Out of Zion

Guest (Male): To understand the feast of Purim and the story of Esther, we must first understand the story found in Exodus of an unprovoked attack by Amalek upon the children of Israel. It helps to explain how centuries later, a descendant of Amalek devises a very evil plan to annihilate the Jewish people. The story outlines the choice facing all of us.

Dr. Susan Michael: I want to welcome you to this week's Shabbat Shalom devotional, when I seek to share a little inspiration and bring a little peace to the close of your very busy week. We are not discussing this week's Torah portion because it's the holiday or festival of Purim. I want to talk about a few verses that we skipped over a few chapters back in Exodus 17, verses 8 through 16.

This is the story of Amalek. The children of Israel have come out of the Red Sea, the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. They're in the wilderness, and they are attacked without provocation by Amalek. It says that Moses had to go up on a hill and raise his hands before the Lord for the children of Israel to actually have victory over this attack.

Afterwards, Moses builds an altar there, and he calls it "the Lord my banner." He says this: "The Lord has sworn, the Lord will have war with Amalek from generation to generation." This unprovoked attack against the children of Israel was met by the God of Israel. Joshua had to lead the battle. Moses stood on the hill and had his arms in the victorious position, praising God. But at the end, it was God who brought the victory, and Moses declares that.

Moses also says that because of this, there's going to be war with Amalek from generation to generation. What's so interesting is that several hundred years later, a descendant of Amalek comes up with this evil scheme to annihilate all the Jewish people. Haman hated the Jews because they would not bow down to him, something forbidden by their God. They are to worship God and God alone; they are not to worship man or pagan idols.

Haman comes up with this scheme, and he presents it to the king and gets the king's decree that all the Jewish people are to be annihilated, they're to be attacked and killed. Little does he know that beautiful young Queen Esther is Jewish. She goes before the king, she risks her life, and asks for him to intervene and to do something.

This was not a threat to just a segment of the Jewish population in the world, the Jews of Persia, like the Jews of America or the Jews of France. The Persian Empire was so big it stretched all the way in the east from India to Ethiopia in the west. This was huge. Almost all the Jews, the vast majority of Jews of the world, lived in the Persian Empire.

Had Haman succeeded, they would have all been wiped out. That would have been the end of the biblical story. There would have been no rebuilding of Jerusalem and the Temple and reestablishment of the Jewish people in their land. There would have been no birth of Jesus to Joseph and Mary, a Jewish young couple. This is really a significant threat to the Jewish people. If Haman had succeeded, you understand, you and I would be pagans today. The gospel would have never gone forth from the land of Israel. It would have never taken place because Jesus would have never been born.

All of this because of the hatred and resentment of an Amalekite. Amalek was the grandson of Esau, and you know there was bitter rivalry between Esau and Jacob. But at the end of their life, Esau forgave Jacob and actually gave him the land of Canaan. The emotion of Esau in the story is genuine and heartfelt, but it seems that part of his offspring carried forth the resentment.

Anti-Semitism is a reaction to the chosenness of the other, the Jewish people. Some choose to hate, like Amalek and his descendants. Others choose to accept God's ways, his plan, his choice, and to actually bless the people of Israel, as did Esau when he gave them the land. It's our choice. I choose to bless and to accept God's will and get behind it. And with that, I wish you Shabbat Shalom.