As we consider the celebration (reflected in the Jewish holiday of Purim) described in Esther 9:18-19, let’s remember that, 9 months prior to this time, the Jewish people were facing genocide. They were supposed to be wiped out entirely from the Persian empire.
However, they not only received the chance to defend themselves, but when the day specified in the decree arrived, God helped them to be overwhelmingly victorious over their enemies. This was indeed a time for celebration. After all, those who don’t know if they will see tomorrow are typically the most appreciative when tomorrow arrives.
And, because things were a little different in the city of Susa, where the Jews’ right to rout their enemies (which they did without being greedy or going beyond the decree, it seems) was extended for a second day, the resulting celebration was on a different day in that citadel, compared to other regions.
So, what do you do when some people celebrate on one day, and others celebrate on another day? Mordecai knew the answer: you have everyone celebrate on both days!
Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
Esther 9:20-22 NIV
Let’s take a look at three ways that this 2-day event was to be celebrated:
First, the people were instructed to feast. Remember, based on Haman’s original decree, no Jewish person necessarily expected to still be alive by the 14th day of the 12th month. There’s a reason that we allow even condemned convicts to make requests for their “last meal”: it’s the last one he or she is expected to eat on this earth. However, the very ability to still draw breath and enjoy good food for the Jewish people (after the day of their originally prescribed destruction) was something to celebrate!
Second, the people were to give to each other (apparently food). I think of this like my wife bringing treats to the neighbors during the holidays. Again, just being alive was something that that the Jewish people hadn’t expected nine months previous. They were also all in this together.
Third, the people were to give gifts to the poor. This was a victory for the entire Jewish people, and no one needed to be left out just because they didn’t have much.
So, how about us? Do we celebrate good things in our lives? I hope so. And, if you have chosen to make Jesus your Savior and Lord (as I have), I hope that you give God the credit for His work in those good things, both privately and publicly. He deserves the glory and praise not only for what He does for us, but also for who He is!
Along with that, though, do we also celebrate with others? In this example from ancient Persia, I see two key things that the Jewish people throughout King Xerxes’s empire were called to share. For one thing, they were to celebrate both days. Now, some people are open to any excuse for a party, but I could see those in Susa and those outside of the citadel cultivating divisions over time, because they each participated in different respective times of self-defense. Mordecai called on everyone to celebrate both days, though. After all, the Jewish nation was spared from genocide, and that would seem more important than arguing about a specific day.
In addition, the celebration itself included others, including making sure that other people weren’t left out. I’m not sure if part of this was like holiday “treat exchanges”, but there definitely seems to be a directive to help those who might not be able to afford to feast themselves. This was such a big deal that no one should have to miss out because they couldn’t afford to participate.
In that light, the next time you’re celebrating (or learn that someone else is doing so), I encourage you to make it a group activity. Tell others about what God has done for you, join in with their excitement for their own good news (even if you’re not a direct beneficiary), make sure that others can celebrate together (without being left out), and give glory to God.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for July 28, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, July 28, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The Bible and Archaeology, by J.A. Thompson, © 1962, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.166-171.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 