As a young child, I recall shaking my grogger as my cousins and relatives yelled and drank and partied. I recall some really wild parties where I was mildly frightened and it all just felt confusing to me. I remember a bit about Esther and I remember a lot about falling asleep under a table because the adults were too busy to get me to my room for bed.
This was Purim in my Jewish childhood.
So in my Messianic Jewish adulthood, I skipped over Purim. I know, I know you are wondering how I could do such a thing. Well, when you don't see the value in something, you find it easy to omit it, yeah?
Good news: I found the value in Purim!
Purim is for me.
A beautiful Jewish woman, her cousin, a foreign king, and a wicked leader...these are the makings of a good story, right? After speaking to some friends a couple years ago, and after praying, I began reading Esther during Purim. Then I began reading it to my children. Then I helped them make groggers. Then we made loud noises to blast out Haman's name. Then we made hamantaschen.
This is the behind the scenes work of the Holy Spirit. It is how He leads and guides without ever having to show up in force or command. This is the behind the scenes God of Purim!
Purim is for Christian families.
Some will tell you that Purim is a Jewish holiday and not for anyone else. Maybe. Or maybe believers in Jesus, our Messiah, should consider how Jesus was a Jewish Rabbi Who Himself would have celebrated Purim with His people. If we are to do as He did, if our faith is established upon the Jewish faith, then why not celebrated the holidays God established in His Word?
I like to think that our children gain so much depth and understanding of God's word when we celebrate His holidays and feasts as He wrote them out.
Purim is for our children.
Yes, Purim is for me. Yes, it is for Christian families. Yes, it is for our children. I believe God brought me back to Purim for my sons. God loves to grow His children. He desires for our little ones to come to love and know His Word. So, God gives us holidays like Purim to guide them in all truth.
Purim provides our children with a story that includes adventure, courage, and victory over evil through God's ways. Purim tells our kids that anyone can do what God says and anyone can be a person of good character that obeys HIm. Purim reminds our children that God doesn't always have to tell us to do something. Sometimes we can obey His Word and be people of good character and He will help us overcome darkness through daily obedience to His word in every situation before us.
Celebrating Purim
As Christian families, we can celebrate Purim by:
1. Reading the book of Esther.
2. Making groggers (noise makers) and drowning out the name of Haman each time it is in the story.
3. Giving baskets of food and gifts to friends and family.
4. Giving to the needy or poor.
5. Celebrating with a party and rejoicing that God is our victory and He is always faithful to deliver us!
If you'd like to start celebrating Purim with your family, please take a look at our Purim Family Guide which will provide books, recipes, crafts, and more for Purim learning.
If you are looking for great books to read during Purim, we have a FREE book list you can download and take to the library or your local book store.