What Is Purim?
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What Does Purim Celebrate?
The Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates the preservation of the Jewish people from an edict given by Haman (Esther 9:1) during the reign of King Xerxes of Persia. In the edict, Haman plotted to destroy the entire Jewish population on the 14th day of the Jewish month of Adar.
The Smith Bible Dictionary states, “They gave the name Purim, or ‘Lots,’ to the commemorative festival because he had thrown lots to ascertain what day would be suspicious for him to carry into effect the bloody decree which the king had issued at his instance. (Esther 9:24).”
Purim is often compared to Halloween because costumes are involved for both holidays. But Jews specifically celebrate Purim with costumes because it is a reminder that natural events disguised God’s work but that he was behind the scenes all the while.
Crosswalk contributor Kelly-Jayne McGlynn explains how one of the festival’s main events “is that when the story of Esther is read out loud, whenever Haman’s name is mentioned, the Jews ‘blot out’ his name by making all kinds of noise, from noisemakers, to banging on tables and breaking pots. The reason for this is in Deuteronomy 25:19, Israel is ordered to ‘blot out the name of Amalek from under heaven.’ The book of Esther explicitly links Haman to Amalek by lineage. And because Haman is inarguably the villain of this story, Jews join in on showing contempt for their common enemy together.”
Why Did Haman Want to Kill All the Jews?
We are first introduced to Haman in Esther 3, described as a man honored by King Xerxes, the son of Hammaedatha, the Agagite. The name of Haman’s father isn’t what gives us a clue to Haman’s distaste for the Jewish people, but Haman being an Agagite is a big revelation.
Being an Agagite suggests that Haman’s family lineage is linked to King Agag, the Amalekite king mentioned in 1 Samuel 15. God asked Saul to kill all living things in his battle with the Amalekites, leaving no blunder. Saul ignored God’s command and spared King Aga, which would later lead to Saul being rejected as king. The prophet Samuel eventually killed King Agag in 1 Samuel 15:33. The book of Esther calling Haman an Agagite suggests he was an Amalekite from King Agag’s line.
Israel and the Amalekites have a long, violent history, going back to the Israelites leaving Egyptian slavery. After the Israelites crossed through the Red Sea, the nation of Amalek (a descendant of Esau) launched an attack on the Jewish people without provocations (Exodus 17:8-15). Exodus 8 states in verse 15, “because hands were lifted up against the throne of the Lord, the Lord will be at war against the Amalekites from generation to generation.”
The tension between the Amalekites and Israel is throughout the history of Israel. However, Haman’s family lineage is only one reason for his desire to kill the Jews. In the book of Esther, a person agitates Haman to seek to kill the Jews: Mordecai.
Mordecai, the uncle of Esther (Esther 2:5-7), was a devoted Jewish man and a royal official in the palace. During our first introduction to Haman in Esther 3, we are told that the king has just given Haman “a seat of honor higher than that of all the other nobles” (Esther 3:1). When Haman passed through the king’s gate, all royal officials knelt as Haman passed by… all but Mordecai. Not just once but day after day, Mordecai refused to bow. The other royal officials could not convince Mordecai to kneel. They told Haman of Mordecai’s actions.
When Haman learned that Mordecai wouldn’t bow to him and that Mordecai was a Jew, this is when the plans for exterminating the Jewish people are set in Haman’s mind. So, he goes to get the King’s approval of such an action and even offers money to King Xerxes to pay for any expense. In Esther 3:7, it states that in the Jewish month of Nisan (End of March to mid-April in the Georgian Calendar), Haman cast lots to determine when the execution would occur. The dice determined the date to be the 13th day of Adar (mid-February to Mid- March). This was almost a full year away.
How Did Esther Save the Jews from Destruction?
The first thing Esther did when Mordecai told her of Haman’s edict was fast and pray for three days, her servants joining her (Esther 4:16). Further, Esther asked Mordecai to have all the Jews in Susa to fast and pray for her. When fear and doubt were probably on the forefront of her mind, she knew God was the only one who could save her people.
The next thing Esther did to save her people was to break the law. In the Persian Empire, it was against the law, punishable by death, to go into the king’s presence without an invitation. (Esther 4:11) To add coals to Esther’s insecurity, the King had not summoned her in thirty days. This would suggest that she might have fallen out of favor with the King.
