ESTHER 9:26-28 : So they called these days Purim, after the name Pur. Therefore, because of all the
words of this letter, what they had seen concerning this matter, and what had happened to them, the
Jews established and imposed it upon themselves and their descendants and all who would join
them, that without fail they should celebrate these two days every year, according to the written
instructions and according to the prescribed time, . . . that the memory of them should not perish
among their descendants.
Do you know what these words have in common: Tishri, Kislev, Nisan, Sivan and Ab? They are
months in the Jewish calendar. For the devout Jew, the calendar is more than a way of marking time-
-it provides a convenient method of recalling God’s dealings in their life. Nisan marks Passover, the
time of Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
Sivan brings the Feast of Pentecost, the celebration of a bountiful harvest from God. Tishri reminds
the people of their wilderness wanderings through the Feast of the Tabernacles. Each holiday
becomes a holy day, a time of recalling, repenting and renewing old commitments to follow the God
of Israel.
During the days of Esther, yet another special time of remembrance was added to the Jewish
calendar. Each year, on the 14th and 15th day of the month of Adar, the people celebrate God’s
victory over evil Haman’s attempt to exterminate the Jews. It is called the Feast of Purim.
As Christians we have our own special times of remembrance. At Christmas we remember Christ’s
birth, and on Easter we remember His death and resurrection. More frequently, we celebrate together
the memory of His sacrifice at Calvary. We call it the Lord’s Supper or Communion.
It’s good to take advantage of every opportunity you have to remember what God has done for you.
Enjoy Christmas, Easter, Sunday and every Lord’s Supper celebration. Be sensitive to the spiritual
truths behind these occasions. None of us have such good memories that we don’t need reminders.
WHEN GOD DOES IT, WE DO MORE THAN REMEMBER IT–WE CELEBRATE IT.