Purim- Now is the Appointed Time

Esther exposes Haman before the King

 

Because of her great beauty, Esther was chosen to become the new queen of King Ahasuerus. He was the king of Persia and Media. His kingdom stretched from India to Ethiopia (Esther 1:1). Esther entered the palace, and lived a pampered, luxurious life. Esther, whose real name was Hadassah, hid her Jewish identity by posing as a Gentile on the advice of her uncle, Mordecai.
 

Persian "pur" or lot

One of the king's most honored counsellors, Haman, an ambitious and evil man, had persuaded the king to sign a command that all of the Jews in the kingdom should be destroyed, and the spoil taken into the king's treasury. Haman cast lots (dice) called pur, to determine the date when the Jews were to be destroyed (Est. 3:7). The root word pur, means to break, crush, bring to naught, to utterly take. The king even gave his ring of authority to Haman to accomplish this terrible deed (Est. 3:9-12). Although Haman cast lots to find the best date for the Jews' destruction, the lots were really forecasting the date of his own destruction, as we shall see.

Mordecai came to Esther, and asked her to intercede with the king to stop Haman's plans. She was reluctant and afraid, because anyone who approached the king, without being summoned by him first, was subject to death. Mordecai convinced her by saying:

"...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?"  Est. 4:14

Esther told Mordecai that he should have all of the Jews pray and fast before God for three days, and on the third day, Esther entered the king's inner court, where he was enthroned. 

The next problem for Esther was how she might expose Haman, the king's closest advisor, and change the king's mind. However, in order to expose Haman, she would have to expose herself, and reveal her own Jewish identity. The dangerous situation was a great risk for Esther, but the people of God had fasted and prayed. Haman was successfully exposed by Esther, and he was ordered to be killed by the king. Esther rose in great authority in her husband's kingdom:

"Then Esther the queen....wrote with all authority, to confirm....these days of Purim in their times appointed,...and the decree of Esther confirmed these matters of Purim; and it was written in the book."   Est. 9:29-32
Not only was Esther's authority established in her husband's kingdom, but also the authority and favor of all of God's people:
"For Mordecai the Jew was next unto King Ahasuerus, and great among the Jews,...seeking the wealth of his people, and speaking peace to all his seed."  Est. 10:3
During this time of Purim, we are reminded that God's people, like Esther, are set in specific places, even king's palaces, for appointed times and purposes.
The prophet Daniel received revelations from the LORD regarding appointed times, and the vital role played by God's believing people. As it was with Esther, these appointed times are dangerous, and risky, but this is exactly when the people of God are called to impact these times with the power of the Kingdom of God. It is interesting to note that Daniel's king, Darius, was the son of Esther's husband, Ahasuerus.
The point of impact into the perilous times spoken of by Daniel, began with his fasting and repentance on behalf of himself, and all of God's people:
"And I set my face unto the Lord (Messiah: Ps. 110:1, Mt. 22:42-46)) God, to seek...and I prayed unto the LORD (YHWH, Jehovah) my God, and made my confession, and said,...We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments,...yet made we not our prayer before the LORD God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth....O Lord, hear; O Lord forgive; O Lord, hearken and do...for thy city, and thy people are called by thy name."  Dan. 9:3-5, 13, 19
Prayer and repentance should also be our beginning point in impacting our appointed times. Daniel's heartfelt prayer of repentance was answered immediately with the appearance of the angel, Gabriel, who explained and revealed to Daniel the awesome purpose God would fulfill through His people in the appointed time of the perilous last days. God wants His people to know and understand the appointed times, and the role we are to play in them.
As revealed by the angel to Daniel, the appointed time dealt with the last week of Jeremiah's seventy weeks of years. This is the time in which we are now living. According to Daniel, desolations and war, and "troublous times" will come to God's people, and to the city of God (Dan. 9:25-27).
However, in the midst of this time of intense spiritual and natural warfare against the saints, "the time came that the saints possessed (root- to lay up in store, to heap up, to be strong) the kingdom" (Dan. 7:22). Even though a "king" will arise speaking against the Most High, seeking even to change the appointed times, and wearing out the saints (v. 25), the saints of this time shall "take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it unto the end" (v. 26):
"And the kingdom, and the dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him. Hitherto is the end of the matter...but I kept the matter in my heart."  Dan. 7:27-28
During this appointed time of which Daniel prophesied, though wickedness seems to be prevailing, God's people will be a people of understanding, and will instruct many, and "the people that do know their God shall be strong, and do exploits"  (Dan. 11:32, 33, 35).
The Book of Revelation also talks about an appointed time of great spiritual warfare that begins in the heavens, but soon impacts the earth. The enemy uses deception, persecution, and accusation against the brethren (Rev. 11:7-8, 12-13). However, this appointed time will also be the time of the overcoming of this evil enemy by the brethren in the power of Christ:
"And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, "Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ"...and they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death."
                                                                                                Rev. 12:10-11
As we see the signs of the times around us during these days of Purim, we also know that we, the people of God, have been called for this appointed time of Daniel and Revelation. We, like Esther, have come into the kingdom for such a time as this. Let us begin our impact upon this appointed time as Daniel did, and as the Jews of Esther's Purim did, with fasting, and prayers of repentance on our own behalf, and on behalf of our nation, which is covered with iniquity and wickedness. Like Esther, we are Jews (Rom. 2:29) hidden amongst the Gentiles. We are the beautiful Bride of the King, called during this appointed time to accomplish, through the power of Christ, a great work of deliverance. AMEN.

