remember and celebrate

And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year,

Esther 9:20-21

God turned a threat of death into a feast of celebration. The big celebration at the end of the book of Esther is a victory feast. The Jews were saved by God's sovereign placing of wise Mordecai and gracious, obedient Esther in the right positions of power to courageously end the threat of genocide against the Jews that Haman had elaborately plotted. And at the Persian King's own command the Jews were able to destroy all their enemies over two days. And thus was born the feast of Purim.

God turns the table on sin and death. And that is something worth really partying about! It is what Christians do every time we worship. We are celebrating the victory of Jesus over sin and death with each new convert we baptize, with each time we meet in the Word and worship, with each time we break bread at His table. We are celebrating our Savior and our salvation when we worship.

True worship celebrates salvation. And that is what Purim did for these Jews. I'll remember that when I am gathered with the saints for Lord's Day worship and when I come to my Lord for daily worship in His Word and prayer.