Finding the mighty and invisible hand of God…
What Exactly is Purim?…
Purim is a Jewish festival which commemorates the salvation of the Jewish people from annihilation in ancient Persia, as recorded in the Book of Esther. The holiday celebrates how Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai thwarted the plans of Haman, a high-ranking official who had plotted to destroy all the Jews in the Persian Empire.
Through Esther’s courage in revealing her Jewish identity to King Ahasuerus (also known as Xerxes) and pleading for her people, the Jewish community was saved and Haman’s plot was foiled.
The holiday of Purim is celebrated on the 14th and 15th of the month of Adar (II) in the Hebrew Calendar (usually falling in February or March)…and this year it falls on March 12th-13th, 2025.
From the Scriptures, we get several distinctive customs for Purim:
- Reading the Megillah (the Book of Esther), and using noisemakers whenever Haman’s name is read
- Sharing gifts of food to friends and family
- Giving charity to those who are in need
- Feasting and celebrating with a festive meal (The B’rit Hadasha Purim Party will be on March 15th so make sure you get your tickets now!)
These distinctive customs are often referred to as “The Four Things”, and you can learn more about the direct references we see in the Scriptures to these four specific traditions on our blog!
So What About Costumes?
Another tradition that is very common–and one that we partake in every year at the B’rit Hadasha Purim Party–is to dress up in costume for the Purim Party/celebration!!
But where did this tradition come from and what does it symbolize?
Well, the tradition of dressing up in costumes during Purim actually has several layers of meaning and historical development…The primary symbolic reason connects to the theme of concealment and revelation that we see in the Purim story.
In the Book of Esther, there are many instances of hidden identities and things not being as they appear, such as:
- Esther concealing her Jewish identity until the crucial moment
- God’s presence being “hidden” (He is never explicitly mentioned in the Book of Esther), and yet His divine providence is evident throughout
- The entire story revolving around the reversal of fortune, where what appears to be disaster turns into salvation
The tradition of wearing costumes reflects these themes of hiddenness and revelation. By disguising ourselves, we playfully reenact the element of concealment that runs through the story, while also playing on the idea that things aren’t always what they seem on the surface.
And you know we can’t forget about the Hamantashen!!
No Purim celebration would be complete without Hamantashen…the beloved three-cornered cookies that have become synonymous with the holiday. The unique shape of these pastries comes from the folklore that Haman wore a three-cornered hat, and thus, by making this delicious dessert in the same shape and eating these cookies, we symbolically defeat him once again!
These triangular cookies are typically filled with poppy seeds, fruit preserves, or chocolate, and then pinched closed before baking.
Modern versions have expanded beyond traditional fillings to include more creative variations, but the distinctive triangular shape always remains constant.
Making and sharing hamantashen has become a cherished Purim tradition, with families often gathering to bake them together before the holiday.
These special pastries not only add sweetness to our Purim celebration but serve as an edible reminder of God’s deliverance of His people!If you want to try your hand at making hamantashen this year, check out our Hamantashen 101 blog post to learn more about making these yummy cookies!!
Now…Why Do We Celebrate Purim?
The Jewish people are called to celebrate Purim to remember this deliverance and to honor how God worked through Esther to protect His people. For us as Messianic Jews specifically, Purim also offers an opportunity to reflect on how God continues to preserve His people throughout history and how He can work through individuals to accomplish His purposes.
There is a theme seen all throughout the Bible, of God working behind the scenes in history to preserve and protect His people…and the story of Esther is just one of the Biblical events that display this theme. Other events like the story of Joseph, Moses’ birth and childhood in Egypt, and the lives of Ruth and Naomi help ring true this sentiment of a God that works behind the curtain.
Though God is rarely mentioned directly in Joseph’s narrative, His providence is clear as Joseph’s slavery and imprisonment ultimately positioned him to save his family and the Egyptian from famine. Similar to Esther, Joseph’s rise to power in a foreign land was instrumental in preserving God’s people.
“Yes, you yourselves planned evil against me.
— Genesis 50:20 TLV
God planned it for good, in order to bring about what it is this day–to preserve the lives of many people.”
The circumstances surrounding Moses’ survival as a baby show God’s hidden hand – from his mother’s decision to place him in the Nile, to Pharaoh’s daughter finding him, to his own sister being nearby to suggest a Hebrew nursemaid (his own mother).
While God’s direct intervention isn’t mentioned in these events, the intricate timing reveals His protection.
“Then the daughter of Pharaoh came down to bathe, while her maidens walked along by the riverside. When she saw the basket among the reeds, she sent her handmaiden to fetch it. When she opened it, she saw the child–look, a baby boy crying! She had compassion on him and said, ‘This is one of the Hebrew children.’ ”
— Exodus 2:5-6 TLV
The story of Ruth appears at first to be about tragic loss and poverty, but through seemingly ordinary events – Ruth gleaning in Boaz’s field, their eventual marriage – God was preserving the lineage that would lead to King David and ultimately to Messiah Yeshua.
“So Ruth went out and gleaned in the field behind the reapers.
— Ruth 2:3 TLV
She just so happened to be in the field of Boaz,
who was from Elimelech’s family.”
As we celebrate Purim and remember God’s faithfulness to His people in Persia, we’re reminded that He is still working today, even when we can’t see His hand moving. Just as He preserved the Jewish people through Esther’s courage and Mordecai’s wisdom, He continues to work through circumstances, relationships, and seemingly random events to protect and guide His people.
In our own challenging times, when the headlines might cause us concern or when persecution of believers rises in various parts of the world, we can take heart in knowing that our God is never passive or distant. He who preserved His people through slavery in Egypt, exile in Babylon, attempted destruction in Persia, and many more instances throughout history, remains just as active today. Sometimes His work is obvious, but more often, like in the Purim story, He moves in more subtle ways.
The story of Purim reminds us to look for God’s hand in the everyday moments of our lives, in the “coincidences” that aren’t really coincidences at all, and in the perfectly timed meetings and circumstances that He orchestrates.
As we don our costumes and celebrate God’s deliverance during Purim…
Let us remember that we serve the same faithful God who worked through a young Jewish woman in ancient Persia. He is still writing stories of deliverance today – and you might just be playing a crucial role in His plans, whether you realize it or not!
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