PURIM - IT IS TIME FOR YOUR CELEBRATION

18 But the Jews who were at Shushan assembled together on the thirteenth day, as well as on the fourteenth; and on the fifteenth of the month they rested, and made it a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages who dwelt in the unwalled towns celebrated the fourteenth day of the month of Adar with gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and for sending presents to one another. 20 And Mordecai wrote these things and sent letters to all the Jews, near and far, who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, 21 to establish among them that they should celebrate yearly the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar, 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted the custom which they had begun, as Mordecai had written to them, 24 because Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to annihilate them, and had cast Pur (that is, the lot), to consume them and destroy them; 25 but when Esther came before the king, he commanded by letter that this wicked plot which Haman had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them,

Purim - (Pur - to cast lots)

Preaching on Esther has always focused on the miracle of Haman destruction and Mordecai’s victory

Today, we will be taking a fresh look at the book of Esther

Purim is an annual Jewish holiday that celebrates the Jewish people’s deliverance from the wicked Haman in the days of Queen Esther of Persia.

Purim will be celebrated from Wednesday, March 16, 2022, till Thursday, March 17, 2022.

Purim is celebrated with Megillah (Me-gi-llah) readings (i.e. readings from the book of Esther) and with food, charity, feasting, and merriment gifts

Interesting Facts of Esther

There are interesting facts about the book of Esther.

The author of the book of Esther is unknown but largely agreed that such a person would have known Persian culture and probably a Jew

It was written between 470BC and 465BC during the reign of Xerxes (NIV) a.k.a King Ahasuerus (NKJV)

Original audience: the Book of Esther was written to the returned Jewish exiles to emphasise the annual feast of Purim celebrations and remind them of the faithfulness of God, who would keep His promises to the nation

The name of God, Yahweh, conspicuously absent but actions from the characters imply the acknowledgement of God

Critical study: Esther is one of those stories which should not have been the Bible!

I will explain this as we go along

To put it simply, there are situations you, me, we find ourselves in that should not have been!

A Story of Human Folly

Original Situation: Lots (Pur) have been cast to determine the day and month for the destruction of the Jews by the hand of Haman Esther 3:7

Esther 3:7 NKJV

This plot was dramatically turned around, which resulted in the death of Haman. However, the threat was not over as the day for the destruction of the Jews was already written into law Esther 8:5-6

Esther 8:5–6 NKJV

5 and said, “If it pleases the king, and if I have found favor in his sight and the thing seems right to the king and I am pleasing in his eyes, let it be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, which he wrote to annihilate the Jews who are in all the king’s provinces. 6 For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how can I endure to see the destruction of my countrymen?”

So Esther pleads again that this law should be revoked.

The law was subsequently repealed by the words of Mordecai, who was acting under the authority of the king.

Esther is a sad story of human stupidity and selfishness of the highest magnitude!

But Esther is a critical book because our salvation hinges on this book!

It is a story that has emanated from the disobedience of man!

Therefore, and I say this critically; The book of Esther should not have been in the Bible

The reason I say this is due to a problem that was not dealt with early and decisively due to:

Ignorance

Stupidity

Arrogance

Stubbornness

Disobedience

Pride

Cockiness

Hubris

Overconfidence

Procrastination

Selfishness

Thus, some future generations had to suffer and deal with the problem.

But it is here, and we are where we are.

And I thank God for it because it will help us learn from the events that led to this remarkable, fantastic, beautiful, God-filled, mighty, and gracious book to be included as part of the canon of scripture.

Unnecessary Hardship Due to Past Actions or In-Actions

Unfortunately, many people struggle or suffer unnecessarily due to actions or in-actions taken in the past.

There are issues or problems we find ourselves in now (in the present) that should not be but are because we have failed to deal with a situation in our past decisively and conclusively, despite every expert advice and knowledge

We now have:

Debt Issues

Family Issues

Marital Issues

Health Issues

Work Or Career Issues

Academic Issues

Legal Issues, Etc

This is because we did not deal decisively or conclusively with some problems in the past.

