Every year, on the eve of Purim (the 13th day of the Hebrew month Adar, or March), Jewish observers fast to commemorate the risk Esther took on behalf of her people. The scroll of Esther is read aloud to close the day. On the 14th of Adar, the morning of Purim, the celebration begins. Esther is read again in its entirety. Children dress up as main characters in the story, and when Haman’s name is mentioned, loud boos bellow from the participants, who rattle homemade shakers to drown out his name. The mood is light. Jokes are told and songs are sung. Two types of gifts are given as well: parcels of food for family and friends and charitable gifts to the poor. On the evening of Purim, the Jews gather together for a festive meal.
As I was finishing up this study, my sister forwarded me an email from one of her coworkers with the subject, “Hamantaschen (Purim Cookies) in the Kitchen!” Her friend is Jewish and had celebrated Purim the previous weekend. He brought in Hamantaschen (pronounced Hah-men-tah-shen) cookies to share with his colleagues, triangle-shaped pastries that have corners filled with sweet fillings. These cookies are said to mimic Haman’s three-cornered hat, symbolizing the sweetness of the Jews’ victory. They are a common treat of Purim.
In his email, he gave a brief synopsis of the book of Esther and noted that the spirit of giving is essential to Purim, hence treating his office to cookies. He further explained the fun-loving elements of Purim, one that even includes dressing up in costumes. When I read his email, I was moved by the enduring and far-reaching nature of this holiday, one that Esther and Mordecai instituted more than twenty-five hundred years prior in an empire an ocean away from my sister’s workplace. Here, in our modern day, all around the globe, the celebration of Purim continues because God’s faithfulness is enduring. “The book of Esther is part of our heritage as Christians. It’s part of the big story of redemption that shows God’s love for humanity by bringing someone from the line of Abraham to save humankind.”1 Since Christ came through the Jews for the Jews and to be a blessing to all nations, we as God’s people today can join in the appreciation and celebration of what God did for His people in Esther.
This is an excerpt from Kelly Minter’s Bible study, Esther: Daring Faith for Such a Time as This.
In this 7-session study, Kelly Minter invites you into the daring faith modeled by Esther and her cousin Mordecai—a faith rooted in the goodness of God, lived out through extraordinary circumstances, and used to change the world. Although our time looks different from Esther’s, our God is just as active and faithful today, and He has called you for such a time as this.
Learn more about the Esther Bible study.
Work Cited
1. Dominick Hernández, “Feast of Purim: God’s Silent and Surprising Deliverance,” The Gospel Coalition, March 6, 2023, https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/silent-surprising-purim/.
