The Book of Esther and Purim are usually not respected by Christians. This book there are no references in the New Testament, copies of it was not at Qumran. It rarely mentions the commandments, and that is the strangest thing, not even pronounce the name of God. Behavior of many heroes of the book is reprehensible, and she's canvas with a mixture of oriental pomp, intrigue, and enough of serious violence. Why did this book canonized apostles and nobody will ever, except for the Nazis, and liberals do not doubt its sacredness? Albeit with some fluctuations, Esther canonized, at least part of the Orthodox churches, to her respects ancient Christian communities in the East.
To understand why, you must apply to the heritage of the Reformation. Without him, the holy book of Esther may be a reasonable doubt. Moreover, you can be sure that someone who understands this book understands the nature of biblical revelation as a whole understands the gospel. My statement may seem too strong. But try to appreciate it.
Omnipotence of God and the variation of events
The name literally means lots of Purim. This means that it is ironic. Jews sought to profane pagan notions of chance, knowing that there is no such thing: God controls all things. Whatever the circumstances, and omens, he is always able to save His people - even when he faces extermination. If He made a promise He has not given up His idea in the middle of history and not start all over again. He answers to pray and change reality. It also does not cease its efforts to save historic Israel and bring it to Christ. Otherwise, we could not be assured and that He will not leave the church.
Sometimes puzzling text Est.4.13-14: «Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not with thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house, more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?» Ignorant people often do not notice that the "place» (Maqom) - this is the wrong translation of one of the names of God. Contrary to common in modern Protestantism and Judaism, the interpretation of this text does not teach that to us to eternal salvation. Salvation, the more eternal, in any case from the Lord, but in some cases, he willingly puts some events not associated with an eternal destiny, but only with the earthly life, depending on performance by us of its purpose. Also saved people, what were undoubtedly the Old Testament saints – may having sinned, to add his suffering.
Some details
Many people confuse that with the time penalty villain Haman to destroy, with the permission of the Persian government, many of his supporters took six months - it's too reminiscent of, say, Soviet atrocities long after the victory over Nazism. So it may seem, if you only read your book of Esther, and to ignore the tradition, especially in the Midrashic literature, which greatly exacerbates the drama. After the execution of Haman unrest, armed clashes did not stop for a long time, there was the threat of widespread violence against Jews, yet this was not an end. Of course, severely in the civil conflict does not take prisoners - but nowhere in the world of V c BC was not significantly better and total war waged even sophisticated Greeks. However, for the "preventive war,"killing thousands of children "," full replacement of the Persian elite by Jews” etc, filth malicious, slanderous inventions of people have never read the original, or, worse, distorted it. Scripture says that Jews are specifically killed those who intend to arms to destroy them en masse. The correct translation of the Bible King James Version reads: Wherein the king granted the Jews which were in every city to gather themselves together, and to stand for their life, to destroy, to slay and to cause to perish, all the power of the people and province that would assault them, both little ones and women, and to take the spoil of them for a prey (8.11). Harsh measures due to the very dangerous situation: the fate of the nation was in the balance of perdition. So after May 9 - is also a day of deliverance of Russia from the threat of death and the glorification of the heroism of its people!
Limited Atonement
The historical context of the Book of Esther tells about generic continuity of the worst enemies of Israel, it has links with the house of Haman Agag, and the people of Amalek (1 Sam.15.21-32, Est.3.1). God has commanded that the war with Amalek continued for many generations, and that the name of this people was wiped out (Ex.17.16, Deut. 25.19). That explains the commandment to destroy Agag, along with the dynasty, for failure to which Saul had to pay a crown, and later life. Why is the rigidity of this commandment? In the analysis of the Old Testament's often overlooked one point: Amalek - a people who, knowing that God protects Israel went to unprovoked aggression to prove that God does not rule nor Israel, nor in the world and not able to protect His chosen people. If the builders of Babel attempted to reach heaven, God declared war against the Amalekites in the land. In fact, this is a great community, which has reached the level of conscious rebellion against God. Such actions are certainly characteristic of the reprobated people. Moreover, the people of Amalek was not supposed to survive until the arrival of the Messiah (1 Par.4.43), and in the era of Esther they existed only by remains.
On the other hand, it is clear that the problem we face is spiritual, that has nothing to do with national intolerance. Once Amalekites did not participate in the Old Testament community, but because after the captivity no one was competent to identify them, Judaism was completely open community, which can reject only those who committed crimes against the Jews. Nevertheless, we know that even after a "pogrom perpetrated by Jews", many Persians asked the faith of Israel! According to tradition, have survived and have repented even grandchildren of Haman (Gitin 57b) - their time, in contrast to his adult sons, no penalty!
