jewish

The Themes of Purim

The festival Purim is a Jewish holiday traditionally celebrated in the Jewish month of Adar, falling in March or April. The biblical holiday is not a mandated festival, but Purim is a rousing event marked by storytelling and costumes, giving and feasting. Why is it important for us to celebrate Purim as Christians? Why is it a celebration anyway?

The book of Esther tells the riveting tale of Esther and Mordecai, two Jews who saved the Jewish people from annihilation in the Persian Empire. Read a synopsis of the story here. The Purim story is fascinating and gives a unique account of the events that transpired when the Jews were exiles from their homeland around 480 BC. It gives us a glimpse into the lives of the people who God providentially uses to rescue his people from being wiped out. Watch a video on the story of Esther here.

Esther is a young Jewish girl who unexpectedly rises to power as the Queen of the Persian Empire. The King’s Prime Minister Haman created a plot to annihilate the Jewish people. Esther and her cousin Mordecai bravely use their political stance and cunning to bring the evil Haman to justice and save an entire people group from extinction. The book is political, dramatic, artfully written, and the arc of the story shows the writer of Esther to be truly brilliant in his portrayal of details and climactic themes. So what are the themes of the book and why should we celebrate the holiday as Christians?

THE THEME OF GOD NEVER MENTIONED

The first thing a reader notices when they read the story of Esther is that God is never mentioned. No reference to the God of the Israelites is ever noticed, although there are a few implications given when Esther and Mordecai pray. The author strategically wrote the book in this way to reveal the  main theme of the story: God is never absent from his people, even when we don’t see him. The author of Esther told the story through “behind the scenes coincidences” and the work of people in “just the right place in the right time” situations. Every perfect situation and happenstance moment cannot be just mere coincidence, but points very clearly to the God who orchestrates the entire story. We can be encouraged by this as Christians, because we know that God is always working, even when we don’t see him.

This theme is most present when we observe the many times the Jewish and Christian people have been persecuted throughout the centuries. We still know that God has proved himself faithful to his people no matter what. The story of Hanukkah commemorates the Jewish people who revolted against the Greek empire 400 years before Jesus. During the Holocaust, many Jews died at the hands of Hitler, but God proved his faithfulness to his people again in the death of Hitler and the miraculous redemption of the Jews from death camps. God performed another miracle when the State of Israel began in 1945, offering a safe place for the Jewish people. Joseph Stalin died on Purim in 1953, which ended his brutal slaughter of the Russian Jews. These were not mere coincidences, but the guiding hand of the God of Israel.

THE THEME OF REVERSAL OF ROLES

The Purim story is told in sections, beginning with a party, leading into a face-off between Haman and Mordecai, a turn into the frightening plot of Haman, and then arcing in a complete reversal of the story. The story arcs in what is called a “chiasm”, which is a storytelling technique in which a story is told in a repetition of a reverse sequence of events. Essentially the events are structured in an A-B-C-B-A sequence with the climax being the turning point in the story to reverse the details. The reversal incidence in this story is the banquet scene when Esther reveals herself as a Jew. The evil Haman who plotted against Mordecai is hung on the very gallows he meant for Mordecai. The destruction of the Jews turns into a day where the Jews destroy their enemies. We see a reversal of roles as Haman, the most powerful man in the empire next to the King, reverses roles with Mordecai and the victory meant for Haman goes to Mordecai. The story, which should have ended with Haman celebrating his victory, instead ends with a banquet and party as the Jewish people celebrate their victory over Haman. The story is so artfully written that we see this chiasm unfolding before our eyes and our minds are blown by the purposes of God. What man meant for evil, God will turn into good.

THE THEME OF GOD USING ANYONE FOR HIS PURPOSES

In addition, the book of Esther powerfully shows that God can use anybody to accomplish his purposes. Most of the story of Esther is told in a world of power-plays, political hierarchy, murder and drinking. Many of the characters are morally ambiguous and even Esther and Mordecai are not following the laws of the Torah (Such as marrying non-Jews and eating unclean foods). Yet, God displays his glory and power through Esther and Mordecai even though they are not portrayed as law-following Jews themselves.

IN CONCLUSION

The Purim story is meant to give us pause and consider the sovereignty of God, even when we don’t necessarily see God working. It causes us to stop and consider where we see God working in our lives in the mundane and seemingly hopeless situations of life. As Christians, the book is meant to give us hope and faith in the God we serve. We can better trust that God will work powerfully for those who hide in the shadow of his wing.

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Four Reasons Why We Support Israel

Israel is the Biblical Holy Land. Many people know it as the land of Jesus and the land of the Bible. But why should we support Israel today as Christians? There are countless reasons, but we will give you four short reasons why we support Israel today as Christians.

ISRAEL IS THE LAND OF GOD’S CHOSEN PEOPLE

God promised Abraham a land and a nation when he made a covenant with him in Genesis 15. As believers in Jesus and the Messiah, we know that God promised his people a land and a nation forever. As believers in Jesus, we know when a promise is made in covenant between God and his people, God will never go back on that promise. Today we know that Israel is the land of God’s chosen people because of his covenant with Abraham. As Christians we can be sure that God’s promises to us today will be fulfilled in the same way. Because of this, Israel has a right to their land, a right to be a nation, a right to be a people group, and a right to defend themselves.