Thus there are future or present repercussions (a remote or indirect consequence of some action) where you, me, we end up in situations that should not have been!

We end up praying difficult prayers, exaggerating our worship, fasting endlessly (till you drop dead), binding and casting unseen and imagined demons, blaming witches and wizards, accusing family members of our misfortune etc.

However, God is faithful and merciful that He gives us a second chance, a new opportunity to make amends to such situations.

More often than not, the second opportunity gives us a strong sense of hope, leading to celebrations, joy and fulfilment.

Example Of A Trait I Have – A Lesson In Biochemistry

Recently some of you would have seen me in the gym, and you would say, wow, Martin is keeping fit or building muscle or trying to look cool 😊. But it is deeper than that.

I have a terrible trait called procrastination.

I studied biochemistry at the University of Calabar as my first degree and learnt how the human body functions. I was particularly interested in the metabolic pathways of carbohydrates, i.e. sugars. I was taught by eminent doctors and professors who had all the knowledge of biochemistry.

The metabolic pathway of sugars begins when a chemical called insulin, produced and secreted by the pancreas, causes the sugar flowing in the bloodstream to be absorbed into the muscle cells. When this is successfully absorbed into the cells in the muscle, it is converted to glycogen which is then stored as a form of fuel your body needs to function.

The problem is that sugar in the bloodstream cannot be absorbed by the muscle cells. So insulin acts like a key to unlock the cell and allow the sugar to enter. However, for insulin to work, it needs access to those cells that reside on the surface of the muscle. Something that blocks this access is fatty tissue (which comes from overeating fatty rich food). So if you have too much fat on the muscle surface, insulin cannot bind to the cell to unlock it, and you have excess sugar flowing in your bloodstream. This leads to what is known as Type 2 Diabetes.

As too much sugar is found in your bloodstream, your body will try to remove it as quickly as possible. So your liver and kidney are now working overtime. But also your heart is working overtime because it needs to pump this blood containing the sugar to the liver and then to the kidney to remove it. Basically, the liver is saying to the heart and kidney there is too much sugar, and we need to get rid of this otherwise we would die. If this is unsuccessful, you will suffer renal (kidney) failure, hepatic (liver) disease, and cardiac (heart) failure.

One way of allowing insulin to see and bind to the cell on the muscle is to remove the fat on the muscles. This is done through exercise and eating more fruits and vegetables. I learnt this in biochemistry which these expert doctors and professors taught. This was in 2001/2002! But guess what, although I knew this and had all this knowledge, I continued eating my Pounded Yam, Garri, Burger King, KFC, McDonald’s and all kinds of fatty food.

Fast forward 20 years later, I am in the gym every night lifting weight and running on the treadmill to build muscle and lose weight so I can have my muscles exposed to insulin to get the sugars out of my bloodstream because the doctors have diagnosed me with early onset of Type 2 Diabetes and hypertension! So you see why I am in the gym every night.

Had I put into full practice what these expert professors and doctors taught me, I would not have been in the position I am now. But God is faithful as He gives us second chances all the time.

Exegesis – A Critical Interpretation and Understanding of Esther

To understand Esther, we need to understand the main characters’ Hebrew historicity, context, background, culture and chronology.

This diagram gives a perfect picture of what is happening in Esther

Explain the concept of the diagram

Importance of Names, Genealogy and Chronology

The emphasis on genealogy - a person’s name or identity

In Jewish culture, a person is adequately identified by his name and genealogy.

This gives their importance to society and historical documents or records, e.g. the meaning of Jacob is “supplanter” because he stole his brother’s blessings. However, his name was changed to Israel, meaning “one who prevails” because he wrestled with God and prevailed (Genesis 32:28).

