20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.
29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.
10:1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.
(ESV)
STOP! Think a little 🤔 What is God saying to you?
- What is the writer saying?
- How do I apply this to my life?
Purim is a Jewish festival, not established by God in the Mosaic law, but born out of celebrating God’s faithfulness in preserving the Jews against Haman’s plot. The word is derived from the Babylonian word, pur, which means lot, which Haman used to determine the date to execute the Jews (Est 3:7). While Haman relied on chance, God arranged people and circumstances to deliver His people.
The feast of Purim was established directly by Mordecai and ratified by Queen Esther. The festival was celebrated by feasting, giving gifts of food to one another, and giving gifts to the poor. Today, the book of Esther is read in synagogues the evening of Purim and that day is a day of fasting. The book of Esther is read again on the two days of Purim, 14-15 Adar (Feb-Mar).
The book closes by revisiting the power of King Xerces but focuses on Mordecai who had risen in rank but remained a great patriot of the Jews. He sought the welfare of his people, rather than personal gain, and spoke out on their behalf.
This book is a testimony to God’s control of circumstances. Queen Vashti, a Persian, was dethroned so Esther, a Jew, could be placed in a position to save her people. Haman, who had been exalted, was brought low, and Mordecai, a Jew who was hated, became exalted and honoured. A decree to wipe out a nation was overruled by another that led to the destruction of the enemies of the Jews. This story is also a reminder to us who live in a secular society that we can be God’s agents of grace and mercy, and His witnesses to an unbelieving world (1 Pet 3:15). Why have you been placed where you are “for such a time as this?”
Major Stories of the Bible Reading Plan
Paul Appeals to Caesar: Acts 25-26