Category: Purim

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Prophets and Writings Purim Torah

Tree of Knowledge and Haman’s gallows: Esther shows us how to overcome our desire to replace God

Tree of Knowledge & Haman's gallows: Esther show us how to overcome our desire to replace God. Artwork shows a fruit tree on the left side of the image.

Bible prophecy often talks about widespread persecution against the people of God in the “latter days.” But that seems so far removed from today’s society, where we have global human rights watchdog groups, U.S. First Amendment protections for religious freedom, the International Court of Justice and the United Nations.

This study of the Torah reading וַיִּקְרָא Vayikra (“and He called,” Levicus 1:1–6:7) plus readings for the Sabbath of Remembrance (Deuteronomy 25:17–19; 1Samuel 15:2–34; 1Peter 4:12–5:11) and the Book of Esther reminds us why we keep seeing outbreaks of perplexing violence throughout history, in spite of attempts to legislate away evil.

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Discussions Prophets and Writings Purim Torah

Burnt offering, Purim and Passover: Keep the coal of your heart’s fire burning long for the Kingdom of God

No, this isn’t a case of duct-taping Bible passages together into a hodge-podge teaching. There is an important link between instructions to priests about keeping the Tabernacle altar fire burning, the command to destroy the memory of back-stabbing Amalek, the reluctance of later generations to carry that out fit, Queen Esther’s bold intervention for the Yehudim (Jews), the memory of deliverance from slavery at Peskah (Passover) and the freedom brought by Yeshua the Mashiakh (Jesus the Christ). Strap in your brain for a wild ride.

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Purim

Studies and resources on Purim (Feast of Lots in the book of Esther)

Akhashverosh (Xerxes) hears about Mordechai in the chronicles
Medo-Persian king Akhashverosh (Xerxes) listens to the chronicles of the kingdom and hears that Mordechai thwarted a plot to assassinate him but wasn't honored.

Download an interactive reading of the book of Esther, arranged for a multiperson drama, listen to how a presentation of this drama and access teachings on the lasting importance of Purim for believers in Yeshua haMashiakh (Jesus the Christ).

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Appointments With God Discussions Prophets and Writings Purim

How are the main people in the book of Esther also thematically tied to other people in the Bible?

Purim: Festival of Lots from the Bible book of Esther

The book of Esther presents multiple characters throughout the storyline that may have a more significant purpose than it first appears.

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Appointments With God Purim

Messianic symbols, message in the Book of Esther

Photo from freeimages.com/eran Menashri

Many wonder why the Book of Esther is in the Bible, because the name of God is not mentioned in it. Yet, actually God is mentioned throughout the account. The main people in the book also are symbols for God, God’s Messiah, Israel and the Adversary, aka haSatan.

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Appointments With God Discussions Purim Torah Unleavened Bread

Seventh day of Unleavened Bread: Significance then and today of Israel’s crossing of the Red Sea

Seventh day of Matzot: Why Israel’s Red Sea crossing matters today

Seven days after Israel left Egypt after the first Passover, the new nation went through the Red Sea. The salvation of the LORD was on display. God said that “from generation to generation” we are to remember the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It is easy not to remember this time because the world’s system purposefully distracts from this time and ignores it as much as possible. God proved His sincere desire to redeemed mankind when He commanded His Son to die for us.

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Appointments With God Discussions Purim

Structure of the Book of Esther points to messianic prophecy

"Queen Esther" painting by Edwin Long, 1878
"Queen Esther" by Edwin Long, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, 1878

Many passages in the Bible were written with a chiastic structure, which is like rhyming patterns in poetry but pairing similar information or concepts instead. That’s one reason why some passages seem to be highly repetitive. The point of chiastic structures is to point the reader to a key concept. Daniel explains that the Book of Esther is one large chiastic structure, focusing on a messianic prophecy in the middle.