Esther 9:22

“because those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing  and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.”  (NASB)

Hey All, thanks for hanging in there with me.  I think I’m trying to make this blogging stuff much to difficult.  And seeing that keeping all the details in order is one of my gifts and weaknesses, I just realized that I was being to serious!

Needless to say, this verse is talking about one of the best gifts that God gives to us—LIFE.  You see, the Jews living during the reign of Queen Esther had been sentenced to death and God had rescued them from their enemy Haman.  All the people in the kingdom of King Xereses were to kill their Hebrew neighbors on a specific day.  But God used Queen Esther and her uncle Mordecai to intervene before the king on their behalf and a ruling was given to allow the Jewish people to defend themselves.  Can you imagine—one day you had no hope and the next day you were given life!

No wonder they were celebrating and actually created a holiday named “Purim” that is still observed today. 

This is a great picture of another gift that God bestows on us humans—ETERNAL LIFE!  That ‘s right, we are given the gift of eternal life.  Much like Queen Esther and her people, we humans also are sentenced to death because we have all sinned—there is no way that any of us is worthy to stand before a Holy God.  It is a universal law so to speak.  However, again like in Esther, God intervened for people through the work of Jesus—He died on a cross for the sins of everyone in every nation.  We have a choice, just like Queen Esther and the rest of the Hebrew people living in that kingdom—had they not chosen to defend themselves, they would have died--we have a choice to receive Jesus and accept His payment for our sins—it takes action on your part.   Not only did Jesus die for your sins and mine, but also he was dead and buried for 3 days and then He defeated death and arose on the third day.  We celebrate that holiday every spring--Easter.

So my friends, joy is found in life, be that now or forever more!  Now that is definitely worth rejoicing and treasuring in one’s heart!