As the days wherein the Jews rested from their enemies, and the month which was turned unto them from sorrow to joy, and from mourning into a good day: that they should make them days of feasting and joy, and of sending portions one to another, and gifts to the poor.
- Esther 9:22
This part of God's history came after the Jews, through Queen Esther, were granted peace, safety and after Haman's Jewish holocaust was annulled by her husband and king, Ahasuerus. Once he dealt with the evil, the pressures were off the Jews, and they could celebrate. This is still celebrated today as the festival of Purim.
Before that, the Jews were at their wit's end, knowing that Haman hated them so much, without cause. Queen Esther sought and received the ear of the King, which reversed the pogrom. Haman instead was hanged.
The scripture above reminds us of Christmas time, when we feast together, and send gifts to one another, dropping a little extra in tithes and tins to help the poor.
There is coming a day for the Christian, which will resemble this great feast of freedom and rest.
Revelation 21:4-5 states, "And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful."
King Ahasuerus wiped away all the Jews' tears, removed their sentence of death, the crying and sorrow; and the former hatreds of Haman and his cohorts were removed.
Think of this promise to believers, where we will also have rest from our enemies.
It is difficult to imagine a place that doesn't have tears. We shed tears many times during a year for various reasons. We may lose family and friends to death or disease, we may suffer the loss of limb to ourselves or suffer the loss of material goods or jobs. Then again, we may weep over someone's current dilemma.
Tears come through loss; therefore, this haven will be the end of loss as we know it.
The Apostle Paul's words in Philippians 3:7 echo what our desires should be, "But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ."
We see Paul's decision to despise the things of this world in favour of God's promises will pay him off handsomely. If we do the same, our mourning and sorrows in this world will be turned into the joy of the next. Amen to that!
Today’s Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for the promises of the new life without pain and suffering, and without tears. Thank you that we will have rest from our spiritual enemies and from the loss that comes with this life. Please help me, like Paul, to focus on this promise which is true and faithful and not on the trinkets of this world.
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