Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 1

Transcription

1 Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 1

2 Ester 8:9-12, (vv 9-10) The king s secretaries were summoned at that time, on the twenty-third day of the third month, the month of Sivan; and a decree was written according to everything Mordekhai ordered concerning the Jews, to the army commanders, governors and officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its script and to each people in their language, also to the Jews in their script and language. They wrote in the name of King Achashverosh, and sealed it with the king's signet ring; they sent the letters by couriers on horseback riding fast horses used in the King s service and bred from the royal stock. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 2

3 Ester 8:9-12, (vv 11-12) The letters said that the king had granted The Jews in every city the right to assemble and defend their lives by destroying, killing and exterminating any forces of any people or province that would attack them, their little ones or their women or would try to seize their goods as plunder on the designated day in any of the provinces of King Achashverosh, namely, the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar. Ester 8:9-12, (vv 15-17) Meanwhile, Mordekhai left the king s presence arrayed in royal blue and white, wearing a large gold crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Shushan shouted for joy. For the Jews, all was light, gladness, joy and honor. In every province and city where the king s order and decree arrived, the Jews had gladness and joy, a feast and a holiday. Many from the peoples of the land became Jews, because fear of the Jews had overcome them. Ester 9:20-28 (vv 20-23) Mordekhai recorded these events and sent letters to all the Jews in all the provinces of King Achashverosh, both near and far, instructing them to observe the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and the fifteenth day, every year, [to commemorate] the days on which the Jews obtained rest from their enemies and the month which for them was turned from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; they were to make them days of celebrating and rejoicing, sending portions [of food] to each other and giving gifts to the poor. So the Jews took it upon themselves to continue what they had already begun to do, and as Mordekhai had written to them; Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 3

4 Ester 9:20-28 (vv 24-26) because Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi, the enemy of the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them and had thrown pur (that is, cast lots ) to crush and destroy them; but when Ester came before the king, he ordered by letters that [Haman s] wicked scheme, which he had plotted against the Jews, should recoil on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. This is why these days have been called Purim, after the word pur. Thus, because of everything written in this letter, and what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had come upon them, Ester 9:20-28 (vv 27-28) the Jews resolved and took upon themselves, their descendants and all who might join them that without fail they would observe these two days in accordance with what was written in [this letter] and at the appointed time, every year; and that these days would be remembered and observed throughout every generation, every family, every province and every city; and that these days of Purim would never cease among the Jews or their memory be lost by their descendants. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 4

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6 1Corinthians 8:1-4 Now about food sacrificed to idols: we know that, as you say, We all have knowledge. Yes, that is so, but knowledge puffs a person up with pride; whereas love builds up. The person who thinks he knows something doesn t yet know in the way he ought to know. However, if someone loves God, God knows him. So, as for eating food sacrificed to idols, we know that, as you say, An idol has no real existence in the world, and there is only one God. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 6

7 Ephesians 4:1-6 Therefore I, the prisoner united with the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called. Always be humble, gentle and patient, bearing with one another in love, and making every effort to preserve the unity the Spirit gives through the binding power of shalom. There is one body and one Spirit, just as when you were called you were called to one hope. And there is one Lord, one trust, one immersion, and one God, the Father of all, who rules over all, works through all and is in all. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 7

8 Genesis 2:21-24 Then God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the person; and while he was sleeping, he took one of his ribs and closed up the place from which he took it with flesh. The rib which ADONAI, God, had taken from the person, he made a woman-person; and he brought her to the man-person. The man-person said, At last! This is bone from my bones and flesh from my flesh. She is to be called Woman [Hebrew: ishah], because she was taken out of Man [Hebrew: ish]. This is why a man is to leave his father and mother and stick with his wife, and they are to be one flesh. Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyr ight 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved. (The Message Bible Online) Numbers 13:17-20, 23 Moshe sent them to reconnoiter the land of Kena'an, instructing them, "Go on up to the Negev and into the hills, and see what the land is like. Notice the people living there, whether they are strong or weak, few or many; and what kind of country they live in, whether it is good or bad; and what kind of cities they live in, open or fortified. See whether the land is fertile or unproductive and whether there is wood in it or not. Finally, be bold enough to bring back some of the fruit of the land." When they left it was the season for the first grapes to ripen. They came to the Eshkol Valley; and there they cut off a branch bearing one cluster of grapes, which they carried on a pole between two of them; they also took pomegranates and figs. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 8

9 Judges 20:8-11 All the people stood up in agreement and said, None of us will go home to his tent or his house. What we will do now to Giv ah is this: we ll draw lots, we ll take ten men out of each hundred throughout all the tribes of Isra el, and a hundred out of a thousand, and a thousand out of ten thousand to collect food for the others. When these come to Giv ah in Binyamin, they will avenge the crime that was committed. Thus all the men of Isra el, joined together in complete agreement, assembled as one man to attack the city. Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 9

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11 Psalm 121 (CJB) A song of ascents: If I raise my eyes to the hills, from where will my help come? My help comes from ADONAI, the maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip - your guardian is not asleep. No, the guardian of Isra'el never slumbers or sleeps. ADONAI is your guardian; at your right hand ADONAI provides you with shade the sun can't strike you during the day or even the moon at night. ADONAI will guard you against all harm; he will guard your life. ADONAI will guard your coming and going from now on and forever. Psalm 121 (MSG) I look up to the mountains; does my strength come from mountains? No, my strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won't let you stumble, your Guardian God won't fall asleep. Not on your life! Israel's Guardian will never doze or sleep. God's your Guardian, right at your side to protect you shielding you from sunstroke, sheltering you from moonstroke. God guards you from every evil, he guards your very life. He guards you when you leave and when you return, he guards you now, he guards you always. Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyr ight 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved. (The Message Bible Online) Shabbat - Purim: For Such a Time As This (Part 1) 11