How many know your Christian-Jewish history?

This February 28, the Jewish people remember the celebration of "Purim"

How many know your history?

The story recalls the time, around 473 B.C., when the Jewish people were threatened with annihilation from the Persian. Much like today by the same country of Iran.

At that time, the evil Prime Minister of Persia, Haman, tried to destroy the Jewish people living there. Through the great courage of the Jewish Queen Esther, and the wisdom of her cousin Mordechai, the scheme came to an end and the Jewish people were delivered from destruction.

You can read the whole story in the book of Esther. A two-day holiday was instituted to commemorate this event.

Today, the celebration of Purim is said to have become a joyous and light-hearted event taking place in homes and schools, through "costume parties". The original costumes limited to Queen Esther, Mordechai and Haman have nowadays taken in the addition of the likes of Madonna and Spiderman.

Purim represents a serious danger that has been going on throughout subsequent centuries. I can't understand why it would have become a joyous celebration of any sort.

Esther, 3:13, "And the letters were sent by post into all the king's provinces, to destroy to kill and to cause to perish all jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day..."

Esther 4:1, "When Mordecai perceived all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes, and put on sackcloth with ashes, and went out into the midst of the city, and cried with a loud and a bitter cry."

In his current "Flash Traffic" newsletter, Joel C. Rosenberg calls Pastors to consider preaching on the modern-day lessons of the book of Esther.

I am always amazed at the rarity of the Church to preach on the historical books of the Bible. This creates a complete forgetfulness of our history and roots.

History repeats itself - always. We would be much more informed of what is going on and how to get out of the same troubles that took place in previous times if we learned from the lessons and the warnings of the past.

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