The more open is the church which is loyal to the Israeli one. Clearly, however, that even today there are forces represented in many nations and religions, who fanatically, frantically hated the church precisely because of its assertion the omnipotence of God. All those who question the omnipotence of God and His unconditional right to save his people and to manage the universe as heaven and earth (Mt.6.10), will be punished by Him, possibly in both lives. Such people may, like the Pharaoh, reach the level of anger and impenitence at which they can not be corrected. In fact, this means that God had rejected them from the very beginning, and no benefit rescue these people will not bring. There are no "temporary blessings" wicked, while the righteous suffer. Prosperity of the wicked means only increase their responsibility before God and the anger at them. . If God loves all people, all would have been saved. But if not all are saved, there is only one conclusion - that he loved and lived from eternity His Church, but not all.
Separation between the Church and the world
And Haman said unto king Ahasuerus, There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom; and their laws are diverse from all people; neither keep they the king's laws: therefore it is not for the king's profit to suffer them. If it please the king, let it be written that they may be destroyed: and I will pay ten thousand talents of silver to the hands of those that have the charge of the business, to bring it into the king's treasuries (Est.3.8-9). So that is what frightened and angered the villain! The Old Testament church was the people though open, but be separate from the world, what the Church is, by definition. The Church can not be mixed with paganism and secular forces. In Daughters of Zion, there is no communication with the Babylonian whore. The fact that Israel supposedly "non-compliance with the king's laws" - this is a slander of Haman. Jewish law is based, and always assumed that the laws of the country of residence are required for the Jews (Bawa Metzia 73b). Moreover, the background story says that many Jews in Persia is not too serious about the Torah - once they arrived at the royal banquet, where Queen Vashti was supposed to appear naked before the people! Not only with Judaism, but also from the evangelical point of view, such action legally described as apostasy.
Why, however, even in such conditions pious Mordechai refused to bow down to Haman? . Judaism resolves to make such gestures only in the Temple, that is, before God, and not to the people. This means that in the Old Testament Church never disappeared spiritual vocation and there were always people who are principally relates to its holiness.
Retroactivity of Redemption
By truly Reformed doctrine on righteousness and the election of grace Testament Church in no way deficient compared with the Church of the New Testament (although it was not the gifts of the Spirit poured out upon each believer personally). This is due to the fact that the justification of "takes place in the mind of God, in eternity, in which He lives.«Imputation had not yet been imputed to their account because imputation is something that does not occur in time. It happens in the mind of God, and that is in eternity because that is where He has his inhabitance (see above). The work of Christ was still yet to occur in time from Abraham’s perspective, but that does not mean he was not seen as righteous by God! God’s view of Abraham was identical to that of His view of the post-Calvary Christians. He saw Abraham as righteous in Christ, otherwise He would not be able to demonstrate a timely forbearance because any sort of love demonstrated toward Abraham had to be conditioned upon something; and that something was indeed Christ! Forbearance for Abraham meant that God would not crush him because of what Christ was about to do. Abraham had to wait for that time when the messiah would come and bear his sin in his body. The only difference between Abraham and new testament Christians is he looked forward to the cross for the basis of his justification whereas new testament saints look backward to it. God’s view of it or His people has not changed one iota. And to suggest that God’s affections or understanding of anything has changed is to deny His immutability and thus God Himself!.http://www.predestinarian.net/content/23-2006-Eager-Avenue-Conference-Review
This means that all events of the Old Testament, even such tragic as the story of Purim, occur in the future of Calvary. Suggest other means to break the unity of the two Testaments, and instead of a single plan of God to believe in two contradictory wills in God and Christ. This purely Manichean heresy eventually came to "moderate Calvinists’ from Andrew Fuller. I think that Westminster Seminary also came in 1960 this is not left yet wild nasty things just because she believes in the common grace and does not believe that the salvation of some pardons and other hardens like Amalek. Deny it - the same as that to deny the Trinity, with a single will and enter Tritheism.
The Perspective of History
The narrative of Esther shows that the introduction of Revelation in the world happened in very difficult circumstances. You can’t idealize a purely moral level of a significant part of the Jews of that time and judge them by today's standards, after twenty centuries of Christianity. In fact, the inclusion of the Book of Esther in the Christian canon was relaxed attempts to idealize the idea of Israel. This means that the fall has affected all people in all respects. Contrary to traditional Judaism, the Sinai covenant does not eliminate the consequences of sin! The people of Israel as such, as in people living in the New Testament Church, there is absolutely nothing that would encourage God to grant them salvation. The election of God is made unconditionally. . God strikes the enemies of Israel for His glory, regardless of the actions of people.In fact, this also allows to hope for that irresistible grace of God will restore Israel, even after centuries of resistance by the Gospel. "Did you write about the Jews that you anywhere, the seal of the king's ring. Because of what was written in the name of the king and sealed with the signet royal, cancel impossible (8.8)The concept of "earnest" in the Apostle Paul has the same meaning "royal seal" (2 Cor.1.22, Eph.1.14), and it can be used in the New Testament in the value of evidence that God keeps His saints from falling (Iud.24) So how could finally fall historical Jews, and whether "losing salvation" true Christians?
