As we look toward Pesakh (Passover) coming a month from now, let’s look at why commentators for hundreds of years have seen a number of connections between Purim and Pesakh.
The events recorded in the book of Esther occurred approximately five centuries before the coming of Messiah Yeshua in Bethlehem. Some say that King Akhashverosh (Xerxes) is the same king mentioned in Daniel 9:1 as an ancestor of Darius and the one whom Ezra referenced in Ezra 4:6 as conspiring to thwart Zerubbabel’s efforts to rebuild the temple.
Hatred against the Jewish people has persisted throughout history, and the names of genocidal leaders such as Haman and Antiochus IV live in infamy. Yet, God has preserved Israel, as the tribe of Judah was ordained to be the lineage from which the Messiah would come. It was from Judah that the Seed of the Woman would crush the serpent’s head.
The genocidal cowardice made infamous by Amalek lives on today through the edicts of caliphs, czars, and dictators. We also see that Jewish Derangement Syndrome is rampant in so-called enlightened places such as Scandinavia, Europe, the Middle East, and even the USA.
Though the king of Persia chose Hadassah, later renamed Esther, for her outward beauty, the LORD chose her for her inner beauty.
“Allurements are false, and the beauty of a woman is vain, but an intelligent woman is spoken well of; yes, let her praise the fear of the Lord.” (Proverbs 31:30 New English Translation of the Septuagint)
“Mardochaios said to Hachrathaios, “Go, and say to her, ‘Esther, do not say to yourself that you alone of all the Judeans in the empire will be safe. Because even if you keep silent at this time, from elsewhere help and protection will come to the Judeans, but you and your father’s household will perish. And who knows if for this time you were made queen?’” (Esther 4:13-14 NETS)
Ties between Purim and Passover
“In the first month, which is the month Nisan” (Esther 3:7 NASB95)
Haman casts lots — purim — to determine the date for the genocide.
“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” (Esther 3:12 NASB95)
This would be the day of removing leaven from the house to prepare for Pesakh (Exodus 12:15, 19; 13:7; Deuteronomy 16:3-4). This was also the day roughly 400 years later that Yeshua told the 12 to prepare a place to eat the Pesakh.
“ ‘I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.’” (Esther 4:11 NASB95)
Esther had not seen the King since the middle of the 12th month, Adar.
“Now it came about on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace in front of the king’s rooms” (Esther 5:1 NASB95)
Esther met with the King for the first time on the 15th day of the first month, which is the first day of Unleavened Bread. The midrash in Esther Rabbah makes a lot of the Pesakh parallels and of the three days of the fast, noting the three days of Abraham with Yitzkak and other monumental moments.
“ ‘If it pleases the king, may the king and Haman come this day to the banquet that I have prepared for him.’” (Esther 5:4 NASB95)
Esther’s first feast was on the 15th day of the first month.
“may the king and Haman come to the banquet which I will prepare for them, and tomorrow I will do as the king says” (Esther 5:8 NASB95)
Esther’s second feast was scheduled for the 16th day of the first month, which by the Pharisaical reckoning, was the date of Bikkurim, or First Fruits, which is the beginning of the 50-day, seven-sevens-plus-one count which culminates with Shavuot or Pentecost.
“During that night the king could not sleep so he gave an order to bring the book of records, the chronicles, and they were read before the king.” (Esther 6:1 NASB95)
Between the first feast and the second feast was the beginning of the 16th day, at sunset.
“So Haman came in and the king said to him, ‘What is to be done for the man whom the king desires to honor?’” (Esther 6:6 NASB95)
The switch from Mordecai being nailed or impaled on the 50-cubit etz (tree) to Haman starts at this point.
The 16th of Nisan is also the day that Yeshua came as the Tabernacle made flesh and was exalted above all (John 1:14; Hebrews 2:9).
“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14 NAS95)
“But we do see Him who was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the grace of God He might taste death for everyone.” (Hebrews 2:9 NAS95)
Just because Purim is not mentioned in the Torah doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant to believers in Messiah. With Yeshua, we see that the story of Purim is not yet complete. There is a direct connection between the legacy of Esther and the mission of Yeshua as the King of Kings. Esther foreshadows Christ’s redemption.
Summary: Tammy
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