Messiah in Purim Chapter 10
- Instructions and Commandments
- Why wine is an important part of Purim
- Haman’s Pride vs. Messiah’s Humility
Instructions and Commandments:
Dissension and enmity are a direct consequence of disobedience of the Torah and Mitzvot of God (instruction and commandments; cf. Hosea 4:6):
נִדְמוּ עַמִּי מִבְּלִי הַדָּעַת כִּֽי־אַתָּה הַדַּעַת מָאַסְתָּ וְאֶמְאָֽסְאךָ מִכַּהֵן לִי וַתִּשְׁכַּח תֹּורַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם־אָֽנִי׃
“My people are destroyed for lack of da’at (knowledge).
Because you have rejected knowledge,
I also will reject you from being My kohen (priest).
Since you have forgotten the Torat Elohe’cha (Torah of your God)
I also will forget bane’cha (your children).”
Like the dedicated Yehudim (Jews) who gathered together in defense of their lives in response to Haman’s evil Annihilation Decree, every generation of Adonai’s people must remain strong and united in resistance to those nations and peoples who are enemies of the Holy One and His rule:
For the enemies of the Holy One are our enemies and His allies are our allies.
For the world at large is lawless and its nations and peoples are rebellious (at war) against the rule of God. Yet there is still a remnant of those who fear God and who love the Holy One. Those who love the Holy One and His rule are our (Israel’s) real allies. This united international effort to hear, understand, and obey the Word of God must continue until the day when Adonai Eloheinu will return M’shicho (His Messiah) to Israel to swiftly and permanently bring this rebellion of the *lawless ones on earth to an end.
*Those who do not hear, understand, and obey the will of God; His laws and commandments.
Why wine is an important part of Purim:
The Israel of Mordecai and Esther’s day reaped the adversity of Haman’s decree because they participated in the seven day (Nisan 9-15 ) pagan feast of Ahasuerus (title; the Lion King). Instead of observing Pesach our ancestors ate defiled food and did not keep the commandments (mitzvot) of God’s Passover. This transgression gave rise to Amalek’s power.
Haman’s hateful ambition was to annihilate all of the people of Israel; including our children.
In this way the evil one sought through his servant Haman to destroy the only lineage through which the messianic rule of our heavenly Father could come.
Haman’s Pride vs. Messiah’s Humility:
The worldly Banquet of Rebellion, the seven day pagan wine feast was a prideful substitute for the Banquet of [God’s] Redemption and Reconciliation; the seven day festival of Pesach. This substitution provoked the wrath of the Holy One. For the Elohei Kedem (Eternal God) “opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” (cf. Jacob 4:6; and Proverbs 3:33-34):
הַתְדַמּוּ בְנַפְשְׁכֶם כִּי לָרִיק אָמַר הַכָּתוּב בְּקִנְאָה יִתְאַוֶּה לָרוּחַ אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁכִּין בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ׃
מְאֵרַת ה’ בְּבֵית רָשָׁע וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים יְבָרֵֽךְ׃ אִם־לַלֵּצִים הֽוּא־יָלִיץ ולעניים יִתֶּן־חֵֽן׃
The curse (meerah-מְאֵרָה) of Adonai is on the House of the Wicked (beit rasha’-בֵית רָשָׁע),
But He blesses the dwelling of the righteous (oonve’ tzaddikim-וּנְוֵה צַדִּיקִים).
Though He scoffs at the scoffers,
Yet He gives grace (chen-חֵן) to the afflicted.
Abba Avinu has no use for a conceited and rebellious people. The downfall of proud Haman (a type of the regime of the evil one) was brought about at the Wine Banquet of Deliverance attended by King Ahasuerus; who is a type of our heavenly Father’s *invisible sovereign universal rule over all creation through both His covenant of the Law (the first decree that leads to death); and in His covenant of Grace (the second decree that leads to life). The Wine of Humility represents the redemptive shedding of the Messiah’s Life (i.e. blood that is both physical and spiritual; not just physical) on the accursed tree (configured in the shape of the ancient Torah letter, the Hebrew Sign of the Tav) that brings cleansing of sin and the “New life” of the Spirit (the Brit Chadashah, the New Covenant). The life of the Messiah is not just the giving of physical life. It is the giving of spiritual life. Therefore, when the Messiah was making reference to this fact, He said (in reference to His disciples taking offense at His symbolic use of the word blood):
*Providence: A manifestation of the care and superintendence which God exercises over all of His creation and creatures (wicked and righteous); which are all of the events–visible and invisible–that are ordained by His divine direction.
הָרוּחַ הוּא הַנֹּתֵן חַיִּים וְהַבָּשָׂר אֵין־בּוֹ מוֹעִיל הַדְּבָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי דִבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם רוּחַ הֵמָּה וְחַיִּים׃
The Spirit gives life, but the flesh is of no benefit. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.
The Mashiach is as clear as he can be here. The “flesh profits nothing.” The salvation that Messiah brings does require the sacrifice of the physical life of the Messiah. However, this sacrifice is made with only one goal in mind that we would be filled with the spiritual life of the Holy One. How the Gentiles got any other meaning out of this is both baffling and upsetting. And that any Jew would parrot such lies about the sacrifice of the Korban Pesach, Yeshua Ha-Mashiach, is שערורייתי (scandalous). We have nothing to say to the Gentiles on this matter but as Jews we should be very careful how we interpret the words and actions of another Jew. Especially we should be sensitive to what we say about the Messiah who is the Eved HaKadosh of God. As it is written:
מִפְּרִי פִי־אִישׁ תִּשְׂבַּע בִּטְנֹו תְּבוּאַת שְׂפָתָיו יִשְׂבָּֽע׃ מָוֶת וְחַיִּים בְּיַד־לָשֹׁון וְאֹהֲבֶיהָ יֹאכַל פִּרְיָֽהּ׃
With the fruit (speech) of a man’s mouth his stomach will be satisfied;
He will be satisfied with the product of his lips.
Death and life are in the power (lit. hand) of the tongue,
And those who love it will eat its fruit.
Israel is the *royal and priestly nation of God (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7). However, our nation and people up until recently has failed miserably to hear, understand, and obey the words of life; even though our Father God (Adonai Avinu) has repeatedly and continuously communicated to us the truth of His will through the teachings of His faithful and true One (נאמן ואמיתי).
*God’s Servant-leader nation; a “kingdom of priests” (ממלכת כהנים).