Why is Purim Important for Believers?

Why is Purim important for Believers? It’s easy to wonder. After all, the book of Esther gives Jewish history… and a Jewish holiday… right? 

Join us as we discover how Purim honors God and why the book of Esther remains relevant to Believers today!

Why is Purim Important?

So, why Purim? Why should Believers be interested in the story of one orphaned Jewish girl and the holiday she and her cousin established?

There are actually many reasons why Purim and the story of Esther are important for Believers. However, to understand them, we need to first recap key aspects of the book of Esther…

Esther’s Background:

Esther—Hadassah—was born to Jewish parents living in the Persian kingdom. After her parents died, her cousin, Mordecai, allowed her to come into his home, where he raised and cared for her.

This is Esther’s background and history, the things that shaped Esther’s character and faith. But Esther’s life would not remain the same…

Esther would go from being an orphaned Jew living in a foreign land, to becoming a queen of one of the largest and most impressive kingdoms in history! Persia!

A Persian King’s SECRETLY Jewish Queen

Ahasuerus—also known Xerxes I—ruled over the kingdom of Persia in what is generally believed to be the 5th century BC. 

Near the start of Ahasuerus’ rule, he had a queen named Vashti. Little is told of her in the book of Esther, but we are told that Vashti refused Ahasuerus’ summons to appear before him and his guests at a party. 

Remember, in Persia at this time, the king had massive power. His seal on a document was binding, so much so that no one had the power to change. Whatever was written was essentially law—unchangeable, even by the king. No one could go before the king unsummoned without risking their life—the king being the only one who could spare their life. And no one could refuse a summons from the king… 

It is likely that Vashti’s life could have been taken had the king so chosen. Yet, while Ahasuerus spared her life… he was convinced by those around him to remove Vashti from the position of queen. But a queen was needed, and what better confirmation of Vashti being deposed than putting another woman in her place…

Soon, beautiful women from all over the Persian kingdom were gathered to be considered as queen.

Esther was among those brought to the palace—hiding her Jewish identity as Mordecai had instructed and changing her name from Hadassah to Esther. Yet, simply arriving at the palace and finding favor with the eunuch in charge would not be enough to become queen. There was still much to be done in the natural, though God’s hand was already directing and protecting her.

Every woman brought for consideration had to undergo preparations that, in total, would take a year to complete!

Once finished however, and the women were brought for consideration, God’s favor that rested upon Esther swiftly had her being chosen by Ahasuerus as queen… taking her into a completely different lifestyle…

A lifestyle where Esther had greater authority and comforts, but also greater danger and expectation. 

Tough Choices

Here is where the book of Esther lays the stage for Purim. 

Haman, an evil prince of Persia, who managed to find favor with Ahasuerus, lies to the king. Acting out of his own anger toward Mordecai, who refused to bow before him, Haman tells Ahasuerus that an entire people living in Persia refused to obey the king’s laws or ways.

Through painting these people as dangerous to the kingdom of Persia, Haman connived Ahasuerus into giving the power to destroy them to the very liar who sought revenge for one man’s actions against him. Unfortunately, Ahasuerus was unaware of his queen’s heritage, nor the heritage of Mordecai, her cousin, who had saved the king’s life not long after Esther became queen…

This deception of Haman forced many tough choices, particularly for Esther, who had not been summoned by the king for many months. For, once Mordecai laid out the danger that all the Jews faced, Esther had to decide if she would risk her life for her people… or disobey Mordecai and what God wanted in order to avoid detection.

But Esther knew what she had to do. She knew God had set her into the position of queen “for such a time as this.” And so, she fasted and prayed, asking all the Jews nearby to do likewise.

For three days there was fasting and prayer. Then Esther dressed in her royal robes and went before the king unsummoned, at the risk of her life…

Yet, God was with her. The king saw Esther and she found favor with him; his golden scepter extended to her. From there, Esther invited the king and Haman to a banquet. Then, to another banquet the following day—the time between allowing God to honor Mordecai through Ahasuerus and strengthen Esther’s case.

At the second banquet Esther revealed to Ahasuerus the evil plot of Haman and her Jewish identity. Enraged, the king had Haman’s wicked plans for Mordecai and the Jews shifted back upon Haman and Haman’s family. Yet, the edict against the Jews remained—for not even the king could revoke what his seal had enacted…

But God provided Esther favor. The king gave his seal to her and to Mordecai, allowing them to—with God’s wisdom—devise a way to protect the Jews. And that way was in legally allowing all Jews to come together and defend themselves… and God granted the Jews favor in this, giving the Jews victory and provision!

A Holiday, Believers, and God

After the victory, and with newfound favor, Esther and Mordecai chose to set in place what is known as the holiday of Purim…

However, while it is easy for us, as Believers, to feel like it does not apply to us, there are actually many reasons why it should matter to us…

So, why is Purim important for Believers?

• The story of Esther is part of God’s Word; Purim is not just remembering Jewish history; it is remembering the Word of God.
• Purim causes us to remember God’s love, mercy, and power; it was not Esther, Mordecai, or the Jewish people as a whole who managed to overcome, it was God working through them.
• Purim reminds us that God chose and created each of us “for such a time as this.”
• Purim asks all of us to give; following biblical principles laid out in both Old and New Testament teachings.
• The holiday of Purim is joyful; not because of what man did, but because it remembers the Hand of God—this aligns with the truth that the Joy of the Lord is our strength!

These are just a few of the reasons why Purim should matter to Believers. Yet there are many more, such as: Believers being grafted in with our Jewish brothers and sisters; the lessons of preparation and God’s timing; the lessons of obedience and Godly honor; the way the Lord takes what is meant for evil and turns it for good.

All of these are reasons enough for Purim to be equally important for Believers. 

Each turn our attention back to God… and that, that is always good.

“For Such a Time as This”

We are each chosen and created by God “for such a time as this.” God is purposeful in His decisions. He sees the entire picture and never makes mistakes.

We may not understand how our journey is to play out. We do not always know why we are who we are, or why our circumstances have been what they have been; but nothing is without purpose. 

Consider Esther. She was born Hadassah, a Jewish girl… and then she found herself orphaned and being raised by a relative. It was not the most auspicious start. It is unlikely anyone ever saw her and thought, ‘she will be queen.’ Even Esther likely did not see her future… but God did. He knew. He prepared her. He equipped her. He loved her.

Each of us has been equipped “for such a time as this.” And each of us has the ability—like Mordecai—to equip others; to raise up the next generation.

We, at Curt Landry Ministries, are committed to raising up disciples who will wholly follow Jesus. It is why we provide various resources—like this blog. But it is also why we provide resources for you to pass on to others, including the next generation—our children and grandchildren!

Our children’s book, It’s Purim! You Are Here for “Such a Time as This!” is a wonderful resource to impart not only the story of Purim, but also the revelation of God choosing and creating them for a special purpose! “For such a time as this!”

If you would like to learn more about this book, or to purchase a copy, CLICK HERE!