We should celebrate God’s faithfulness because remembering what he has done strengthens our faith and fills us with gratitude. In Esther 7-9, God rescued the Jews from destruction at just the right time. Mordecai then called them to celebrate every year, a feast called Purim that Jewish people still observe today. Regularly celebrating God’s provision keeps us from forgetting how good he has been.
Esther Speaks Up
At the second banquet, the king asked Esther again what she wanted. This time, she was ready.
Esther 7:3-4 Then Queen Esther answered, “If I have found favor with you, Your Majesty, and if it pleases you, grant me my life—this is my petition. And spare my people—this is my request. For I and my people have been sold to be destroyed, killed and annihilated. If we had merely been sold as male and female slaves, I would have kept quiet, because no such distress would justify disturbing the king.”
Esther revealed her identity and exposed Haman’s plot. The king was furious, and Haman was executed on the very pole he had built for Mordecai (Esther 7:9-10). Esther’s courage and patience, combined with God’s perfect timing, brought justice.
God’s Plan Is Revealed
But there was still a problem. Haman’s decree to destroy the Jews couldn’t be revoked, because Persian law didn’t allow it. So the king allowed Esther and Mordecai to write a new decree giving the Jews the right to defend themselves (Esther 8:5-11). The news spread across the empire.
Esther 8:16-17 For the Jews it was a time of happiness and joy, gladness and honor. In every province and in every city to which the edict of the king came, there was joy and gladness among the Jews, with feasting and celebrating. And many people of other nationalities became Jews because fear of the Jews had seized them.
On the day their enemies had planned to destroy them, the Jews were victorious instead (Esther 9:1). Everything that seemed random in the story, from Vashti’s removal to the king’s sleepless night, had worked together for this moment.
Remember and Celebrate
Mordecai didn’t want God’s people to forget what had happened.
Esther 9:20-22 Mordecai recorded these events, and he sent letters to all the Jews throughout the provinces of King Xerxes, near and far, to have them celebrate annually the fourteenth and fifteenth days of the month of Adar as the time when the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month when their sorrow was turned into joy and their mourning into a day of celebration. He wrote them to observe the days as days of feasting and joy and giving presents of food to one another and gifts to the poor.
This celebration became the Feast of Purim, named after the “pur,” or lot, Haman cast to choose the day of destruction (Esther 9:24-26). To this day, Jewish families celebrate with feasting, reading the story of Esther, and giving gifts to the poor.
Celebrate God’s Provision in Your Life
It’s easy to forget what God has done. That’s why remembering and celebrating are so important. The psalmist invites us to come to God with gratitude.
Psalm 100:4-5 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.
Christians celebrate God’s faithfulness through worship, the Lord’s Supper, and holidays like Christmas and Easter. You can also create personal rhythms of remembering, like keeping a journal of answered prayers or sharing stories of God’s faithfulness with your family. You can read more about other women in Scripture in Women of the Bible.
The Takeaway
God saved his people through Esther’s courage and his perfect timing, and they celebrated with a feast that continues today. Remembering and celebrating God’s faithfulness strengthens our faith and keeps us grateful for all he has done.
