Undoubtedly one of the most joyous of all biblical holidays, Purim reminds us that the Lord is in control of everything and He is faithful.
The children are the ones who rejoice the most and enjoy this celebration by wearing their costumes while listening again to the biblical story of Queen Esther and her courage, and enjoying the traditional triangular-shaped cookies that are characteristic of this date.
And in our ministry we do not miss the opportunity to bless the children of Sderot, who unfortunately have the highest rate of post-traumatic syndrome in the country due to the conflict on the weak border with Gaza and the constant stalking of rockets fired by the terrorist organization Hamas and other Islamic militias, with a great celebration in our center full of music, joy, food and special gifts to lighten the hearts of the little ones.
Dozens of children and his parents marveled at the performance of the magician Misto and his magic tricks show that brought easily recognizable smiles and dazzle on the faces of the spectators.
In addition to the traditional meal, the children received sweets and gifts to continue the celebration at home, but most importantly, they were able to spend an unforgettable time of happiness feeling free and safe, thus forgetting, even for a moment, the harsh reality they face. daily.
The parents, as always, expressed their love and respect for our work, thanking us for always supporting them and their children with so much love, letting us know how important we are in their lives.
Despite the difficult times that we have recently gone through as a ministry, seeing the happiness of these children gives us more strength to continue with our work, knowing that the Lord is our rock and who sustains us.
Purim: origin of the festival
Purim is a Jewish holiday, celebrated every year on the 14th and 15th of the Hebrew month of Adàr (March). The celebration commemorates the reversal of the fate of the Jewish people who escaped a terrible massacre thanks to the courageous intervention of Queen Esther. The origin of the name and the spread of Purim are found precisely in the book of Esther, a young Jewish woman, raised by the Jewish patriot Mordecai. The story of Esther takes place at a time when the Jews were in exile under the powerful Persian king Ahasuerus. After disowning his wife Vashti from him, the king chose the beautiful Esther as his new bride and his queen from a crowd of girls.
Once in the palace and in the king’s graces, young Esther follows the advice of the wise Mordecai and reveals to no one that she belongs to the people of Israel. It is curious that the name Esther in Hebrew means “I will hide”, since Queen Esther for a long time will keep silent about her true identity, only to reveal it at the appropriate time.
The threat of extermination
The narration continues exposing the plan of the evil Haman, a high general of the kingdom and advisor to the king. One day Haman learns that Mordecai refuses to kneel in his footsteps. Angry, he decides to exterminate the Jewish people and has his plan approved by King Ahasuerus. The latter is still unaware of the link between his wife Esther and the Jews. Gripped by anguish, Mordecai urges Esther to intercede with the king and convince him to withdraw the order for the massacre. The queen prepares for the meeting with King Ahasuerus with prayers and fasting. She is well aware of the risk she is taking: anyone who presents himself to the king without first being summoned is guilty of death.
Esther’s intervention
Faithful to God’s help, Esther informs the king of the slaughter commissioned by the evil Haman. She pleads with her husband to save her people and herself, as a Jew, from him. Esther’s courage impresses the king’s heart. The latter issues a condemnation order against all the enemies of the Jews in his kingdom, which we read about in the biblical book. “The king gave the Jews of each city the power to assemble and defend their lives, destroying, killing and exterminating any armed force, town or province that persecuted them, children and women, and their goods could be looted, in a single day: the thirteenth of the twelfth month, the month of Adàr, in all the provinces of the king».
The Jewish Celebration
The Jews win over all their enemies and Mordecai writes a decree that establishes the feast of Purim, because anguish has turned into joy and mourning into a day of glorious joy. Today, in the month of Adar, the Jewish people practice a fast from dawn to dusk. They do it in remembrance of the fast and the prayers made by Esther. On those days they would read the book of Esther in the synagogues, in Hebrew the “Meghillath Ester”, then they would organize large banquets with typical dishes of the festival, exchange gifts and help those most in need.
You can be part of and impact the lives of more people who need help in our city and together show them the way, the truth and the life.
We invite you to be part of our ministry so that together we can bring hope to our border town of Sderot.
Our work would not be possible without the help of partners like you, so we ask you to consider in prayer the possibility of a monthly commitment that will allow us to continue with the Lord’s work here in Israel.
Sincerely yours
Pastors
Michael & Dina Beener
and CLM Israel Team
“City of Life”
Messianic congregation and Outreach Center
Sderot, Israel.
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