Given the predicament we find ourselves in here in the Middle East, the biblical story of Purim as told in the Book of Esther seems extremely pertinent right now. Iran, once the hub of the mighty Persian Empire, is yet again threatening to wipe out the Jews. It all made an amazing story back then, and we are praying for an equally miraculous outcome in our days that will lead to the salvation of many in Israel, Iran, and throughout the whole Middle East.
WHAT IS PURIM?
Purim is the Hebrew word for the lots that were cast when Haman the Amalekite was deciding which day would be most fortuitous to annihilate the Jewish people he had grown to hate. As it turned out, fate had to take a back seat. The God of the universe overruled and overturned the evil plans of Haman, stepping in to rescue His people once again. This all took place in the Persian Empire, while the Jewish people were in exile. The king’s palace and hub of operations was Susa, the capital of Elam, in modern day Iran.
Jewish people refer to the story of Esther as “Megilat Esther” which means “the Scroll of Esther”, together with four other scrolls: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, and Ecclesiastes. The scroll of Esther doesn’t mention God by name, which might be the reason it’s the only book of the Bible that wasn’t copied by the Essenes in what are known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. However, that fact doesn’t stop people reading it in its entirety each and every year at the Festival of Purim, ideally while dressed up in a ridiculous costume.
It’s traditional to read the Purim story from beginning to end in synagogues and communities, booing and making noises when the bad guy, evil Haman, is mentioned, all while in fancy dress. You will see multiple queen Esthers, people dressed as Persian king Ahasuerus, or as Mordecai the Jew, as well as completely unrelated characters from films, fairytales and all kinds of random things. It’s typically a happy holiday which celebrates yet another narrow escape for the Jewish people.
All this might seem in bad taste given the enormous number who ended up being killed when the Jews fought back in self defense, but the Bible doesn’t criticize the Jews for overcoming their enemies, and time will tell what God has to say about the way Israel has defended itself against Iranand its proxies in our times.
DÉJÀ VU ALL OVER AGAIN
Here we are again 2,500 years later with death threats breathed out by Israel’s enemies, and on the brink of catastrophic attack from Iran. But will we see a total turnaround again, like in the story of Purim? Back in biblical times, Haman tried to wipe out the Jews but the tables turned and instead it was the enemies of Israel who were destroyed.
Is the scene being set for a re-run? It certainly looks like it. Fighting back to defeat the Iranian Regime and its proxies seems a matter of survival at this point.
“ This is not a this is not a war of choice. This would be a war of no choice — not because of the nuclear issue, but because of the ballistic missile production,” Michael Oren, Israel’s former envoy in Jerusalem and a leading Middle East historian recently stated in an interview.1
“We saw the damage that these missiles could affect last summer. We’re talking about missiles that are many times bigger than anything Hamas or Hezbollah fires at us. We’re talking about warheads that can take down not just an entire apartment building, but much of a neighborhood,” he said, warning, “Iran has between 1,500 and 2,000 of them already, and by the end of next year, they’ll have 3,000. They’re producing them with great speed. That is an unacceptable strategic threat to the state of Israel, and Israel has to act one way or the other, with the Americans without the Americans.”
However, it certainly seems as if the US is gearing up for action. Professor of Political Science at the University of Chicago and security affairs expert, Robert A. Pape, has been tracking the build up of US military around Iran.
While we all feel we’ve been holding our breath for ages, it does seem inevitable that it’s about to go down.
We watch and pray.
IRAN AND ISRAEL: A BIBLICAL RELATIONSHIP
In the biblical showdown between Persia and the Jews it was not the king who was the bad guy but a high level courtier. Haman was a descendant of Amalek, but the king had compassion on Esther and her people. Similarly today, the son of the exiled Shah (Persian monarch), Reza Pahlavi, is as supportive of Israel as former kings had been before him, unlike the murderous Ayatollah. Here’s what he declared in a recent interview:
“I think there are only two countries on this planet that can claim to have a biblical relationship: Iran and Israel,” Reza Pahlavi said. “This goes back 25 centuries. Cyrus the Great freed the Jewish slaves in Babylon and helped them rebuild their temple in Jerusalem.”
Pahlavi believes Israel could be a great help to Iran in the future, just as Persian king Cyrus blessed Israel in the past:
“Today, we have serious water issues in Iran. The best experts in the field happen to be Israeli scientists. Part of the reason I went there is to discuss the matter with them and have a plan of action to immediately be able to attend to a problem that could become a major issue. This is not just rhetoric. Iranians believe that they will have a solid strategic partnership with Israel and with our Arab neighbors to make the Middle East get back on track. That’s part of the reason why the Abraham Accords were sabotaged by the regime in Iran,” he explained.2
Although the Islamic regime of Iran is the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world, financing and training Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis and others, the people themselves are longing for the regime to be overthrown and the return of the Shah. The Lion on the flag replacing the Islamic symbol is seen at protests all over the world and also in Iran itself.
Also in the story of Esther, multitudes of Persians turn their backs on the genocidal aspirations of Haman and joining the house Israel, possibly even the person who wrote the book.
And in every province and in every city, wherever the king’s command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. (Esther 8:17)
We are seeing a revolution bubbling in Iran, with millions leaving Islam and huge numbers turning to faith in the God of Israel. Many have already come to faith in the Jewish Messiah, and are strong believers, unafraid to stand up and be counted. We are praying for our brave Iranian brothers and sisters as they yearn for freedom. As we wait to see what will unfold, we are praying for the time when God will free Iran from the shackles of the regime and release hundreds of Muslim background believers to come to Israel!
Now wouldn’t that be a turnaround?
Source: One for Israel
