Wednesday, 4 March 2015

PURIM: A Greater than Mordecai has Come!

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In ancient Persia, approximately 2500 years ago, Israel's salvation came through a most unlikely source, a humble guy named Mordecai and an ordinary young woman named Esther. The story of Purim is one of the great episodes in the history of Israel where G-d stepped in to save His people. At that time Israel was in a bad way, under the heel of the Persian Empire.

About 500 years later, in the days of the Roman superpower, Israel found herself once again in a bad way, in need of salvation. There was a need for another Mordecai, actually a greater than Mordecai. The condition of Israel at that time represented a "stump". They were cut down and humiliated under the heal of the Romans. Isaiah prophesied, There shall come a rod from the stump of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of His roots (Isaiah 11:1).

Like in the days of Purim, there were only a few faithful. There was an Anna, a Simeon, and Joseph and Mary. But there was also a baby born who, in fulfillment of Issiah's prophecy, was to be the "rod' that would sprout from the stump. Although apparently dead, Israel's stump like condition still had life within - it was the holy seed of the Messiah that was to come through the Jewish people that would provide spiritual salvation to the world.

Yeshua is the greater Mordecai who has come! He has come to provide salvation from sin - our greatest human need. Our rabbis are looking for Messiah to come and repair the world (Tikkun Olam). However, our inner brokenness would not allow this before an inner change in our hearts. Messiah has come the first time to do this inward work in the human heart. He will return again later to do all the cosmetic stuff. In the meantime, it was the death of the Messiah on the cross that set in motion the New Covenant with its essential inward work promised by Jeremiah - I will put My Law within them, and on their heart I will write it.

Purim blessings,

Nathan Puro