◄ What Does Esther 9:17 Mean? ►

The Feast of Purim is a day of celebration for the nation of Israel, for it commemorates that joyful time when Esther, the beautiful queen of Persia, was raised up by the Lord for the salvation of her people - the Jewish nation.

The extermination of the Jewish race has been the primary target of Satan's fierce attack on humanity, in his bitter conflict with God and his hatred of mankind... for the Lord destined Israel, through Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to be the one nation through whom the world would be blessed. That blessing would come through Abraham's Seed - Jesus Christ the righteous One Who would crush the head of that old serpent, who is called the devil and Satan.

Before the Cross, the enemy did everything in his power to exterminate forever the promised Seed of Abraham, Who would come from the tribe of Judah and of the house of David. The destruction of the nation of Israel would secure Satan's authority over the earth, forever, and prevent God's plans and purposes for the redemption of man from being fulfilled. The completion of God's plan would secure Satan's defeat and seal his fate.

Despite being defeated at the Cross, this wicked accuser of the saints has continued his unrelenting attack on the people of God - not only the Church but in particular, Israel and Judah, for it will only be when that chosen nation of God collectively repents of their sin and cries out, "Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord," that Christ can return to earth and finally destroy the works of the evil one. God ordained that ONLY when the nation of Israel repents and call out to HIM for salvation, will He bring all things to completion.

It was one such attempt to annihilate God's chosen people, that Esther was used by the Lord to circumnavigate the evil plans and purposes of the devil, through a wicked man called Haman - an Agagite and an Amalekite.

The great king of Persia had been tricked into passing a Law for the extermination of the Hebrew race on a particular day, 13 Adar, and because the Law of the Persians could NEVER be broken, the evil edict had to be enforced. But through the courage and wisdom of the lovely, Jewish queen Esther and her uncle Mordechai, a counter-decree was written which would override Haman's demonic edict and enable the Jewish people to defend themselves from this vicious, ethnic cleansing.

God, in His grace, permitted a great victory over the evil Haman's destructive plans: "This was done on the thirteenth day of the month Adar." The evil plot to wipe Israel off the face of the earth was halted and we read: "And on the fourteenth day they rested and made it a day of feasting and rejoicing."

From that day forward,  14 Adar has been established as an additional feast-day in Israel's calendar, in thanksgiving and praise for God's gracious salvation of His people, Israel.

We, who are been born again by grace through faith, can see an astonishing parallel between Esther's story of deliverance for her people, and God's redemptive plan of salvation for the whole of mankind.

Like the unchangeable law of the Medes and Persians, the perfect Law of God can never be broken - and the wages of sin is death. But God, in His grace, had established a secondary Law that supersedes the Law of sin and death - the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Today, unbelieving Israel is blind to the truth of the glorious gospel of God. But the day is coming when their eyes will be opened and they will cry out in faith, "Blessed is He - JESUS - Who comes in the name of the Lord. Hosanna in the highest."

By God's grace, He is using the Body, the Bride of Christ - which is the Church, to stand in the gap for Israel by prayer, supplication, and through the proclamation of the good news that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and Saviour of the world.

Heavenly Father, thank You for the beautiful story of Esther, which adds to my understanding of Your goodness and grace toward us, as well as Your purpose for Israel in Your perfect plan of redemption. Thank You that the Law of sin and death has been superseded by the Law of the spirit of life in Christ Jesus. Thank You that Your plans and purposes for the nation of Israel will one day come to fruition, when they finally recognise Jesus as their Saviour and Lord. In His name I pray, AMEN.