Celebrate
Esther 9:20-32
Esther 9:20-32
We celebrate for many reasons:
birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, promotions, etc. Celebration is an
important part of life, acknowledging a people and their accomplishments.
Unfortunately, we too often find reasons not to celebrate. Life makes us feel
rather low and we cannot find anything to lift ourselves up. Many expressions
of celebration within Scripture remind us that we can celebrate even when life
overwhelms us with struggle and sadness. Purim is one of these celebrations!
Yes, the Hebrew peoples have great
reason to celebrate at this moment in their lives! Mordecai reminds us of this
when he declares Purim as an annual celebration. In verse 22 Mordecai announces
they should celebrate and remember that the Jews got relief from their enemies
and that their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of
celebration.
These members of God’s covenant
people had many reasons to not join in celebration. Yes, they certainly had
just been delivered from death, but they still lived in exile. The name of God still
does not appear in this story. This is the author’s hint that the people have
not experienced full restoration. They remain in a foreign land. They cannot
sojourn to Jerusalem and worship at The Temple. Yet, they celebrate and
establish an annual celebration. There will be years to come when the people do
not feel like celebrating. Yet, they celebrate because they know the work of God
in their lives. They know that God has acted through Esther to bring
deliverance.
If you know God, you can also know
that God has delivered you! In this truth you should celebrate! God delivered
the Jewish people through the obedience of Queen Esther so they celebrate! God
delivers the new covenant people, the church, through the obedience of Jesus Christ
so we need to celebrate! This should not be a one-time act of celebration. No!
We need to celebrate regularly the deliverance we have through our Lord! It
would be appropriate to establish a day of celebration in your life,
celebrating the day of deliverance, the day you confessed to your brokenness
and allowed for the redemption of Jesus Christ!
This celebration of deliverance
should happen even when we cannot find reasons to celebrate, even when life overwhelms
us with sorrow, even when we live in mourning! Celebrate the love of God!
Celebrate the grace of God! Celebrate the power of God! Celebrate the work of
God!
We Remember
Even
though the sky weeps pain:
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though the earth quakes again:
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though we exist in exile:
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though we’ve lost hope for a while:
We remember – Celebration![1]
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though the earth quakes again:
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though we exist in exile:
We Remember – Celebration!
Even though we’ve lost hope for a while:
We remember – Celebration![1]
Prayer: Holy Lord, you are the God of power and might! You are the
God who brings deliverance! You are the God who turns sorrow into joy! You are
the God who turns mourning into dancing! Thank you for your consistent care and
everlasting love! We bow down before you in the joy of your deliverance,
knowing that your mercies are new every morning, knowing of the greatness of
your faithfulness, and knowing you are present, working in our lives even when
your presence seems fleeting! Lord, you deserve more praise than we can offer!
In Jesus name, Amen!
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