Feast of Purim

Dear beloved: It is interesting to note that when Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, visited President Obama at the White House this week (March 5), he gave Obama a gift for him to read. The gift was a copy of the old testament book of Esther. If you have not read Esther I recommend that you do so this week, as it is a story of how the Jews were saved from extermination while in captivity for 70 years in Persia. The eve of March 7 was the beginning of the Feast of Purim, which is a feast commemorating the salvation of the Jews after a decree had gone out from wicked Haman to have every Jew in the land killed. Esther 3:11 And the king said unto Haman, The silver is given unto thee, the people also, to do with them (the Jews) as it seemeth good to thee. v13 And the letters were sent by posts into all the king's provinces, to destroy, to kill, and to cause to perish, all Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day, even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month Adar, and to take the spoil of them for a prey.

As the story unfolds in Esther we find her uncle Mordecai asks Queen Esther to go in to plead for her people before the king Ahasuerus, who does not know that she is a Jew, nor does he allow anyone to come before him uninvited. Mordecai tells Esther in 4:13, Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. v14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed; and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? v15 Then Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer. v16 Go gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day; I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law; and If I perish, I perish.

Esther does go in and plead with the king, and God steps in and turns the tables on wicked Haman and delivers the Jews from destruction; the very gallows Haman had prepared to hang Mordecai and the Jews on, become the death gallows for Haman. This story bears striking resemblance to a modern day Haman, the demonically inspired Ahmadinejah, president of Iran, who has repeatedley threatened to "wipe Israel off the face of the earth", and exterminate all of the Jews. And so as the modern Haman plots and connives to build nuclear weapons against the will of most all of the nations of the world, let us pray that God will once again step in and turn the tables on Haman, that Israel will be supernatually protected and preserved against all who treacherously plan for her destruction. And let us also pray that America as a nation will be unwavering in standing with Israel. President Obama, may you have some good reading material this week and in the days ahead, the Old Testament of God, and may your understanding be directed by Him. May God bless you as you pray today, in Christ, Jim