Purim 2021

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Purim 2021

Post #1

Post by WebersHome »

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Purim (a.k.a. Festival Of Lots) is a Jewish holiday commemorating events in the Old Testament book of Esther.

Although the holiday is biblical; it isn't God-given like all those listed in the covenant that Moses' people agreed upon with God per the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, viz: Purim is man-made. (Esther 9:27)

The primary focal point of the story is the political tension between two Persian empire officials: one named Haman and the other Mordecai.

Haman outranked Mordecai, but due to a rather unpleasant incident that took place involving Mordecai's ancestors and Haman's, Mordecai refused to acknowledge Haman as his superior and render him the proper respect, even though the King had required it so.

Haman's emotional reaction to Mordecai's insubordination escalated to the point where he devised a scheme wherein not only Mordecai be executed, but also everyone in the realm deemed Mordecai's people, i.e. all the Jews.

There's a dark side to this story that is seldom, if ever, afforded daylight, to wit: that a frightful genocide was instigated by the pride of just one stubborn individual situated in a key position.

The name of God never appears in even one single verse anywhere in the entire book of Esther; and I am of the opinion it's because Jehovah had nothing to do with any of it-- and wanted nothing to do with it --the whole incident was a painful embarrassment perpetrated by folks known the world over as God's chosen people.

The Jews survived that calamity, but 75,000 law-abiding Persians didn't. I now sometimes wonder whether the Holocaust wasn't a sort of payback for all those needless Persian deaths at the hands of the Jews so many years ago because God remembers things like that.


Ex 34:6-7 . . He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished: visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.
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Last edited by WebersHome on Sun Jan 31, 2021 8:35 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Purim 2021

Post #11

Post by WebersHome »

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There's an additional dark side to this story; to go along with post No.1

Esther persuaded the king to hang Haman's male children after they were already dead: ten boys in all. In other words; she had the king hang their corpse. (Est 9:12-14)

Mordecai's beautiful cousin, it turns out, was a very cruel woman at heart; yet she is admired the world over as a sweet, brave little angel.
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Re: Purim 2021

Post #12

Post by WebersHome »

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FAQ: Why do you suppose God's name isn't active in the book of Esther?

A: There's been some speculation as to why God is absent.

1» Esther isn't scripture, rather; it's a tale. (Possible, but not likely)

2» The events in Esther are believed situated during the reconstruction era depicted in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. The seventy years of captivity were over and the Jews had official permission to return to their ancient homeland. But instead of returning, many Jews strewn about the realm didn't.

It's understandable that a number of Jews wouldn't want to go. Many of them were not expatriated, viz: they had never lived in Israel having been born and raised elsewhere during the seven decades of captivity. To them, Israel wasn't a homeland, rather, it was a foreign country. And as for Mordecai; he no doubt was very satisfied with his cushy federal job and would not be readily willing to give it up.

Well, it's believed that God returned to Israel -- along with the prophets Haggai and Zechariah --to assist His people in rebuilding the Temple and Jerusalem's walls. God's name is demonstrably very active in that theater; but not so with the Jews who elected to stay where they were. Apparently the old axiom; "Walk with God, and He will walk with you." was just as true then as it is now.
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