them as just a day off work (or a day of holiday pay) but throughout

time, holidays have been based on something that the culture felt was

important enough to remember. As we finish the story of Esther, we’ll

see that God’s deliverance of the Jews was supernatural and stunningly

complete.  In response, the Jews create a new holiday called “Purim”. 

The name deepens the meaning of this celebration, reminding them of the

irony of the way the danger arose as well as the God who overruled man’s

law.  As we kick off Passion Week, let’s allow this story to call us to

connect with the events we remember and celebrate in the coming days!