A Day of Feasting & Gladness

Roger W Piger

Esther • Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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The Feast of Purim was a day of festive gladness for the Jewish people, who are commanded to remeber the provision of God, in sparing their lives from the hand of Haman their enemy.

Notes

Transcript

Welcome & Announcements

Call to Worship

Psalm 86:1–17 ESV

1 Incline your ear, O Lord, and answer me, for I am poor and needy. 2 Preserve my life, for I am godly; save your servant, who trusts in you—you are my God. 3 Be gracious to me, O Lord, for to you do I cry all the day. 4 Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. 5 For you, O Lord, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call upon you. 6 Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; listen to my plea for grace. 7 In the day of my trouble I call upon you, for you answer me. 8 There is none like you among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like yours. 9 All the nations you have made shall come and worship before you, O Lord, and shall glorify your name. 10 For you are great and do wondrous things; you alone are God. 11 Teach me your way, O Lord, that I may walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name. 12 I give thanks to you, O Lord my God, with my whole heart, and I will glorify your name forever. 13 For great is your steadfast love toward me; you have delivered my soul from the depths of Sheol. 14 O God, insolent men have risen up against me; a band of ruthless men seeks my life, and they do not set you before them. 15 But you, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness. 16 Turn to me and be gracious to me; give your strength to your servant, and save the son of your maidservant. 17 Show me a sign of your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, Lord, have helped me and comforted me.

Worship in Song

Great Are You Lord

Kids’ Corner

You are Made in the Image of God

We human beings are not like any other created beings. Only mankind is made in the image of God.

You are Special and Loved

Not anymore special than anyone else, we are all special and loved because we are made in His image.

We know that He loved us, because He sent His Son to die on a cross for us. He didn’t do that because we deserve it.

If you are a human, you are made in the image of God, no matter where you are from, who your family is, what you look like, what size you are. Etc. . .

Genesis 1:27–29 ESV

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit. You shall have them for food.

Jesus Love the Little Children

Matthew 19:14 ESV

14 but Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus is explaining to the old people, that are around Him, that the Kingdom of Heaven is for those of us, that have faith like a child, to believe Him and trust Him. Sometimes, we don’t feel like we are loved. Sometimes people may tell us mean things, bully us, treat us bad, but we are all made in His image, we are His image bearers, in some way. So don’t let anyone every tell you otherwise, and don’t ever tell anyone else, that they are worthless, ugly or unloveable. God loves you, even though you aren’t perfect and He created you just exactly how you needed to be.

Example of when I was in 2nd grade and I didn’t like that I was the shortest person in the class. Well, I needed to learn that lesson. I needed to realize that God had a plan for me. Little bity, blonde haired blue eyed, fair skinned Roger.

Each of us are unique and special, but we are not special because we are unique. We, meaning all humans are special because we are made in God’s image for His purpose and for His glory.

You are commanded to Love God, Love Your neighbors

Worship in Song

Who You Say I Am

Prayer

Anne, to receive healing and comfort from the pain she has been experiencing. Praise for Marty’s successful surgery, and others who have recovered or are on the road to recovery for medical struggles.

We cry out to you, humbly asking that you intervene in our land to bring peace, justice and life, real life, spiritual life among the people of our land, and around the world. We ask that your Kingdom be established here on earth as it is in Heaven. We thank you, that you have given us our daily bread, and that you have made a way of forgiveness for our sins. Thank you Father, for sending your Son, to earth as our Savior, our Redeeming, and that He was raised from the dead and is now seated at Your right hand, interceding for us, that we might glorify You. It is in His name we pray!

Feasting & Remembrance

Esther 9:20–32 ESV

20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor. 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Recorded These Things- To Remember

Esther 9:20, “These things” which were recorded is referring to the rest, which I spoke about last Sunday. The peace and rest, which we also read last week, was accompanied by feasting and gladness, rejoicing and celebration, for the provision of God in preserving His people, who were facing elimination.

Feasts Unto the Lord

There are several feasts that were celebrated in the O.T. and many are still celebrated today by Jewish people.

