigated and found to be so, they were both hanged on a gallows; and it was written in the Book of the Chronicles in the king’s presence. (Esther 2:21-23)
Immediately following this tale we see the rise of Haman the Agagite. Haman rose very quickly and was made head over the other princes. At the king’s command, all of those who sat at the king’s gate bowed and paid homage to Haman. All, that is, except Mordecai.
Then the king’s servants who were at the king’s gate said to Mordecai, “Why are you transgressing the king’s command?” Now it was when they had spoken daily to him and he would not listen to them, that they told Haman to see whether Mordecai’s reason would stand; for he had told them that he was a Jew. (Esther 3:3-4)
Okay, so Mordecai is a Jew… so what? Why does that give him a reason not to bow to Haman? The Veggie Tale’s movie, “Queen Esther” may shed some light on this. Pa Grape, who plays Mordecai in the movie, has this to say: “I only bow for my God and my king!” The Jewish people were warned time and time again to be very careful regarding to whom they bow. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego refused to bow to the idol Nebuchadnezzar set up and God protected them in the furnace. When we start to bow to other men, it then follows that we begin to bow to their gods as well. Mordecai understood this principle and refused to compromise, even if it meant trouble for he and his family.
Haman was highly offended by Mordecai’s refusal to bow and wanted to “lay hands on him”, but when Haman found out that Mordecai was a Jew, he decided to destroy all of the Jews that were in Persia. He planned to approach the king with his reasons to annihilate the Jews, but first cast lots, or purim (Persian for ‘lots’) to see what day he should set for the attack. Just like many of today’s leaders, Haman looked for signs from the gods (spirits) before making any major decisions. He then approached the king.
Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from those of all other people and they do not observe the king’s laws, so it is not in the king’s interest to let them remain. If it is pleasing to the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver into the hands of those who carry on the king’s business, to put into the king’s treasuries.” (Esther 3:8-9)
There is truly nothing new under the sun. Just like today, one of the biggest complaints against the Jews is that they observe different laws from those around them. Besides the false accusation of “Christ-killers”, the Christians hate the fact that the Jews don’t celebrate the same holidays as they do. Why is that? Is it because deep down inside the Christians know that they shouldn’t be observing those pagan holidays either and the Jew is a constant reminder of that fact?
In Haman’s case, he hated the Jews so much that he was willing to pay for them to be destroyed! This is a deep-seated hatred, not just Haman’s reaction to Mordecai’s refusal to bow. This goes back to the incident with King Saul and King Agag. It seems the children of Agag passed the story down from generation to generation until the day would come when they could exact their revenge on the Jews. It seems that their day had come.
Naturally King Ahasuerus was not happy to hear that there were those in his kingdom who did not follow his laws. Naturally he would want to do something about this. Naturally, he put it in Haman’s hands.
Then the king’s scribes were summoned on the thirteenth day of the first month, and it was written just as Haman commanded to the king’s satraps, to the governors who were over each province and to the princes of each people, each province according to its script, each people according to its language, being written in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed with the king’s signet ring.
Letters were sent by couriers to all the king’s provinces to destroy, to kill and to annihilate all the Jews, both young and old, women and children, in one day, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to seize their possessions as plunder. A copy of the edict to be issued as law in every province was published to all the peoples so that they should be ready for this day. The couriers went out impelled by the king’s command while the decree was issued at the citadel in Susa; and while the king and Haman sat down to drink, the city of Susa was in confusion. (Esther 3:12-15)
Although the order had been given to rebuild both the Temple and Jerusalem itself, there were still many, many Jews living in Persia. Those who knew them and lived near them understood that they had done nothing wrong; nothing deserving total annihilation.
If this all sounds a little familiar, rest assured that we are not the first ones to make a connection between Haman and the Nazis of Germany. Both made Jews the national scapegoat, wanting nothing more than to plunder what they had and destroy the children of Israel. In fact, many sages believe that the Nazis were direct descendants of Haman.
When Mordecai heard about the edict, he tore his clothes, threw ashes on his head and cried out in the streets in mourning, as did all of the Jews throughout Persia. How could such a thing happen? Mordecai then went as far as the king’s gate hoping to get a message to Esther. When she heard that he was standing outside the gate in sackcloth, she sent clothing to him, but he refused them. She then sent the head eunuch, Hathach, out to meet with Mordecai to find out what had happened.
Mordecai told the eunuch all that was said, giving him a copy of the edict and telling him about the payment Haman would be making to the king’s treasury. He then asked Esther to approach the king on behalf of the Jews. When Esther heard this, she became frightened for she knew what could happen to anyone who appeared before the king uninvited, and he hadn’t been inviting her lately.
Then Esther spoke to Hathach and ordered him to reply to Mordecai: “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.” They related Esther’s words to Mordecai. (Esther 4:10-12)
Mordecai’s response to Esther is the closest they come to mentioning God in the entire book. It is actually understood that he is talking about God without even mentioning Him, for deliverance comes from God alone.
Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “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)
Things happen in this life for a reason, and Mordecai understood that. Who knows if God didn’t arrange all of these things in Esther’s life just so that she would be in the right place at the right time to be able to do something about this awful event? Mordecai knew he didn’t have all the answers, but he knew that there was One who did and that was the God that he served. So he cried out to God, and then got busy doing what he felt he could do, seeking help from above and from the palace itself.
Esther understood what Mordecai was saying to her just as well as we. She then advised the Jews to fast and pray with her for three days, beseeching Adonai for His deliverance from the hand of Haman and his cohorts.
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai, “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. I and my maidens also will fast in the same way. And thus I will go in to the king, which is not according to the law; and if I perish, I perish.” So Mordecai went away and did just as Esther had commanded him. (Esther 4:15-17)
There is a great lesson of faith for us to learn in the life of Esther. Not only did she understand that there is a God who cares for His people, but just how to entreat Him in prayer. How often do we hear of people fasting in prayer for another, entreating God to show favor unto them? Not very often. I know of a pastor who fasted for his church and not one of his flock fasted with him. In the end, the pastor grew spiritually beyond the congregation and was moved elsewhere. The church itself is going in the opposite direction, straying further and further from the true path set before them.
Fasting is something we don’t hear much about these days. The concept of denying oneself seems too wrapped up in eastern mysticism to most of us, yet this is something that Yeshua taught His disciples as well. “Deny yourself and take up the cross,” may be a paraphrase, but basically that is what He taught. When asked why His followers didn’t fast like the disciples of other teachers, Yeshua responded that the day would come when they would fast, yet we don’t fast at all.