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Hosea and Gomer:Yeshua and America

 

The prophet Hosea, whose name, like Jesus' name, means "salvation", "deliverer", was instructed by God to marry a prostitute named Gomer, and have children with her. Many times, Hosea had to go out and find his missing wife, and buy her back from one of her male customers. This marriage was a prophetic picture of how God sadly viewed His relationship with Israel. Like a prostitute, Israel was unfaithful in her relationship with God, her Husband (Hos. 1:2). Gomer's name can mean either "completion" or "failure" in Hebrew. The dichotomy of Gomer's name represents a crossroads in God's relationship with His people, Israel.

Just as Israel came to this crossroads of choice in her relationship with God, America has come to a very similar crossroads of choice with Jesus, Yeshua. The choice we make at these crossroads, as with Hosea's Israel, will determine the future of America. Will we, the people of God in America, choose the road to "completion" in Christ, or "failure"? As Israel was the bride of God, the Church is the bride of Christ. This is a very serious turning point in our history as a nation, which will hinge upon the choice made by God's people-not the politicians, nor unbelievers, but by His own people, called by His name.

We will see clearly the choice that lays before us as we examine the very similar conditions

between the nation of Israel during Hosea's time, and the America of today.

Israel was brought to a crossroads of choice because she forgot her God from whom all of her blessings came, and worshipped instead false gods and idols:

"For she did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for Ba'al."   Hos. 2:8

Though God had blessed Israel, Israel turned to blood-thirsty false gods, who demanded even the sacrifice of their children in fire. Similarly, God's people of America have forgotten the source of her riches and blessings, and have used these abundant riches from God to indulge self, and to enrich the idols of our souls- our own desires, our own will, comfort, entertainment and adornment. We have wrongly believed that the power to get wealth has been a power of our own hands.

Israel saw God remove His wealth and blessings from her (Hos. 2:9-13). America, including God's people, is seeing the same removal of God's blessings in our own economy. Although we are seeking to become economically great again, we will find "failure" instead without seeking God first in repentance. God rewards those who diligently seek Him (Heb. 11:6).

As with the economic similarities between Hosea's Israel and America today, so also are the political, spiritual, and moral similarities. Israel fell into political chaos and division, as well as a spiritual vacuum, as they forgot God:

"For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod (chest piece of a priest's robes which includes the Urim and Thummim) and without teraphim (a figure, or idol, from which oracles are sought)...there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land."  

                                                                                                      Hos. 3:4, 4:1

The chaos of the political condition, and the emptiness of the spiritual condition of Hosea's Israel, was also reflected in the fallen moral condition of God's people at that time:

"By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish...My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge, because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to Me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children."   Hos. 4:2, 3, 6

We cannot help but see these same things today in America- economic loss, political division and chaos as never before. Truth, faith and morality are at an epic low. And our children! God help the children of America, who, having been raised without the knowledge of God, are treading in the darkness of that loss.

These sad conditions were also reflected in the names of the children Hosea fathered with his wife, the prostitute, Gomer:

Jezreel- God sows/scatters (casting in various directions)

Lo-Ruhamah- no mercy, compassion, nor tender affection

Lo-Ammi- not My people/kindred

Even the Hebrew letters of Gomer's name, gimel, mem, and reysh reflect the spiritual condition of God's people illustrated in the above verses: rising up from the knees in pride, floods of chaos, and what or who is the highest, the most important in our lives.

Like Gomer, God's people in America, have lifted themselves up off of their praying knees, full of pride and self-importance. What has become most important in our lives seems to be everything, and anything other than God. We have given everything to the temporal, the things that pass away, and ignored the eternal, the things that are lasting. Floods of chaos have come into our lives and nation as a result. Truth, mercy, and the knowledge of God, have been replaced by swearing, lying, killing, adulteries, and bloodshed upon bloodshed. We have, as a result, been brought to a crossroads with God.
 

The good news, as it was with Israel, is that God  and "completion" are waiting at these crossroads to forgive, heal, and restore, if we will seek Him, seek His face, once again returning to our knees in prayer, repenting and making Him, and Him only, the God of our life (2 Chron. 7:14).

"...and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said to them, "You are not My people", there it shall be said to them, "Ye are the sons of the living God."

"And I will betroth them unto Me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD....And I will sow her unto Me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not My people, "Thou art My people"; and they shall say, "Thou art my God."

"Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the LORD their God, and David their King (Messiah);and shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days."

                                                                            Hos. 1:10, 2:19, 20, 23, 3:5

We are living in the "latter days". Hosea and Gomer: Yeshua and America. We are at the crossroads of decision with God.

 

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