God continues to draw us back to biblical types and timelines reminding us that He does not change. Psalms 102:27 affirms this, “But You are the same, and Your years have no end.” This affirms God’s eternal, unchanging presence amid a world of decay. James 1:17 states, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” All of creation points to the Creator! Paul in Romans 1: 20 affirms this, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.” God’s unchanging nature is good news! It means God’s love, grace, and promises are reliable. It also means His justice is consistent. He will not overlook sin. In a world of uncertainty, God’s unchanging nature provides stability, hope, and security for all who trust in Him. I believe that God is calling us today to be encouraged by His providential care by two events that coincide this week—Purim that began March 2 at sundown and ends today—March 3rd at sundown which aligns with a total eclipse of the moon known as a Blood Moon. Our Father of heavenly lights whose eternal power and divine nature does not change is manifesting Himself with special messages to us at such a time as this! May we have eyes to see and ears to hear the message from God to the people of God!
The Book of Esther, the 17th book of the Bible, closes the historical section of the Old Testament and records events that occurred when the Jews were taken captive from Jerusalem and taken to Persia (modern-day Iran) and gives us the background for the celebration of the Jewish Holiday Purim. Most of us are familiar with the Jewish maiden Esther whose name means “star” that became the queen of Persia and was used to deliver her people from massacre. The name of God is never mentioned in Esther nor is there any reference to the book in the New Testament, but in no other portion of the Bible is God’s providential care of His people more evident. Purim is a biblical celebration of faith in the face of adversity and the triumph of God’s people over evil. While Purim is often perceived exclusively as a Jewish festival, its significance extends beyond cultural boundaries, as it is the promise of God to all who believe in Yeshua. Biblical celebrations bring us together as one body and serve to strengthen our individual and collective faith in Yahweh’s power to save us!
Let us review the account of Esther so that we can glean important truths relative to us today. The beautiful Jewish maiden Esther was an orphan who had been brought up by her uncle, Mordecai, who was actually an important official in the court of the Persian emperor. King Ahasuerus reigned over 127 provinces extending from India to Ethiopia from the capital of the Persian Empire Shushan. The Book opens with a feast or banquet that lasted 180 days when the pompous King showed off his possessions. It was during this time that Queen Vashti refused to come to the drunken celebration. The King’s advisors encouraged him to divorce her and send out a decree that every man should rule in his own house and require that his household speak his native language. The search went out for a new virgin queen for the King. Mordecai insisted that Esther become a part of that group that required a year’s preparation. Esther found favor in the sight of Hegai the eunuch over the harem and with all who knew her. The King loved Esther more than all the women and was chosen to be Queen. Esther feared God and executed His plan and did not reveal her Jewish heritage. Clearly, she had been raised up to a position of tremendous influence and importance for God’s purpose. God began to move as Mordecai witnessed two men plotting against the King and told Esther who revealed it to the King and both men were hanged and the King spared which would play an important role later in God’s plan.
Later a certain anti-Semite, an official in the court of the Persian Emperor named Haman, hatched a plot against the Jews due to Mordecai’s unwillingness to bow and give allegiance to him. Haman obtained authorization from the emperor that on a certain day at a future time, there would be a “pogrom,” or organized massacre, of the Jewish people. By this edict, Jews in the entire Persian Empire would all be destroyed. Haman’s plan was nothing less than total genocide—annihilation of the entire Jewish nation. When this decree instigated by Haman went forth, Mordecai sent an urgent message to Esther in the queen’s palace. He informed Esther that it was her responsibility to get to the King and persuade him to change his mind about the decree. Esther sent word back that she had not had any access to the king for quite a while. But the response came again from Mordecai to Esther that she was duty-bound to go to the King on behalf of her people and answered her with these words, “For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise from the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion?” God moved upon Esther’s heart and directed her to call a three day fast and prayer before going before the King. She said, “If I perish, I perish.” In other words, “Whether I live or die is not the most important question. The most important issue is that I do what I can on behalf of my people.” Esther knew that there are times when praying alone is not enough, so she employed the prayers of her people before going before the King. She put on her royal robes, appeared before the King and God gave her favor.
The rest of the Book of Esther unfolds the outcome of her confidence in God’s faithfulness in behalf of His people. She trusted God to direct her and handle the details. She witnessed God’s Divine reversal against the evil Haman and his attempts to annihilate God’s chosen people. Not only did God foil Haman’s plan to hang Mordecai on a 75-foot gallows he built but caused a sleepless night for the King so that he would be reminded of Mordecai’s heroic efforts to save his life. In the end justice was served and Haman was hung on his own gallows and Mordecai was adorned in the King’s robes, was given the King’s signet ring and celebrated by the people for his bravery riding upon the King’s horse.