Chronology

in bible study, chronology is crucial as it helps us place events that occur in scripture in their proper time-frame

I will demonstrate this in a short while with importance to the text of Esther

Understanding chronology helps us understand prophecy and its implications, and fulfilment in future events, which further gives us insight into the divine qualities of God, i.e. omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, immutability

Refer to diagram and explain the link with all the characters

Genealogy

Mordecai

Mordecai means - contrition; bitter; bruising. He is of the tribe of Benjamin and a descendant of King Saul

Esther

Esther (Persian: Ishtar) means - secret; hidden. However, her Hebrew name is Hadassah which means a myrtle (a type of flower) symbolising joy. She is of the tribe of Benjamin. Also a descendant of King Saul

Esther 2:5 1 Samuel 9:1–2

Esther 2:5–7 NKJV

5 In Shushan the citadel there was a certain Jew whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite. 6 Kish had been carried away from Jerusalem with the captives who had been captured with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away. 7 And Mordecai had brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle’s daughter, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman was lovely and beautiful. When her father and mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

1 Samuel 9:1–2 NKJV

1 There was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, the son of Zeror, the son of Bechorath, the son of Aphiah, a Benjamite, a mighty man of power. 2 And he had a choice and handsome son whose name was Saul. There was not a more handsome person than he among the children of Israel. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.

Haman

Haman means noise or Tumult. He is known as the son of Hammedatha, the Agagite

Hammedatha means - he that troubles the law. He is called an Agagite, i.e. descended from Agag, who is called King Agag, an Amalekite

Esther 3:1

Esther 3:1 NKJV

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

1 Samuel 15:7–9, 1 Samuel 15:32

1 Samuel 15:7–9 NKJV

7 And Saul attacked the Amalekites, from Havilah all the way to Shur, which is east of Egypt. 8 He also took Agag king of the Amalekites alive, and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword. 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag and the best of the sheep, the oxen, the fatlings, the lambs, and all that was good, and were unwilling to utterly destroy them. But everything despised and worthless, that they utterly destroyed.

1 Samuel 15:32 NKJV

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.”

The author of Esther emphasises the relationship between Hamam and Agag by using the phrase, “Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite”, five times (Esther 3:1, Esther 3:10, Esther 8:5, Esther 9:10, Esther 9:24).

These verses describing “Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite” by the author of Esther shows the relationship between Haman and Agag and his ancestry.

Thus Haman has Amalekite blood flowing through his veins (1 Samuel 15:7–9).

Chronology

Recap Chronology and its importance

Chronology in bible study is crucial as it helps us place events that occur in scripture in their proper time-frame.

Therefore, understanding chronology helps us understand prophecy and its implications, and fulfilment in future events, which further gives us insight into the divine qualities of God, i.e. omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, immutability

Esther was written between c470 and 465BC during the reign of Xerxes.

Esther written after the books of:

Genesis – 2 Kings (c1500-538 BC)

Psalms (c1500-501 BC)

Isaiah (c739-686 BC)

Jeremiah (c627-582 BC)

Lamentations (c586-585 BC)

Ezekiel (c593-571 BC)

Daniel (c605-536 BC)

Hosea (c800-701 BC)

Joel (c516 BC)

Amos (c762-760 BC)

Obadiah (c848-841 BC)

Jonah (c793-753 BC)

Micah (c750-680 BC)

Nahum (c663-612 BC)

Habakkuk (c606-604 BC)

Zephaniah (c622-612 BC)

Haggai (c520 BC)

Zechariah (c520-518 BC)

Furthermore, Esther was written before:

Malachi (c450-430 BC)

And within the periods of the books of:

Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah (c598-430 BC)

Scriptural Significance

Refer to diagram to explain scriptural significance

Use bible references to support your explanation and tie everything together

Haman is referred to an Agagite in the text which affiliate Haman with Agag, the Amalekite king

Esther 3:1 NKJV

1 After these things King Ahasuerus promoted Haman, the son of Hammedatha the Agagite, and advanced him and set his seat above all the princes who were with him.

