What Is Purim?
- Purim originated in the Book of Esther, Chapter 9, and was created by Mordecai.
- It is called Mordecai’s Day in 2 Maccabees 15:35.
- Purim is a Jewish holiday celebrating the thwarting of the extermination of Jewish people living in Persia.
- Purim was not commanded by YeHoVaH.
Esther 3:13 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.
What Are the Untold Aspects of Purim?
- The events in Esther took place in Shushan, Persia about 52 years after many Israelites had returned from Exile to the Land of Israel to rebuild the Temple and set up the sacrificial system. However, most Israelite captives chose not to return to their homeland.
- They should have returned to the Land of Israel. YeHoVaH had given Isaiah and Jeremiah prophecies that urged the yet-to-be-exiled nation to come out of Babylon after 70 years and return to the place where the Lord could bless them under the Covenantal Promises of Deuteronomy 28.
Isaiah 48:20
Go ye forth of Babylon, flee ye from the Chaldeans, with a voice of singing declare ye, tell this, utter it even to the end of the earth; say ye, The LORD hath redeemed his servant Jacob.
Jeremiah 29:10-14
For thus saith the LORD, That after seventy years be accomplished at Babylon I will visit you, and perform my good word toward you, in causing you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end. Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.
Jeremiah 50:8
Remove out of the midst of Babylon, and go forth out of the land of the Chaldeans, and be as the he goats before the flocks.
Jeremiah 51:6
Flee out of the midst of Babylon, and deliver every man his soul: be not cut off in her iniquity; for this is the time of the LORD’S vengeance; he will render unto her a recompence.
- Neither Mordechai, Esther, nor the Jews were slaves or captives, but freed by YeHoVaH through His Messiah Cyrus.
Ezra 1:1-2
Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled, the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, The LORD God of heaven hath given me all the kingdoms of the earth; and he hath charged me to build him an house at Jerusalem, which is in Judah.
- The Book of Esther is purely secular. The Book of Esther contains 10 Chapters, none of which contain mentions of God, Prayer, Jerusalem, Temple, Judea, Priests, The Torah, or the Feasts.
- Mordecai, Esther’s uncle, adopted her after Esther’s parents died. Mordecai allowed Esther to marry a man of another nation in direct opposition to YeHoVaH’s Commandments.
- Did God save the Jews or did Mordecai and Esther save the Jews? The people of the Book of Maccabees gave credit to Mordecai by calling it Mordecai’s Day.
- Esther called a fast but there is no mention of prayer. Who did they fast unto?
Esther 4:16
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.
What Does the Word Purim Mean?
- The word Purim means “lots”.
Esther 9: 24 Because Haman the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had devised against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur, that is, the lot, to consume them, and to destroy them;
What Does Purim Commemorate?
- It commemorates Mordecai’s successful blocking of Haman’s plan to exterminate the Jewish people in provinces ruled by Ahasuerus, king of Persia.
Esther 9:22 As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
What Are the Commanded Instructions for Purim?
- There are no Commandments from YeHoVaH to celebrate Purim.
When Is Purim?
- Purim is celebrated on the 14th and 15th days of Adar, the 12th Biblical month.
- The month of Adar corresponds to February/March on the Gregorian calendar.
- However, no one is obligated to follow a command to keep a celebration that YeHoVaH has not commanded.
Esther Chapter 9:20-23, 32
20 And Mordecai wrote these things, and sent letters unto all the Jews that were in all the provinces of the king Ahasuerus, both nigh and far, To stablish this among them, that they should keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same, yearly, As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor. And the Jews undertook to do as they had begun, and as Mordecai had written unto them;
32 And the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book.
How Is Purim Celebrated?
- Some fast the day before Purim is to be celebrated.
- Many dress in costumes representing the persons in the Book of Esther. Some call Purim the Jewish Halloween.
- The Megillah, the Book of Esther, is read on both days. Graggers, hand-operated rotating noisemakers, are twirled at the mention of certain characters.
- Food is given to one another and gifts are given to the needy or a charity.
- There is a festive Purim meal including singing, drinking, and laughter.
- Special prayers are said.
In Conclusion
- The Jewish holiday of Purim is a result of the rebellion of the people of Judea taken into captivity that refused to return to Israel because they had assimilated into the Persian way of life.
- Purim has no religious or spiritual requirements and is therefore a secular holiday.
- Purim originated in Persia making it a Persian holiday.
- Some associate prophetic predictions to Purim saying that WITHOUT Purim there would be no Jews or Messiah. Mordecai didn’t believe that. Here is what he said:
Esther 4:14
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?
When people lack facts they are at the mercy of traditions.
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)
Whenever any miraculous thing happened and saw God’s hand in any any situations God’s people (Jews) in joy turned that day into a feast or celebration day. It was to commemorate the hand of God upon their lives. Prophets and even Jesus among them never stopped them from celebrating it who are we to stop. When some wonderful things happen in our family, we are so happy and joyous so how much more joyous we should get when we think of God’s deeds and favor that He showed in our lives.It is something that we never need to forget. I grew up on an Island where no one told us about who Jesus was. There were only 2 witnesses that helped us to get to know about the love ,grace and truth about our Savior. And they were the celebrations of Easter and Christmas. Thanks, may God bless you all.
Shalom Danny,
We should celebrate when Father moves in our lives. However, those celebrations should not be required or put on the level of Father’s Commandments.
Deuteronomy 4:2
King James Version
2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.
Easter and Christmas have pagan roots.
Deuteronomy 12:30-31
King James Version
30 Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise.
31 Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.
Father gave us Feasts to Celebrate Him: Leviticus 23
Blessings,
Sharon