-
Purim Series
Contributed by Diana Tyler on Jul 24, 2023 (message contributor)
Summary: Purim is born
After Haman's sons were hanged, Jews continued to fight against their enemies and were successful. Something that's noticed is the Jews would kill their enemies, but not plunder the property. Some sources have said the Jews weren't looking to make a profit unlike Haman. Either way, the Jews showed how strong they were. They did take some days off to rest, feast, and gladness.
Mordecai wrote all these things and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Xerxes to establish that they should celebrate yearly the 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, sorrow became joy, mourning to a holiday, that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. Esther 9:15-22
The Jews accepted the custom as Mordecai had written it because of the plot Haman had set up to destroy them, but when Esther came before the king, the plot was returned upon Haman's own head and he and his sons were hung on the gallows.
These days were called Purim after the name Pur (the lot). Esther 9:23-26
The Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join them, that without fail they should celebrate these 2 days every year according to the prescribed time, that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, every family, every province, and every city that these days of Purim should not fail to be observed among the Jews and that memory of them should not perish among their descendants. Esther 9:27-28
Queen Esther and Mordecai wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim and Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of King Xerxes's kingdom with words of peace and truth to confirm these days of Purim at their appointed time, as Mordecai and Queen Esther had prescribed for them, and as they had decreed for themselves and their descendants concerning matters of their fasting and lamenting. So, the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim and it was written in the book
Esther 9:29-32