Passover- Celebration and Remembrance of Salvation

Unleavened Bread- Exodus 12 & 13 Closely coincided with the Passover, and associated with their exodus from Egypt, without leaven.

1 Corinthians 5:7–8 ESV

7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

First Fruits- Lev 23 Celebration and Remembrance of God’s Provision of the Initial Harvest of Grain. (First Cutting is wonderfully nutritious hay).

Weeks/Harvest- God’s Continued provision of all the grain harvest 7 weeks and a day, after Passover. Now Pentecost

Trumpets- Rest at the conclusion of the growing season, remembering His blessings and a dedication of the new year’s growing season to the Lord.

Day of Atonement- Fasting and cleansing

Booths- or Feast of Tabernacle- Celebration and dedication of the fruit harvest- The provisions of God’s blessings (They essentially went camping for a week, on their rooftops) This is where the idea of Christian camping began. Getting away from the norms of life, taking time to reflect upon the many blessings of God.

Feast of Purim

The Feats of Purim, spoken of in Esther 9, is celebrated among the Jewish people even today.

A fast is observed on the 13th, then a Feast is celebrated on the 14th and in some areas, the celebration continues for another day, called the Shushan Purim. The written record of these events, is read each year. When the name of Haman is read, the listeners make loud noised to drowned out the hearing of his name. After the Scripture is read to remind the people of what took place, when Esther became Queen of Persia, then they celebrate with a feast/banquet/party/festival.

Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website states, “Purim, another rabbinical festival in early spring, occurs on 14 Adar (15 Adar in walled cities) [March 10th & 11th respectively in the Gregorian Calendar], commemorating the deliverance of beleaguered Jewry in the Persian Empire under Artaxerxes, as recounted in the Scroll of Esther. This festival compensates for the solemnity of many other Jewish observances by mandating merriment. Schools are closed, public festivities abound, newspapers run hoax items reminiscent of April Fools’ Day, children (and adults) don costumes, and a festive reading of the Scroll of Esther is marked by noisemakers sounded whenever the villain Haman’s name is recited. The Orthodox indulge in inebriation, within limits, and carry out an exacting list of duties: giving of alms, evening and morning readings of the Scroll of Esther, exchange of delicacies and a full-fledged holiday feast.”

Esther 9:30–32 ESV

30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

This is a significant thing. 2500 years later, the people of Israel continue to celebrate this holiday. They remember, they refuse to forget. They honor God, in rejoicing over His provision, of saving the lives of their ancestors.

Freeing them from the threat of destruction and death, that Haman so fervently sought to procure. But God in His Sovereign, providential plan, raised up an orphan girl to the status of a Queen, in order that she, by prayer and fasting, could intervene on behalf of her people, and plea to the world’s greatest ruler at the time, for the lives of her people. A people who then gathered together to defeat those who were rising up against them. Parts of this narrative, clearly resemble the work of Jesus Christ as our Savior and Messiah.

We can and should take cues from their story here in Esther and apply them to our lives today. As we’ve walked through this book together, we have and I pray, we will continue to apply the lessons we’ve learned to our lives. Giving all the praise and the glory to our Heavenly Father.

So this morning, it is with a similar heart of celebration, gratefulness and remembrance, that the Jews celebrated the Feast of Purim, we will celebrate in thanksgiving and remembrance this morning.

Our Feast Today

We celebrate today, not only the saving protection of the people of God 2500 years ago, but we celebrate the Spiritual Birth, that is ours, which Christ made possible by His death on the cross.

We are not going to feast and have a festive party today, but we will dine together. We will eat and drink in remembrance of Christ’s body and blood, that was broken and poured out for the remission of our sins.

1 Corinthians 5:7–8 ESV

John 4:14 ESV

14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

John 7:37–38 ESV

37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ”

John 6:35 ESV

35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.

Worship in Song

As the elements are distributed, please sing along

His Mercy is More

Prayer- Partake of the Bread

No Longer Slaves

Prayer- Partake of the Cup

We celebrate the freedom, that we have in Christ Jesus.

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