Christ, His sacrifice abolished the enmity between Jews and Gentiles (but not between the seed and the seed of the serpent and seed of Eve!) made it possible, if not eliminate violence in general, it significantly reduced it. Violence in the Old Testament does not mean a lack of righteousness, and the gifts of the Spirit, because there were not the same as in the New Testament, the possibility to win the hearts, rather than a fortress. Should also understand that if Israel kills pagans this punishment does not necessarily mean eternal damnation, since descended into hell, Christ could have saved all the elect of all nations, waiting for His coming - perhaps because, as in the case put out of Church, that their body was given to Satan, that spirit may be saved. In medieval Christianity is the idea that if a pious king or inquisitor, God forbid, punish the innocent, the soul of a man is saved!
Weakened by the conflict with the Jews of Persia - not only failed to subdue Hellas, but soon she fell under the blows of Alexander of Macedon. Good or bad? From the standpoint of religious it is clearer than political correctness. The Persian religion was opposed the idea of the omnipotence of the one God. Monotheism is more acceptable for people who are disappointed with paganism than dualists. 1200 years after Purim John of Damascus wrote that Manichaeism is worse than even the most anti-Christian Judaism. In fact, violent Esther we owe the fact that after four centuries Gospel came to the fatalistic people of Greco-Roman culture, which it did gradually adopted, and not to the world of Zoroastrian dualism, where it would immediately perverted and ruined - think of Gnosticism, Manichaeism, Albigensian heresy and other cults of Iranian origin. Despite the inevitable harm after transition of Revelation in a different culture, we can’t question the contribution of the Western Europe, who turned Christianity from a Jewish mystical sect into a truly global religion.
High grace
Now we infer from the foregoing.«We should see everything that happens in time as something that is necessary to fulfill God’s ultimate purpose. God purposed for Adam and the elect to fall into sin in order to fulfill His purpose of having a redeemed people in Christ. God’s view of things was not determined by the events played out in time; but His view of everything is based on His primary purpose of being glorified by His creation which includes His righteous elect singing His praises forever and ever and the unelect enduring His wrath for all time. For example, hell itself is not a result of the fall as most low-grace theologians have taught for centuries. They believe that God is crying divine tears of frustration over those that end up in hell, and that God wants all men to be saved in Christ. This is because they fail to understand what God’s ultimate purpose from eternity and how all things are brought about in order to fulfill this purpose. But hell was purposed from the beginning to have a number of inhabitants where God’s presence would constantly torture those that were created for it. The inhabitants of hell are not there by mistake or as primarily as a result of their sin. But they are there primarily because that is where God intended to put them from the beginning» (Ibid).
Justification is not merely the forgiveness of sin, guilt, for which Christ took upon Himself, or the abolition of the death penalty, but provided for from eternity the introduction of certain people in covenant with Christ, God's gift of love and alliance with the election. If the Orthodox do not believe in the legal side of salvation, with their hand, it is reasonable, since Arminianism and without predestination it has no meaning, representing simply cutting the work of Christ. Unfortunately, the mindset of most modern Christians, including non-reformed West, spoiled the low representation of grace. They think that God has not foreseen from the beginning to glorify His Son, and hath simply evil and sin, has created chaos in the world, and Christ comes in to intervene. But the Cross - it is not God's "alternative plan" that takes place because he had committed a sin. Prevent a similar means to assume that Satan has the ability and right to adjust the plan of God and to participate in the commission of His Sacrifice - that is to come, practically, to Satanism! In modern Judaism there is idea that God allows Adam's fall to reveal the human freedom and responsibility. This is a lie, though, and without regard to the Gospel. God will not allow sin to make a salvation, He save us from Eternity and its greater glory permit a sin. To argue otherwise dishonor Christ and boldly declare that all must believe in it!
Why do some theologians and religious figures such as fr.A. Kuraev try and ignore the Old Testament tradition of the Church, to present it worse than it is?Obviously this is not just bad undercurrent to Marcionism and "White Christianity" without the Old Testament, but also an attempt to overcome its own facilities, attributing to their competitors - the Jews and dissident Christians.This great hypocrite doesn’t mislead anyone.If people fail to realize that the Old Testament faith could accept everyone - are we entitled to assume that all talks about the universality of Orthodoxy is only masking the closed tribal consciousness for those who are considered as second and third grade?Who can guarantee that they will not come to mind to avenge the people of modern Germany for the events 70 years ago? What they do not need a new world only for Russian or for Aryan race? But Purim is an extremely serious warning to the enemies of the Church that God is not obliged to save them. Martyrs are united with Christ from all eternity, slaying with Him on the great and terrible altar of God to release the wrath of the Lamb on the reprobated! If today someone is going to attempt to repeat the genocide of Protestants, like the Soviet Union in 1944-1945 then he just dig the grave itself and the modern world as a whole.
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