AN INTRODUCTION TO THE FEAST OF PURIM The word ‘Purim’ is plural of ‘Pur’, meaning (a lot). This day was set to celebrate God’s exalted work with His people, having saved them from the collective slaughter, prepared by Haman against the Jews, allover the Persian empire, after the magicians and the diviners cast ‘pur’ (that is a lot) before Haman to determine the day and the month, until it fell on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar (February – March). Having saved His people on the hands of Mordeccai and Esther, the day set for their slaughter turned into a day of destruction for their enemies, and instead of disgrace, the Jews enjoyed glory. The Jews used to celebrate that feast on the fourteenth and the fifteenth of that month. In the days of the Maccabees in the second century B.C., it was celebrated as the ‘the day of Mordeccai’; And the historian Josephus wrote that in his days the Jews celebrated that feast all over the world1. The rites of celebrating that feast are as follows2: (1)The Jews fast on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And if it is a Sabbath, they would start on the eleventh of the month. (2)In the evening, when the new day begins, according to the Jewish rite, the Jews gather together in their synagogues all over the world; and after the evening prayer, they read the book of Esther. Once the name ‘Haman’ is said during the reading of the book, all those present used to cry out, saying: ‘Let his name be blot out’; or ‘let the name of the wicked be blot out’ And the names of Haman’s ten sons are read quickly in one breath, as a reference to their crucifixion together. (3)The people return to the synagogue the next day to consummate the religious statutes of the day, then spend the rest of it with joy and gladness before the Lord. And the rich give gifts to the poor. 1 Antiq. 11: 6,3. 2 New Westminister Dict. Of the Bible. P 782. 58 CHAPTER 8 PREPARATION FOR THE FEAST OF PURIM The collective slaughter set for the Jews turned into a joyful feast in their life along the generations. For that feast God prepared through the events that followed Esther’s banquet, all of which reveal the true concept of the feast of Purim. 1. The king gives Haman’s house to Esther 1 2. The king gives his signet ring to Mordeccai 2 3. Esther stands before the presence of the king 3 - 4 4. A new royal decree is issued 5 - 14 5. The glorified Mordeccai 15 - 17 1- THE KING GIVES HAMAN’S HOUSE TO ESTHER: “On that day king Ahasuerus gave queen Esther the house of Haman” (1). Haman sought from his followers to cast a ‘pur’ (a lot) to fix a day for him to annihilate the Jews and inherit all the possessions; And Lo, Haman, himself, is delivered to death, and the king gives his house to Esther, the Jew. If the true Haman ‘the devil’, has put in his heart to take the heart of man by force, and to inherit it after destroying and putting him to perdition; through the banquet of the cross, man took over the position of the devil before his fall; and as though, he came to join the heavenly hosts, as one of hem. According to certain fathers, the heavenly ranks are seven, beside the cherubim and the Seraphim, and man came to be the tenth rank, instead of the devil, who has once been the morning star who used to stand before God. The enemy has fallen into the pit, to leave his place to man to be raised up to heaven, and to reign instead of him. If the devil has set himself the ruler of this world through the seductions of sin (John 12: 31), took the house of man, given to him by God, to dwell in with authority; Through the banquet of the cross, man, not only took back his house, but was raised up by the Lord to paradise. About this point, St. Gtrgory of Nyssa, addressing the catechumen, says: [You were outside of paradise, O Catechumen; partaking of the exile of your early father Adam; But now, the gate of paradise is opened before you to go back to where you have been1]. If the feast of ‘Purim’ is the feast of nullifying the ‘pur’ or the (lot) of Haman to annihilate the believers, for God to proclaim that they are His portion, the heirs of the house of the fallen enemy, who enjoy the entrance into heaven itself. 2- THE KING GIVES HIS SIGNET RING TO MORDECCAI: “So the king took off his signet ring, which he has taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordeccai” (2) “When the prodigal son returned to his father, the father said to his servants: ‘Put a ring on his hand’” (Luke 15: 22), a sign and a confirmation of his sonhood authority. So, the believer -- Mordeccai – has the king’s signet ring, according the Evangelist: “As many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name; who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1: 13). This is the royal signet ring, 1 Pg 46: 416 C. 59 (the authority of sonhood) which we get by the Holy Spirit in the water of baptism, called ‘the signet ring of the soul’ by several fathers, like St. Clement the Roman1; Hermas2; the scholar Tertullian3, and St. John Chrysostom4. About it St. Augustinesays: [Hold fast to it, it will never change, for it is a royal seal5]. And according to father Theodor of Massisa: [By this seal, you enter into the possession of God; It is the sign of your Father, for you have became the flock of Christ6]. And according to St. Cyril of Jerusalem: [By this seal, you join the spiritual military. Each one of you would come forward, and introduce himself before God, in the presence of an uncountable army of angels; the Holy Spirit puts a sign on your souls, to be included in the army of the great King7]. By this seal, as we enjoy the authority of sonhood, to live in the possession of God, as His children, and spiritually strive as His hosts. we enjoy the eternal feast, as we inherit the immortal glory. For according to the apostle: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together” (Romans 8: 16, 17). 