Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor. (9:20-22)
Purim is a time of both fasting and feasting. In Esther 9:31, the people of Israel are commanded to fast on the 13th day of Adar (Feb-March on our calendar) just as Esther fasted before speaking with the king. On the 14th and 15th days of Adar, they are commanded to feast in celebration of their deliverance. Two thoughts occurred to me this morning:
1. God commands us to feast and to celebrate! Generally we think that true spirituality is about refraining from things, denying ourselves, being serious-minded. This is a part of spirituality but it is not the whole picture. God also commands us to rejoice, to celebrate, and to feast. Purim sounds a lot like our modern-day Christmas celebration. The people were to eat alot, be joyful, send presents to one another, and give to the poor. Doesn’t it sound fun?
2. Fasting precedes feasting. In the celebration of Purim, the people were to fast and lament for one day and then feast and celebrate for two. Why the fasting? Fasting reminded them of Esther’s fast. It brought them to their knees in recognition of their utter dependence on God. And it brought about a hunger for God’s deliverance and joy. Fasting makes the feasting that much more joyous.
I think there is a spiritual principle here. God often takes us through the valley so that we can appreciate the mountaintop. He allows us to experience times of hunger, thirst, and need so that we will learn to appreciate the times of abundance and blessing. Without these times of struggle and want, we would become spoiled kids who take for granted all the blessings that He bestows upon us every day.
In a land of abundance, I believe it is also wise for us to discipline ourselves to have times of fasting, to abstain from food for a day to concentrate our thoughts on God and to plead for His intervention and blessings. Such a time of fasting would not only strengthen our walk with God, teaching our bodies to submit to the Spirit, but also help us appreciate the blessings and abundance that we enjoy in this country.
With national elections coming up next Tuesday, I believe that next Monday, November 6, would be an appropriate time to spend a whole day or part of the day fasting and praying for God’s intervention, grace and blessing about our country. Anybody want to join me?