Amalekites are considered the enemy of God and His people because of the what they did to the Israelites when they left Egypt

Samuel instructs Saul to attack and kill the Amalekites

1 Samuel 15:1–3 NKJV

1 Samuel also said to Saul, “The Lord sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of the Lord. 2 Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. 3 Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.’ ”

Deuteronomy 25:17–19 NKJV

17 “Remember what Amalek did to you on the way as you were coming out of Egypt, 18 how he met you on the way and attacked your rear ranks, all the stragglers at your rear, when you were tired and weary; and he did not fear God. 19 Therefore it shall be, when the Lord your God has given you rest from your enemies all around, in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance, that you will blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. You shall not forget.

Exodus 17:8–16 NKJV

8 Now Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim. 9 And Moses said to Joshua, “Choose us some men and go out, fight with Amalek. Tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in my hand.” 10 So Joshua did as Moses said to him, and fought with Amalek. And Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. 11 And so it was, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed; and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. 12 But Moses’ hands became heavy; so they took a stone and put it under him, and he sat on it. And Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. 13 So Joshua defeated Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword. 14 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Write this for a memorial in the book and recount it in the hearing of Joshua, that I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.” 15 And Moses built an altar and called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner; 16 for he said, “Because the Lord has sworn: the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.”

God Despises the Weak being Maltreated

It is important to note that God despises it when the weak are poorly treated because at points of weakness is when we are most vulnerable.

The beatitudes indicate God’s care for the weak and less privileged.

So God instructs the Israelite’s to ensure they get rid of the Amalekites.

This was what Saul was instructed to do at the time, where he failed due to disobedience.

Saul spares Agag, the king of the Amalekites

1 Samuel 15:7–9 NKJV

Samuel kills Agag

1 Samuel 15:32–33 NKJV

32 Then Samuel said, “Bring Agag king of the Amalekites here to me.” So Agag came to him cautiously. And Agag said, “Surely the bitterness of death is past.” 33 But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women childless, so shall your mother be childless among women.” And Samuel hacked Agag in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal.

Fast forward many years later

Isreal is in exile and there is no where to run or hide

Describe the Persian Empire

The king at the time was Xerxes (King Ahasuerus) and had conquered the Babylonian kingdom whose ruler was Nebuchadnezzar (you can read this in 2 chronicles 36:15-21)

The Persian Empire spanned an entire region from Cush (Ethiopia) to India, a total of 127 provinces (Esther 1:1). This includes modern-day Ethiopia, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and India.

Unfortunately, the Jews had been taken into captivity and scattered all over this kingdom.

Haman now knows who Mordecai is - A descendant of King Saul - a Benjamite

When Haman was made Prime Minister of the entire Persian Empire, it meant a massive problem for the Jews as there was nowhere to run to and nowhere to hide because, the written law impacted all the Jews located everywhere in the Empire.

Esther 3:5–6 NKJV

5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus—the people of Mordecai.

Now Haman must exact complete revenge

Thus, the situation meant total extermination for that present generation of Jews and guaranteed the elimination of the tribe of Isreal.

Esther 3:7–8 NKJV

7 In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, the lot), before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 8 Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all other people’s, and they do not keep the king’s laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain.

The story of Esther appears to connect to the Amalekite problem through Haman the Agagite (Esth 8:3–4). The name connects Haman to Agag, who was an Amalekite (1 Sam 15:8–33).

Consequences for the Israelite and Salvation through Jesus

If Haman had succeed, Jesus would not have come!

This is why I say:

Esther is a sad story of human stupidity and selfishness of the highest magnitude!

Therefore, the book of Esther should not have been in the Bible

Because if Saul had decisively and conclusively followed the divine instruction of God, there would be no Esther story

It is a story that has emanated from the disobedience of one man - Saul!

So Esther is a critical book because our salvation hinges on this book!

Deal With That Issue Now

Recap and summarise the exegesis of Esther

The failure of Saul to deal with the problem of the Amalekites, early and decisively, led to the disturbing dilemma of the Jews in the land of Persia.

The king at the time was Xerxes (King Ahasuerus) and had conquered the Babylonian kingdom whose ruler was Nebuchadnezzar.

Unfortunately, the Jews had been taken into captivity and scattered all over this kingdom.

