Purim

Purim is a Jewish festival that commemorates the events recorded in the book of Esther. The name "Purim" is derived from the Persian word "pur," meaning "lot," referring to the lots cast by Haman to determine the day on which to destroy the Jews (Esther 3:7; 9:24, 26). However, through the courageous intervention of Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai, the Jews were delivered from Haman's evil plot, and Haman and his sons were hanged on the gallows he had prepared for Mordecai (Esther 7:10; 9:25). <BR>Following this great deliverance, Mordecai and Esther instituted the festival of Purim to commemorate these events (Esther 9:20-22). The celebration was to be observed annually on the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar with feasting, rejoicing, and sending gifts to one another and to the poor (Esther 9:22, 28-32). The book of Esther was to be read during this festival as a reminder of God's providential care for His people (Esther 9:27, 28). The establishment of Purim as a lasting ordinance ensured that the memory of the Jews' deliverance would be preserved for future generations (Esther 9:28).