Archive for Xerxes

Purim 5784/2024

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Purim with tags , , , , , , on March 17, 2024 by paulthepoke

Esther 9:20-22 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

The celebration is to take place in the Hebrew month of Adar on the 14th and 15th day. In the Gregorian year of 2024, the event starts on sundown Saturday, March 23rd and ends the next day on Sunday, March 24th. Scripture tells us the holiday is to be celebrated annually.

Esther 2:16 And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign…

So a Persian wanted to eliminate the Jewish people. This is a real historical event. The setting of the story is in the book of Esther. The events of the story took place from 483-473 BC. The location is Susa of the Persian Empire. This would be modern day Iran.

History knows King Ahasuerus as Xerxes I.

We don’t know for sure who wrote the book of Esther. Jewish tradition holds Esther was written by Mordecai.

But whatever happened to Xerxes I and Persia after these events in the Bible? History tells us his attention was clearly divided during the time period of Esther.

Xerxes followed Darius in 485 B.C. Darius had been smoked by the Greeks. So naturally, Xerxes was going to reclaim Persian glory from the Greeks. He wanted to conquer all of Greece. Xerxes’ plan did not work out well either and the Greeks essentially destroyed the Persians in 479 B.C. This pretty much ended any ambitions Xerxes had planned. Xerxes was assassinated by servants in 464 B.C. The Heart of Hebrew History, H.I. Hester, p. 301, 1949.

King Xerxes was not buried with his Queen, Esther. He was buried in Naqsh-e Rostam outside of modern day Shiraz.

Esther 9:3-4 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and the king’s administrators helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai had fallen upon them. For Mordecai exercised great power in the palace, and his fame spread throughout the provinces as he became more and more powerful.

Esther 10:3 For Mordecai the Jew was second only to King Xerxes, preeminent among the Jews and highly favored by his many kinsmen, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

Historical evidence shows it was Queen Esther and the Prime Minister Mordecai who were buried together. Today in the 21st century, Hamadan, Iran is home to the tombs of Esther and Mordecai.

https://paulthepoke.com/category/purim

The Jewish people were ultimately preserved and spared. God always has a remnant of His people.

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

Leave a comment »

Purim 5781/2021: Who Is Mordecai?

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Purim with tags , , , , , , on February 21, 2021 by paulthepoke

Esther 9:20-22 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

This is the decree for the celebration of the holiday Purim. The celebration is to take place in the Hebrew month of Adar on the 14th and 15th day. In the Gregorian year of 2021, that starts on sundown Thursday, February 25th and ends the next day on Friday, February 26th. Scripture tells us the holiday is to be celebrated annually.

www.paulthepoke.com

Then Mordecai recorded these events…

Mordecai, his name means “little man”. We know Mordecai is from the tribe of Benjamin. And he is related to King Saul by his lineage in Kish. King Saul’s father was Kish.

Esther 2:5 Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite…

~

Mordecai adopted Esther as his daughter. He was a man of God as he took care of orphans. Mordecai’s role in the book of Esther is consistent with the Psalmist. He was just in the defense and protection of his national people.

Esther 2:7 He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter.

Psalms 82:3 Give justice to the weak and the fatherless; maintain the right of the afflicted and the destitute.

Mordecai heard of a plot to assassinate King Xerxes. He shared the evil plan against the king to his adopted daughter Queen Esther. She shared the details with her husband the king. These men were put to death when the plan was confirmed (Esther 2:21-23).

~

Mordecai refused to bow down to one of the king’s officials, Haman. As a result, Haman set out to destroy Mordecai and all of the Jewish people in the kingdom (Esther 3). Out of concern for his fellow countrymen, Mordecai informed Queen Esther of Haman’s written plan to eliminate the Jewish people (Esther 4). Later, Mordecai was honored by the king and Haman for saving the king’s life in the plot against him (Esther 6). He was appointed and succeeded as the chief minister to King Xerxes after Haman’s death at his own gallows (Esther 8).

Mordecai was respected and honored throughout the kingdom. He grew in great power and prestige. Which takes us back to the beginning of the post and the verses in Esther 9. Mordecai was the initiator of the celebration of Purim.

God is never mentioned in the book of Esther. Yet, His sovereignty and plan are executed according to His will.

Purim is a reminder. The Spring Feasts and Passover are only a month away.

Leave a comment »

Trend Update: Purim 2017

Posted in Persia/Elam/Iran, Purim, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on March 8, 2017 by paulthepoke

Esther 9:20-22 Then Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to celebrate the fourteenth day of the month Adar, and the fifteenth day of the same month, annually, because on those days the Jews rid themselves of their enemies, and it was a month which was turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and rejoicing and sending portions of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

This is the decree for the celebration of the holiday Purim. The celebration is to take place in the Hebrew month of Adar on the 14th and 15th day. In the Gregorian year of 2017, that starts on Saturday, March 11th and ends the next day on March 12. Scripture tells us the holiday is to be celebrated every year.

The setting of the story is in the book of Esther. The events of the story took place from 483-473 BC. The location is Susa of the Persian Empire. This would be modern day Iran.

Esther is a unique book in the Bible in that God’s name is not written or used. Even though God’s name is not seen, it is obvious who is in control of the events of the narrative. The book is a practical example of the Abrahamic Covenant.

Genesis 12:3 “And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

I will bless those who bless you…The outline of the story goes like this. King Ahasuerus and his kingdom are ultimately blessed. He marries a beautiful Jewish lady, Esther, who becomes queen. Esther’s uncle Mordecai, a Jew, becomes a trusted voice to the king. The king follows the counsel of his Jewish subjects. King Ahasuerus treated them well and positioned them in places of authority and favor. His kingdom was blessed.

…the one who curses you I will curse…Haman is the villain of the story. He is hostile to the Jewish people. Haman developed a plot to murder all the Jews. His plot is exposed. Haman is ultimately hanged to death at the hands of his own devices.

Esther was a woman of great courage and this is celebrated in the book. Even though she was the queen, she played within the laws of the Persians. She knew death was a possibility.

Esther 4:11 “All the king’s servants and the people of the king’s provinces know that for any man or woman who comes to the king to the inner court who is not summoned, he has but one law, that he be put to death, unless the king holds out to him the golden scepter so that he may live. And I have not been summoned to come to the king for these thirty days.”

Despite the risks, Esther pressed forward on behalf of her people.

Esther 5:2 When the king saw Esther the queen standing in the court, she obtained favor in his sight; and the king extended to Esther the golden scepter which was in his hand. So Esther came near and touched the top of the scepter.

Because of her guile and bravery, the Jewish holiday of Purim is celebrated with joy, gladness, food, and charitable giving.

Leave a comment »