Thus, the situation meant total extermination for that present generation of Jews and guaranteed the elimination of the tribe of Isreal.

The consequence of this action would be the inhibition of the coming of Jesus Christ.

Exhortations of Esther

God will work it out

God Has Intimate knowledge of His Begotten

Jeremiah 1:5 1 Corinthians 8:3 Psalm 139:15–17 Isaiah 49:1 Romans 8:29–30 Isaiah 54:16–17

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

5 “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

1 Corinthians 8:3 NKJV

3 But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.

Psalm 139:15–17 NKJV

15 My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. 16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, The days fashioned for me, When as yet there were none of them. 17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them!

Isaiah 49:1 NKJV

1 “Listen, O coastlands, to Me, And take heed, you peoples from afar! The Lord has called Me from the womb; From the matrix of My mother He has made mention of My name.

Romans 8:29–30 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. 30 Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified.

Isaiah 54:16–17 NKJV

16 “Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy. 17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me,” Says the Lord.

Testimony of how I got my SC for my job (dont use the term SC directly, just say DBS like clearance)

Criteria for SC: financial stability and British Citizenship

How i got into debt in 2015-2017

How I was not a British Citizen at the time having only ILR

God knows everything about you.

He knows you intimately and has prepared a way for you.

He knows that problems will arise, but He has also prepared a means of escape beforehand.

He rescues before the disaster. Therefore, no weapon formed against you shall prosper because He knows you

Fulfilment of Prophecy (Numbers 24:5–7; Numbers 24:17–20; Jeremiah 48:45)

Remember the chronology and timing

In the case of Esther, Haman had no chance of success, even though neither Mordecai nor Esther knew this beforehand.

The destruction of Haman (Amalek and sons of Tumult) had already been foretold in the book of Numbers and Jeremiah

Numbers 24:5–7 Numbers 24:17–20 Jeremiah 48:45

Numbers 24:5–7 NKJV

5 “How lovely are your tents, O Jacob! Your dwellings, O Israel! 6 Like valleys that stretch out, Like gardens by the riverside, Like aloes planted by the Lord, Like cedars beside the waters. 7 He shall pour water from his buckets, And his seed shall be in many waters. “His king shall be higher than Agag, And his kingdom shall be exalted.

Numbers 24:17–20 NKJV

17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult. 18 “And Edom shall be a possession; Seir also, his enemies, shall be a possession, While Israel does valiantly. 19 Out of Jacob One shall have dominion, And destroy the remains of the city.” 20 Then he looked on Amalek, and he took up his oracle and said: “Amalek was first among the nations, But shall be last until he perishes.”

Jeremiah 48:45 NKJV

45 “Those who fled stood under the shadow of Heshbon Because of exhaustion. But a fire shall come out of Heshbon, A flame from the midst of Sihon, And shall devour the brow of Moab, The crown of the head of the sons of tumult.

Esther 9:5–10 NKJV

5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them. 6 And in Shushan the citadel the Jews killed and destroyed five hundred men. 7 Also Parshandatha, Dalphon, Aspatha, 8 Poratha, Adalia, Aridatha, 9 Parmashta, Arisai, Aridai, and Vajezatha— 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews—they killed; but they did not lay a hand on the plunder.

Esther 9:13–14 NKJV

13 Then Esther said, “If it pleases the king, let it be granted to the Jews who are in Shushan to do again tomorrow according to today’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done; the decree was issued in Shushan, and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

This demonstrates that God already knew what would happen in the future.

Thus, before Mordecai, Esther or Haman was born, God had already set their destiny.

Unfortunately, Haman did not study his history well because of pride and contempt for God.

These are the prophecies of the hope God had for me from when time began.

He knows me so intimately.

He knows my weaknesses, my strengths, my failures, my successes, my bad decisions and brings me out of them because He has predestined me to be glorified.

The 3 Day Fast Of Jesus For You And I (Esther 4:16, Esther 5:1)

The book of Esther indicated that Esther and Mordecai fasted for three days.