3- ESTHER STANDS BEFORE THE PRESENCE OF THE KING: If Mordeccai has got the king’s signet ring, as a sign of his enjoyment of the eternal feast; Esther, on the other hand, enjoyed standing before the presence king, which is the true feast, in which the church enjoys the company of the Lord, His dwelling inside her, and her entrance into His bosoms. The book says: “Now, Esther spoke again to the king, fell down at his feet, and implored him with tears to counteract the evil plot of Haman the Agagite, and the scheme which he had devised against the Jews. And the king held out the golden scepter toward Esther. So Esther arose and stood before the king” (3, 4). The true feast is to encounter the Lord, or to stand before Him; … It is standing after falling down, as said about Esther: “Esther fell down at his feet; … the king held out the golden scepter toward her, So she arose …”. In other words, the feast is an entrance into an experience of the resurrection through the cross (the golden scepter). I wish we set forth together with Esther to the king; and with contrition we fall down at His feet. … I wish we implore Him with tears to counteract the evil plots of the devil against us; So that the Lord would stretch His hand through His heavenly cross, the Giver of life, to make us stand and be eternally with Him. 4- A NEW ROYAL DECREE IS ISSUED: By Haman, the first decree was issued, with the verdict of death; Now by Mordeccai and Esther, through the banquet of the cross, that first decree was “wiped out” (Colossians 2: 15); and to our account, a new decree was issued, proclaiming our sonhood to God, and the perdition of our enemies (the devil and his hosts). How beautiful were the words of Esther (the church) to the king, interceding for her people: “For how can I endure to see the evil that will come to my people? Or how 1 Ep. 7: 6. 2 Sheph. Sim 9: 6: 3. 3 De Pudic 9: 9. 4 In 2 Cor. Hom 3: 7. 5 In Ioan, Tr 16. 6 Cat. Hom 13: 17. 7 PG 33: 333 A, 428 A. 60 can endure to see the destruction of my kindred?” (6). those are the feelings of the church toward every soul, and the feelings of the shepherds, and the flock as well; For all are kindled with the love of the salvation of others…. These feeling are embodied in the words of St. John Chrysostom, who did not cease to pray and to work for the sake of the salvation of every member of his congregation. Saying: [Nothing I love more than you; not even the sunlight! I would, tens of thousands of times, if possible, present my eyes for the sake of the repentance of your souls. Your salvation is so dear to me, more than the light itself! … For how would the sunlight be of benefit to me, if sorrow blinds my eyes because of you?!... What hope would be mine, if you do not progress?!... And on the contrary, what despair could enter into me, if you grow?!... Hearing joyful news about you would provide me with wings … So consummate my joy! … I long for your growth … I love you!… To me, you are my father, mother, brothers, and children1!]. Through the love presented by Mordeccai and Esther, the new royal decree was issued, with the following text as it came in the annex to the book of Esther (Chapter 16): (1) A judgment of Haman for his pride: “Many people, the more they are honored with the most general kindness of their benefactors, the more proud do they become” (16: 2). In the first decree, Ahasuerus counted Haman like a father-figure; Now he judges him as being proud. So it is with us: When we fall into sin, we count the enemy (the devil) as a father; but the banquet of the cross, exposed his truth as a proud creation that abused God’s gift to it. (2) The king counted what was to dwell on the Jewish people, as though on him personally (3 – 12); and that Haman intended to deceive the rulers and princes appointed by the king. So it is with the Lord, who, by the cross, counts every oppression and deception by the devil against us, as directed against His kingdom, and touches God Himself as we are His own. (3).He called the Jewish people: “The children of the living God, most high, most mighty, who has directed the kingdom both for us and for our ancestors in the most excellent order” (16: 16). Therefore, through those events, the heathen king could touch God’s hand; and the temptation turned into a secret of blessing, that many have forsaken idol-worship, and came to believe in the living God. If the Jews have been saved from annihilation in the flesh; many of the heathens have been saved from the death of idolworship. 5- THE GLORIFIED MORDECCAI: “Now Mordeccai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad” (8: 15) It was not possible for the city of Shushan to take off the garments of mourning, and to enter into the life of exultation and gladness, unless Mordeccai is first glorified before the king, and put on the royal apparel, the crown of gold, and the garment of fine linen and purple. So it was with the church; it was not possible for her to enjoy the heavenly exultation and the spiritual joy, unless her Groom, the Lord Jesus Christ is glorified, and ascend to His Father. … As, for our sake, He emptied Himself, For our sake, as well, He was glorified, to glorify us together with Him, and to let us put on, together with him, the royal apparel of blue and white, namely, the heavenly (the blue), 1 In Acts hom 3. 61 and the pure (white) garment. By Jesus Christ we were made kings (Revelation 1: 6), put on the heavenly nature, full of purity; And by Him, we enjoy the heavenly golden crown, and put on the royal garment of righteousness (the fine linen) and purple (the royal color). As Mordeccai was glorified, “the Jews had light and gladness, joy, honor; and gladness; …Then many of the people of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews fell upon them” (8: 16, 17). … So it is with the church; As Christ was glorified by the glory which was His from eternity, the church enjoys the light, namely, the enlightenment, the gladness of the spirit, and the inner honor. Here, as the church is glorified by the glorified Christ, we remember the dream seen by Mordeccai, mentioned in the annex to the book of Esther, and its interpretation (the consummation of chapter 10, and chapter 11). Mordeccai saw, as though noises, thunders, and earthquakes; And two great dragons were ready to fight against one another; the nations were stirred up, and the righteous cried out to God; A little spring became a great river with abundant water; and was then transformed into light and a sun…. What are those noises but the noises of the law, and the symbols of the Old Testament, who preceded the coming of the Word, to proclaim the spiritual war, not that between Mordeccai and Haman (the two great dragons), but between the devil and the Lord Christ. And that little spring, namely, Esther, which become a great river, then light and a sun, shining on the people, refers to the church, set forth through the Lord Christ, by whose incarnation He humbled Himself to become a little spring, to flow on us with His Holy Spirit, and to shine on us with His splendor, being the Light of the world, and the Sun of righteousness. That dream carried an interpretation of the events of salvation in the days of Esther; and carried, as well a symbolic interpretation of the events of the true salvation, realized by the Lord Christ Himself.
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