WHEN WE BLESS ISRAEL, WE WILL BE BLESSED

In Genesis 12, God promised Abraham that he would “bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you.” Throughout history, we have seen the proof that God blessed those nations who stood with Israel and cursed those who did not. Even today, this means we will be blessed as individuals, and as a nation when we stand by the people of Israel. We can stand with Israel knowing that God has a purpose and a plan for his people.

ISRAEL IS THE ONLY SAFE PLACE FOR CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Today in most Middle Eastern countries, any person who is found to be following Jesus is killed, persecuted or imprisoned. Since the beginning of the nation of Israel, Christians have been welcomed and protected in the borders of Israel. In addition, it is the only country in the Middle East who values the rights of women, refugees, religions and the press. It reflects these rights in its politics and ways of conducting daily life. We can support the nation of Israel just because they protect the rights of Christians and other minorities in the Middle East.

ISRAEL IS A BLESSING TO THE WORLD

Israelis live life by the mandate Tikkun Olam, or “Save the World”. This is the belief that if they make the world a better place for one person, they have done good in the world. God made his chosen people Israel to be a “light to the nations,” and we can see this in the way Israel blesses the rest of the world.

Israel is at the forefront of the medical movement and has provided life saving procedures that have changed the medical field for good. They are at the forefront of the technology field and many of our technological advances today are due to the Jewish people. They lead the world in humanitarian work with their “first in, last out” mandate to help countries recover from disasters. They have more humane military advances and practices than any other military in the world. They share their knowledge and support with America and other allied countries. They provide water advances and other biological technologies to nations around the world. This is because of the success they encountered when they made their own Israeli desert bloom. Finally, they offer a safe haven for thousands of Middle Eastern refugees.

The people of Israel have been blessed with an exorbitant amount of talent and skill, and they are doing their best to bless the world. How can we not support such a country?

ISRAEL IS A BLESSING TO THE WORLD

It is our role as Christians to support the country of Israel. Let us always remember the blessing that Israel is to us, and ever seek to bless them equally.

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What is Challah?

Challah is a Jewish braided sweetbread, usually enjoyed during Shabbat, or Sabbath, a weekly biblical celebration of rest. But why is challah such an important part of Sabbath, and what is it’s history?

BIBLICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF BREAD

In the Bible, bread symbolizes provision from the Lord. God provided manna or “bread from heaven” for the people of Israel while they were in the desert. On the sixth day of the week, Friday, God provided twice as much of the manna so the people of Israel could rest from work on Sabbath. God provided more than they needed in order to show his abundance and provision to his people.

In Numbers 15:18-21, we see the first reference in the Bible to challah or “cake”. “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land to which I bring you and when you eat of the bread of the land, you shall present a contribution to the LordOf the first of your dough you shall present a loaf as a contribution; like a contribution from the threshing floor, so shall you present it. Some of the first of your dough you shall give to the Lord as a contribution throughout your generations.” We see in this passage that some of this bread that was presented to the Lord in his tabernacle or temple was to be holy. 

Bread continued to be an important part of biblical stories. Specifically in Mark 14:22-25, Jesus broke bread and drank wine with his disciples, symbolizing his death on the cross in provision for their sins. So bread continued through the Bible as a representation of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross in communion.

THE HISTORY OF CHALLAH

The term challah may come from the phrase hafrashat challah or “separating bread” representing a tradition of the Jewish people back during the first and second Temples in Jerusalem in which they would rip a portion of the dough off of the bread before they braided it as a sacrifice to the Lord. While the word challah means many things in various languages, it consistently has referred to bread in a Jewish context. Through history, challah became the term for a yiddish bread that was made all across European countries by Jews ranging from Poland, Austria and Germany.

THE SIGNIFICANCE AND TRADITION OF CHALLAH

Challah became a tradition during Sabbath dinner in order to represent the provision God gave to his people in the wilderness and the tradition continues today.

Challah is made into two loaves representing the double-portion God gave to his people.

It is to be braided so it has twelve “humps” representing the twelve tribes of Israel and the twelve loaves of holy bread in the Tabernacle.

It is braided in three strands to symbolize unity, peace and love because they look like arms intertwined. In addition, it is a reminder of the Shema or “Hear and Obey”. Christians today can also see the trinity in the three strands of bread woven together into one.

When the bread is baked, it is ripped rather than sliced to remember the priests in the temple who would rip a portion of the bread off to offer it to the Lord.

CHALLAH TODAY

Today, challah can be made with toppings such as poppy seeds, rosemary, salt, cinnamon, raisins and nuts. The bread is covered with a decorative cover and prayed over during Sabbath. As believers we eat the bread and drink wine in communion during Sabbath in remembrance of God’s provision, and Jesus’ sacrifice. Challah is a delicious bread, a wonderful addition to the Sabbath meal, and makes a fantastic French toast for breakfast the next morning. Now, as you dive into the following recipes and new baking traditions, remember the story and tradition that we are blessed to be a part of as we braid our Sabbath challah bread!

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