Esther 4:16 NKJV

16 “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day. My maids and I will fast likewise. And so I will go to the king, which is against the law; and if I perish, I perish!”

Esther fasted for 3 days

Fasting is the rigorous self-denial of bodily pleasures and needs, a concept known as asceticism.

It is the willingness to deny oneself possessions or status to grow in holiness and commitment to God. It is the mechanism of preparing the body for a re-birth, a new beginning.

It is the metamorphosis of the soul and spirit, resulting in a deeper awareness of our relationship with our sustainer, i.e. God.

When Esther tells Mordecai to fast for three days, she is, in essence, although not aware of it, telling herself, Mordecai and the Jewish people to prepare for a re-birth, a new beginning, for a deeper relationship with God.

So fasting is akin to denial of something.

I parallel this form of denial to our saviour.

The symbolic figure of three (3) in the book of Esther can be linked to the three days in which our Lord and saviour suffered by denying Himself of his honour, power and glory for our salvation.

On Friday of fasting, he denied himself of the pleasure of friends.

Matthew 26:39 “39 He went a little farther and fell on His face, and prayed, saying, “O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.””

On Saturday of fasting, he denied himself of life

On Sunday of fasting, he denied himself from the stronghold of death, and he rose from the grave to give us a new salvation, a new life, a new beginning, a new victory, and a new celebration

Esther 5:1 NKJV

1 Now it happened on the third day that Esther put on her royal robes and stood in the inner court of the king’s palace, across from the king’s house, while the king sat on his royal throne in the royal house, facing the entrance of the house.

There is an Advocate for You (Esther 5, Esther 7)

Esther was the advocate for the Jews.

She stood in the gap to plead with the king for the Jews.

An advocate is a person who pleads for a cause or a lawyer who pleads cases in court.

Jesus promised us the advocate, i.e. the Holy Spirit.

John 14:16 NKJV

16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—

John 14:26 NKJV

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.

This is the paraklētos, the “Holy Spirit” (John 14:26) and the “Spirit of truth” (John 15:26).

This is the one called and sent to assist us

He is the one who pleads our cause

He is our defender and helper in times of trouble

The advocate is in you, so don’t compromise your status because You were made for this day!

Be the advocate

stand for you husband

stand for you wife

stand for you son

stand for you daughter

stand for your mother

stand for your father

stand for your brother

stand for your sister

stand for your family

stand for your self

The Keys To The Kingdom Has Been Given To You

It was written in Esther:

Esther 8:1–2 NKJV

1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. 2 So the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai; and Esther appointed Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Esther 8:7–8 NKJV

7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and Mordecai the Jew, “Indeed, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows because he tried to lay his hand on the Jews. 8 You yourselves write a decree concerning the Jews, as you please, in the king’s name, and seal it with the king’s signet ring; for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed with the king’s signet ring no one can revoke.”

When the king transferred his authority to Esther, Mordecai automatically inherited the blessing

It was not the King who wrote the repeal but Mordecai - he says to Mordecai “You yourselves write a decree…for whatever is written in the king’s name and sealed…no one can revoke...”

Matthew 16:17–19 NKJV

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”

Final Exhortations

The kingdom of God has been given to us, God’s children

This is the divine promise of God

He is going to work it out

I said that God was silent in this book, and yes, He is silent because the author does not mention His name deliberately.

That is a strong message to us that in His silence, He is still working

It may seem He is silent - but He is working it out

It may seem He is still - but He is working it out

It may seem He is far - but He is working it out

It may seem the door is closed - but He is working it out

You may have made a bad decision - God will work it out

You may be in debt - He will work it out

You may be sick - He will work it out

You may be in some crisis - He will work it out

You may be going through work difficulties - He will work it out

You may have gotten yourself in some trouble and you are asking; “how will I get out of this” - He will work it out

Be encouraged - God will work it out

Be Still...

Be Still and know...

Lean in and take hold...

God will work it out

IT IS TIME FOR YOUR CELEBRATION!

PURIM!

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