After three days of fasting and prayer, Esther entered the inner courts before the King. “When he saw Queen Esther standing in the court, he was pleased with her and held out to her the gold scepter that was in his hand” (Esther 5:2).
She then pampered the King at a feast she had prepared for him and Haman. Even the King knew she had a request to make of him. But for a reason not revealed in scripture, Esther does not plead for her people but invites the King and Haman to a second feast the following day (Esther 5:8).
Many scholars say Esther was diplomatic or shrewd, but Esther’s second invitation also allowed Haman to fall into trap of his own making. In the time gap between feasts, Haman meets up with Mordecai again. Haman becomes enraged, orders a pole to be built in his courtyard, and seeks the king’s permission to impale Mordecai immediately instead of waiting until the edict stated. But when Haman goes to the King, the King has been reminded of how Mordecai saved him from an execution plot (Esther 2:22-23). The King then orders Haman to honor Mordecai with a parade. Just before the second feast with the King, Haman’s wife offers a warning: “Since Mordecai, before whom your downfall has started, is of Jewish origin, you cannot stand against him- you will surely come to ruin!” (Esther 6:13).
It is with this warning that Haman heads to the second feast.
At the second feast, Esther finally reveals she is a Jew and pleads for her people. Esther even points fingers at Haman as the one who ‘dared to’ destroy the queen of Persia (Esther 7:5). The King, already in a rage, learns of Haman’s plans to kill Mordecai and then orders Haman to be impaled on the pole instead.
Esther finally pleads for Haman’s edict to be revoked. While King Xerxes could not revoke the edict because it held the King’s signet symbol, the King did allow Esther and Mordecai to send out a second edict allowing the Jewish people to defend themselves and kill their attackers on the thirteenth day of Adar. The same day as Haman’s edict was to be enforced.
Mordecai and Esther’s edict was “sent out to the providences of Persia on the twenty-third day of Sivan” (Esther 8:9). This would have been in May-June, still a full nine months before Haman’s edict would be enacted, which was ample time for the new edict to reach the ends of the Persian empire.
When Did the Jews Start Celebrating Purim?
Esther 9:17-18 says that the day after the thirteenth day of Adar was a “day of feasting and joy” (Esther 9:18), which marked the first Purim celebration.
In the following verses, Esther 9:20-23, says that Mordecai recorded all of these events, sent them to the Jewish people and to have the Jewish people celebrate annually, ‘as a time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the moth when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration” (Esther 9:22).
Scripture is clear that the celebration of Purim started the day after the thirteenth day of Adar, approximately eleven months after Haman’s death.
What Can Christians Learn from Purim Today?
While Purim isn’t considered a major Jewish holiday or one of the Feasts that point to the Messiah, if Purim and the story of Esther weren’t something to learn from, God would not have preserved the story and the celebration for thousands of years.
Kelly-Jayne McGlynn states that Purim reminds us:
1. God is always working, even if we don’t see him
2. It is good to celebrate through generosity
3. God wants his people to have fun
What is also important to learn from Purim and the book of Esther is that God is serious about protecting his people.
There were twelve months between when Haman made the edict to kill the Jews and when the edict would be put into effect. God didn’t wait. He could have waited a year to ensure the safety of his people, but he didn’t. Within a month of Haman sealing the edict, Xerxes sealed another edict allowing the Jewish people to protect themselves.
God could also have revealed his power and grandeur in a miraculous moment as he did in Egypt (Exodus 7-12), but he chose people to be the ones to rescue his people. He was working behind the scenes: the fight between Vashti and Xerxes and the selection of Esther as the new queen, and Mordecai’s conviction to not bow, all were actions God used to accomplish his purpose. It reminds us that God does the same thing in our lives today. He is active, and “we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
What Purim and the characters of Esther and Mordecai show us is the willingness to be obedient to God and the faith to trust God with the outcome. That is always worth celebrating.
Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Maglara
You can find out more about Valerie, her books, and her blog at www.valeriefentress.com.
This article is part of our People from the Bible Series featuring the most well-known historical names and figures from Scripture. We have compiled these articles to help you study those whom God chose to set before us as examples in His Word. May their lives and walks with God strengthen your faith and encourage your soul.
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