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. So Queen Esther, daughter of Abihail, along with Mordecai the Jew, wrote with full authority to confirm this second letter concerning Purim. And Mordecai sent letters to all the Jews in the 127 provinces of Xerxes’ kingdom—words of goodwill and assurance— to establish these days of Purim at their designated times, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther had decreed for them, and as they had established for themselves and their descendants in regard to their times of fasting and lamentation. Esther’s decree confirmed these regulations about Purim, and it was written down in the records.
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4 Days
Let’s be honest, sometimes our lives feel like a caffeinated squirrel running through a peanut factory – absolute chaos! But even in the craziness, we can trust that God has placed us where we are for a perfect purpose! Join us as we see this truth play out in the heroic life of Queen Esther.
5 Days
We all go through times when God’s presence feels distant and answers to our prayers seem silent. We wonder if God even cares. With transparency and a pastoral heart, Jamie Rasmussen mines the riches of the book of Esther for principles that are available to us today. The result is an intimate guide to navigating seasons of divine distance so that we can once again feel closer to God.
Are you weary? Worn out by the bills that keep stacking or a heart that keeps aching? If so, the book of Esther brings welcome news: Relief will come! Though God never promised us a life without trials, he does promise to be with us as we walk through them. In this 5-day plan, you'll learn to trust that God can redeem your struggles for a mighty purpose.
7 Days
Amid fearful times under a tyrannical monarchy, Esther and Mordecai could not see how every detail of God’s redemptive plan would unfold for the Jewish people. Yet, they trusted in the One whose providential purposes could not be stopped, even by the most powerful rulers of their day. This 7-day study on the book of Esther explores how our heavenly King works all things for the good of His people.
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