Esther 9:20-32--The Feast of Purim Inaugurated

Esther 9:20-32
English Standard Version

The Feast of Purim Inaugurated
20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants.

​29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

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I've been talking about Purim for nearly the entire book of Esther.  This passage is the one that firmly establishes the dates of Purim, the reason for celebration, and how the Jews should celebrate this holy day (holiday).  It is to be celebrated the 14th and 15th of Adar (the last month on the Jewish calendar, so about the time of the half-moon that month).  Note that it's also approximately one month before Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Pesach), so this feast gets the people's minds set on the LORD's salvation of His people before they celebrate the story of the Exodus from Egypt and how the LORD saved them "with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm."  On Purim though they celebrate the "reversal" that the LORD gave them, how he made them the head, and not the tail.  He turned their mourning into gladness, just as He said He would.  Therefore, it is a time of celebration, and even a time for the exchanging of gifts (much like Christians do at Christmas).

While the Jews had already celebrated this way the first time around, Mordecai made sure that the celebration of Purim was written into the laws of the Medes and the Persians so that it was irrevocable.  It would always be celebrated and the events that happened here would always be told from generation to generation.  The evil that Haman and his family planned against the LORD's people returned on their own heads, and the same goes for all that allied themselves with him against the LORD and His people.  This would be a day of remembrance, and while the LORD's name was never mentioned in this book, His fingerprints are all over this book as He is clearly directing events.  Even when we can't see the LORD, trust that He is working all things together for the good of His people and for His glory.  Also, the LORD is a covenant-keeping God.  He made eternal covenants with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and David that He would not break.  The same God who did not break His covenant with the people of Israel and Judah will not break His covenant with those who are part of His family by Adoption (the New Testament saints).

Last, but not least, these days were also days of fasting and lamenting for the descendants of Esther and Mordecai.  Remember how the Jewish people fasted when they received the word of Haman's edict and they fasted and prayed for Queen Esther before she went before the king so that she would be granted favor in his sight so that she would not be executed for entering his presence uninvited.  The descendants of Esther and Mordecai continued this tradition of fasting and prayer in remembrance of these events.  If it wasn't obvious without this remembrance, this puts the focus clearly on the LORD that this was a miracle that He had to perform.  All they could do was fast and pray and make themselves available "for such a time as this."  With this proclamation, Esther added her authority to that of Mordecai and this feast became a feast that the descendants of the Jews that were in the provinces ruled by King Ahasuerus and Queen Esther (and governed by Mordecai) were obligated to keep.  So it was that the Purim was established.  I hope this explains how this is still a "biblical feast" but not one of the feasts described in the book of Leviticus or Deuteronomy (The Sabbath, Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, The Feast of Firstfruits, The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), The Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, The Feast of Tabernacles, and the Year of Jubilee).  Purim now takes its place among these holy days as another salvation story much like that of the Exodus and Passover (though Passover will continue to be the holy day of obligation for the Jews as the LORD wants all of His people in Jerusalem there to see Jesus, the Passover Lamb, fulfill that Feast on the day of His crucifixion

We have just one short passage left which will tell us a little more about Mordecai's time in government (since he's probably the one writing the book, he closes with a few notes about himself).  We'll talk about that next time.