Esther 9 and 10 Feast of Purim – Days of Rest, Feasting & Gladness

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. Esther9:22

Purim celebrated. This great deliverance came to be celebrated yearly, and took its place with the festivals ordained in the Mosaic law in the life of God’s people. Purim is known and kept to day, on March 13 and 14, with great rejoicing.

Mordecai went on to become Xerxes’ leading official, and was able to provide much support for other Jews all of his life.

2  The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3  And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king’s work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them.

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.

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.”

17  This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar. And on the fourteenth day of the month they rested and made it a day of feasting and gladness.

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,

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, … 29  Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter about Purim.

3  For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen. Esther 10:3

Feast of Purim

Pur, originally a Babylonian word meaning “lot” or “fate” is used in the Book of Esther as a synonym for the normal Hebrew word for “lot.” Lot casting, similar to rolling dice, was a common way to make a random selection (Neh. 11:1) or to discern the will of a god (Jon. 1:7). Believing that his gods controlled the fall of the pur, Haman cast lots to determine the right day to destroy the Jews (3:7). What he failed to realize was that God is sovereign and cannot be manipulated by superstition (See Prov. 16:33). By casting lots, Haman inadvertently chose the day of the Jews’ deliverance – a day that is still celebrated in the Festival of Purim.