The Story of Esther
- bgiles2016
- May 27, 2022
- 6 min read
I believe most of you are familiar with the story of Esther. If by chance you aren’t, there is a book in the Old Testament of the Bible called Esther which has all the details (: I don’t want to spoil the story, so if you haven’t read it yet, stop and read it before continuing. It’s not too long, I promise
At the end of the book of Esther we find the following verses.
Esther 9:23-28
“So the Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. For Haman son of Hammedatha, the Agagite, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had cast the pur (that is, the lot) for their ruin and destruction. But when the plot came to the king’s attention, he issued written orders that the evil scheme Haman had devised against the Jews should come back onto his own head, and that he and his sons should be impaled on poles. (Therefore these days were called Purim, from the word pur.) Because of everything written in this letter and because of what they had seen and what had happened to them, the Jews took it on themselves to establish the custom that they and their descendants and all who join them should without fail observe these two days every year, in the way prescribed and at the time appointed. These days should be remembered and observed in every generation by every family, and in every province and in every city. And these days of Purim should never fail to be celebrated by the Jews—nor should the memory of these days die out among their descendants.”
To this day, Purim is celebrated in Israel. This year, it began on the evening of Wednesday March 16th, and ended on the evening of Thursday March 17th. I don’t know what the celebrations of Purim looked like during the time of the Old Testament, but I have a feeling the celebration has changed since then. For people my age, Purim is essentially a huge party with abundant alcohol. The idea is for people to drink until they forget who they are. The saying goes that this is because Esther got Haman drunk before exposing him to the King. Another elemental part of today’s celebration is dressing up in costumes. This is supposed to commemorate the way Esther hid her identity as a Jew until the proper time. I heard there were parties everywhere and people had a great time. I didn’t participate in any of these sorts of celebrations, but I did celebrate Purim in a few other way.
This was a mini celebration going on outside my apartment
As with most Jewish holidays, there is a distinct food associated with Purim. It’s a special dessert called אוזני המן (oznei Haman), which means Haman’s ears. (Also called Hamantaschen in the U.S). It may seem a little silly to name your dessert after the villain. Historically, eating his “ears” (or some say it’s his hat) is supposed to symbolically destroy his memory. Other stories suggest it is a celebration of his ears getting cut off after he was hanged. Either way, it is a big part of the tradition. The treat appears in every bakery and most stores in the weeks leading up to the big holiday. Oznei Haman are small triangle shaped pastries with different types of filling in the middle. I was warned ahead of time by my Israeli friends, Arina and Or, of the flavors to avoid and the ones I should seek out. I was advised against the poppy seed filling, but they gave the chocolate filled option their highest endorsement. One of my classmates, Hannah, hosted a Hamantaschen making party at her apartment the week before Purim. It was an absolute blast. We all shaped Haman’s ears and filled them with flavored jams, chocolate, and other sweet sauces. To my relief, there were no poppy seeds in sight ;)
While they baked, everyone sat around and listened to Hannah tell the story of Haman, or “the one who shall not be named”. According to tradition, whenever Haman’s name is mentioned in the story, the listeners are supposed to boo and make enough noise that his name can’t be heard. It was fun to see some of my fellow students hear the story for the first time and follow its dramatic plot. And of course, we enjoyed many delicious Oznei Haman (:
(The finished product!!! YUM)
My church also has a really wonderful Purim Tradition. All the international students get together and put on a play. A narrator and a director who spoke Hebrew and Russian organized us. Acting is most certainly not one of my talents haha. Luckily for me, I secured a very minor role as one of the women the king rejected in his search for a new queen. After two rehearsals, lovely costumes, and we were ready to perform. I thought it was really funny and a great experience. I wish you could all know the individuals who played each of the roles, because I think it adds to its humor. Believe me when I say the roles couldn’t have been more perfectly cast. I’m attaching the video, it’s in Hebrew, but I think you can understand the gist of it haha.
Rehearsal !!
I love these humans dearly
Most importantly, I think the story of Esther is one of great encouragement. During COVID, I had a zoom bible study with some of my dear friends on the book of Esther. There is so much in this book of the Bible, but I just want to share a few parts. The Book of Esther is the only book in the Bible which never mentions the name of God. But reading the story, God’s hand and providence is evident. He is always there, whether in the foreground or simply in the background orchestrating every moment. Nothing happens by chance. I can imagine the moments of fear Esther experienced as she became queen. It doesn’t make sense; how could this happen? It goes against her traditions and religion to marry in this way. And for what purpose? It’s easy for us to see in hindsight but picture being in her position. It isn’t hard to imagine, because we all experience moments like these in our lives, where we can’t fathom how the present could work for good in God’s plan. It wasn’t by chance Mordecai saved the King’s life and the King read about it and honor Mordecai while Haman is furiously plotting against the Jews. Even as Haman used lots (Purim, where the name comes from) to determine the timing of his plan, the day wasn’t chosen by chance.
I also love the way Esther perfectly displays the way God invites us to be a part of his plan. In chapter 4, verses 13 & 14, it says: “Then Mordecai told them to reply to Esther, “Do not think to yourself that in the king’s palace you will escape any more than all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” I believe God perfectly orchestrates our lives so we have beautiful opportunities to be a part of His perfect plan and to reflect His glory. For such a time as this. But it also shows that even if we choose not to enter in and don’t move when He says move, his plan will still come to full fruition. He doesn’t need us for His purposes, but He invites us in with open arms.
There are moments and seasons in my life where I simply did not understand what God was doing or why He placed me where I was. Over and over, whether years later or during these seasons, I have seen the way God used me and allowed me to bring Him glory. In the book of Esther, we see how Esther responds to the called to intercede. She fasted and meditated, relying on the Lord to direct her steps and reveal a way. We can’t do it on our own. Only through His power and wisdom can we make a difference in the world around us. I can’t tell you how many times just in this past year, I have cried out to God, why, why now, why this, etc. In His timing, I can now say, thank you God for the way YOU used my experiences and presence. We aren’t promised it will work out the way we think it should. In fact, Esther even says, “if I perish, I perish.” Don’t be discouraged.
1 Peter 4:12-13
“Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice in as much as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.”
My joy is in Christ and there is simply nothing better than being immersed in his love.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
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