The Israelites were a conquered people. The Persians
forced them to serve as slaves--second-class citi-
zens--in enemy territory, where they had no rights,
no recourse and no future.
between her people and the king. Since the king by
law cannot cancel his own signed and sealed decree,
he shrewdly issues another: The Jews, on that same
date, are allowed to defend themselves by extermi-
nating those enemies who originally sought to kill
them. December 13 (or whatever date it was!) becomes
a red�letter day for the Jewish people.
to bring calamity upon God's chosen people, they now
celebrate victory and joy over their enemies.
as well as adults dress up in costume and reenact
the melodrama. Everyone cheers the heroine and
hero (Queen Esther and her uncle, Mordecai); and
they boo, hiss and stomp their feet whenever the
name of Haman is mentioned.
that's happened. We can all move on.
tion instead of devastation.
Spirit-filled believer. Rather than tearing days off
the calendar one at a time--gruesomely moving
toward the day of your demise--your fortunes could
be turned completely around!
blessings for me, not the least of which is a new ending
to what otherwise would have been a dead end.
Thanksgiving Day, your Purim.
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