The King granted Esther and her people by a decree the right to stand up and defend themselves over the edict of the enemy. God’s divine justice prevailed and the enemies of His people—75,000 were destroyed by God’s hand of favor upon His people. In 8: 16 we read, “the Jews had light (a dawn of new hope) and gladness and joy and honor.” On the very day—13th day of Adar that the enemy had planned a massacre of God’s people it was overturned and the Jews had rule over those who hated them. We are witnessing a replay of God’s faithfulness to His people straight from the Book of Esther. God’s words from 11-19-24 are being fulfilled: “Woe to the Ayatollah of Iran. Not only will you be removed by My Hand, but I will also annihilate your army that is moving towards My Israel and My United States.” Christians in Iran are being freed from the enemy! Again, God has given His children victory over the enemy in Persia! God controls people and circumstances to bring about His will, His purpose and His plan. Though seemingly random, the outcome is seen as directed by God, as stated in Proverbs 16:33, “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” God overrules Satan’s plan! Verse 10: 28 says, “These days should be remembered (imprinted on their minds) and kept throughout every generation.” God is still working!
Let us glean nuggets of truth from the Book of Esther to encourage and inspire us today in the face of the enemy’s agenda of the kingdom of darkness to hide and conceal their evil plot while the Kingdom of God exposes and reveals! God is positioning His people to overturn the schemes of modern-day Hamans and the kingdom of darkness and deliver the people of God. First, we must be willing to identify ourselves with the rest of God’s people. We cannot hide away in some palace and say, “well, this crisis doesn’t concern me.” We must be like Esther—willing to lay down our lives, to risk all, to stand by the people of God, to identify ourselves with God’s purposes, to take up the prayer burden. We must be willing to go into God’s presence and seek His guidance. Esther did not go before the King as a beggar but put on her royal robes and stood there in his presence in her position as Queen. As Christians we have to recognize who we are in God’s sight—we are going before the throne of grace in the Name of Jesus—as joint heirs with Him making our petitions known to Him. God wants us to put on the strength and the glory that are appropriate to His sanctuary and to His inner court. We must put away all that defiles; we must put away all that binds and prevent our prayers from being answered. We are to loose ourselves from the chains that bind us such as doubt, unbelief, fear, as well as wrong attitudes and relationships. Having released ourselves, we are to arise and be the people God desires us to be. Esther put the wishes of the king and the need of her people before her own life and desires. May we become a church like Queen Esther—putting the will of King Jesus and the needs of our fellow people before our own lives, if necessary. Here is the point we must remember: Esther’s intercession shaped the course of history. You and I must realize that we can do the same!
Last week I received a message through the Billy Graham Ministry entitled “The Church’s Mission in a Decaying World” by Gary Hamrick, senior pastor of Cornerstone Chapel, in Leesburg, VA. His message is strong and to the point. He said, “Many churches have embraced liberal philosophies—replacing the Word of God with mere social justice and promoting progressive ideology over Biblical theology—while some churches will not address political matters at all. Whether they’re afraid to lose their 501(c)(3) status or simply don’t want to ruffle feathers in their congregations, they are bowing to man instead of God…As our culture increasingly clings to madness and barrels toward destruction, many in the church simply turn a blind eye. Yet, the presence of the church and the power of the Holy Spirit are the only two forces restraining evil in our world. If we see the rising tide of evil in our land and decide to do nothing, we are ceding ground to the enemy and being unfaithful in our calling as ambassadors for Christ…A clash between good and evil is being played out in real time. The Holy Spirit is drawing people to Himself so that as many as possible will be saved and will avoid eternity apart from Christ—but demonic principalities are also at work, seeking to destroy all who would bow to their influence. Souls are at stake, and we must not kowtow to fear…We are not to be silent, passive, ashamed, embarrassed or politically correct. We must engage our world, promote Biblical values, speak the truth and tell people about Jesus wherever and whenever we can…He has charged us to be salt and light; salt to be sprinkled upon a decaying culture as a preservative and an antiseptic, and light to shine the truth into a dark world.”
Hamrick’s message further emphasizes God’s message from the Book of Esther. Here are some check points for us to meditate upon at such a time as this: 1. Is our life so upright before God that our very presence would hold back God’s judgment from the entire community or area where I live? 2. Do we have an intimate relationship with God daily fellowshipping with Him? 3. Do we have a hunger and thirst for God’s Word? 4. Do we speak the truth boldly and unashamedly? 5. Do we seek to hear God’s voice and obey? 6. Are we patient and long-suffering with others? 7. Do we have a conviction of God’s absolute justice—both to judge the wicked and to spare the righteous? 8. Do we have a concern for God’s glory and a corresponding disregard of personal interests and ambition?
Finally, let us address the significance of a Blood Moon occurring on Purim. What is striking about this moment is not simply that a blood moon is occurring on Purim—it is that even secular voices are now turning to Scripture to explain what they are seeing in the skies. This Blood Moon Eclipse, which is happening at the same time as Purim, is not a random event. Instead, it points to the reality that the Bible is not fading into obscurity. It is rising in relevance. Creation itself seems to echo what Scripture has declared all along—that the sun, moon and stars would serve as signs. (Gen. 1: 14) Jesus warned us to discern the times, not ignore them. If the secular world is beginning to recognize Biblical language in celestial events, how much more should believers be spiritually alert? We cannot afford spiritual apathy in an hour when prophecy appears to be stepping off the page and into the night sky. Instead of fear, this is a call to readiness—to examine our hearts, strengthen our faith and boldly proclaim the Gospel while there is still time—at such a time as this! (Joel 2:31; Dan. 6:27; Acts 2:20, Rev 6:12)