Annie's "Feast of Purim" Page

Annie's "Feast of Purim" Page
Celebrated 14 Adar ~~ March 20th, 2011
~Purim begins at Sundown on the 15th and ends at sundown on the 16th~

"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."
~Esther 9: 20-22~

Purim
(Feast of Lots)

Book of Esther

*March
20th,
2011

Commemorates the story of Esther when
King Ahasuerus denounced Haman's
plot to annihilate the entire Jewish
population of Persia. Purim is a joyful
celebration of thanksgiving for
Esther's courageous acts and God's
faithfulness.

Purim is not one of the Major 7 feasts in
the Torah but it is one celebrated
by the Jewish people annually.

*Purim begins at Sundown on the 15th
and ends at sundown on the 16th

The World Book tells us this about Purim:
Purim, pronounced PU rihm or pronounced poo REEM, is a joyous Jewish festival
celebrated in February or March, on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Adar. It
commemorates the rescue of the Jews of Persia (now Iran) from a plot to kill them.

The story of Purim is told in the Book of Esther in the Bible. Esther was the beautiful
Jewish queen of King Ahasuerus of Persia. Her uncle Mordecai advised her, however,
not to reveal that she was Jewish. The king's wicked minister, Haman, persuaded
Ahasuerus to have all the Jews in the empire killed. Haman drew lots to determine
the day of their execution. The word Purim comes from the Hebrew word pur,
which means lot. Mordecai and Esther decided to tell the king that Esther was
Jewish and to plead with him to spare her people from destruction. First Esther
fasted in preparation for her visit to the king, and then she revealed her Jewish
origins. Ahasuerus was angry with Haman and had him killed for his plot.
He then appointed Mordecai as minister.

Jews celebrate the survival of their people with great merriment. The Book of
Esther, called the Megillah, is read in the synagogue. People send gifts of food
to their neighbors and give charity to the poor. People dress in costumes
representing Esther, Mordecai, Haman, and Ahasuerus, and hold carnivals.
Jewish tradition established the Fast of Esther on the day before Purim to
commemorate Esther's fast and her courageous deeds.

The World Book says this about the Book of Esther:
Esther, Book of, a book of the Bible, tells the story of Esther, a young Jewish
woman, during the reign of Persian King Ahasuerus. The king selects the
attractive Esther as his queen. Haman, the wicked prime minister, persuades
the king to issue an order condemning all Jews to death. With the advice of
her guardian, Mordecai, Esther convinces Ahasuerus to issue another order
letting the Jews defend themselves on the day Haman's plan was to take place.
Thus, Esther saved her people.

The Book of Esther was written during the period from 400 to 200 B.C. and deals with
the theme of Jewish survival in the face of hardship. Each February or March, Jews
celebrate their deliverance from the evil Haman in a joyous festival called Purim.

Word/Name	Definition	Bible Verses	Other Info
Esther	Esther -- Secret, hidden Hadas'sah -- She was a Jewess named Hadas'sah (the myrtle), but when she entered the royal harem she received the name by which she henceforth became known	1--Esther 2:7,15; 2--Esther 2:17 3--Esther 2-22 4--Esther 4; 5; 6; 7; 8 & 9	1--Niece of Mordecai & an orphan 2--Chosen queen 3--Tells the king of the plot against his life 4--Fasts on account of the decree to destroy the Israelites; Accuses Haman to the king; intercedes for her people
King Ahasuerus	the lion king	Esther 1-1 Esther 1-3	prince, head,chief
Mordecai	contrition, bitter, bruising	Esther 2-5,6 Esther 2-7 Esther 2-21-23 Esther 6:1-11 Esther 8-1,2,15 Esther 10:1-3	Intercedes with Ahasuerus for the Jews; establishes the festival of Purim in commemoration of their deliverance
Haman	noise, tumult & magnificent The Jews hiss whenever his name is mentioned on the day of Purim.	Esther 3:1 Esther 7:10	He was hanged on the gallows which he had erected for Mordecai. The Targum and Josephus interpret the inscription of him--the Agagite --as signifying that he was of Amalekitish descent.
Eunich/Chamberlain	Eunuch -- The English form of the Greek word which means bed-keeper Chamberlain -- an officer attached to the court of a king, who formerly had charge of the private apartments or chambers of the palace.	Chamberlain - Esther 1-10-15 Esther 2:3-21 Esther 4:4,5 Eunich - Deuteronomy 23:1 Isaiah 56:3-5 Jeremiah 38:7-13	It was a post of honor which involved great intimacy and influence with the king. The Hebrew word **saris, thus translated in Esther 1:10,15; 2:3,14,21, etc., properly means an eunuch.**
Interesting information about the book of Esther	Famous quote from Esther is "You were born for such a time as this...."	The author is not known. Written in Hebrew but mixed with some words of Persian origin and some of the Chaldaic affinity.	Written in B.C. 444, 434. A peculiarity of this book that the name of God does not once occur in it.
Vashti	Hitchcocks says: that drinks & thread Smith's says: beautiful	Esther 1:9-22 & Esther 2:1,4,17	the "queen" of Ahasuerus, who, for refusing to show herself to the king’s guests at the royal banquet, when sent for by the king, was repudiated and deposed.

Mishloach Manot Gifts to friends:

Al HaNisim Prayer - A special prayer is added to commemorate the miracle of Purim,
a miracle that extends to our day to day life
Tzedakah Gifts to the Poor - Help the poor share in the happiness of Purim Give
Tzedakah!
Seudat Purim - Purim Festive Meal Celebrate this Festive Meal with a high-meaning,
low-calorie banquet with your family and friends...
Megilah Reading - Let others hear and share your happiness...This is the time to make
your soul dance to the beat of Purim.

Since the word for "gifts"—manot—is in the plural rather than the singular, the rabbis
have interpreted this mitzvah to require at lease two gifts to be sent.

Questions & Answers
Ok so why does a Christian even need to know about Purim? It is in the Bible
Isn't it just a Jewish feast and celebration? Yes, but we have much to learn from Esther
about obedience, fasting, and most importantly trusting the Lord and His sovereignity.
How should a Christian celebrate this feast? It is not mandatory to celebrate the Old
Testament feasts, though it does offer a good learning opportunity for
any Christian family.

"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?"
~Esther 4:14~

Send a friend a Purim Card!
Celebrated 14 Adar ~~ March 20th, 2011
~Purim begins at Sundown on the 15th and ends at sundown on the 16th~

Just click the Pink Bow above.
You can see all the different cards I have available at Annie's Card Shop.