Final and last month of God's year (Adar)

After sunset this Friday (28th February) we finally enter the last month of God's biblical year, given the name Adar by man. This is traditionally known as a month for celebration and happiness, mainly because it contains the joyous "Chag" of The Feast of Lots (Purim), celebrating and remembering God's deliverance of His people from the evil plot of Haman, (more of this later).

As we enter this 12th month there is something traditional but quite interesting. This Shabbat we have the first of what are called four special Shabbatot or Arba Parashiyot We will have two before Purim and two before Pesach. These are Shabbats when we have an extra Torah readings added to the weekly Parashah Portion in preparation for Pesach. Three of these four special Torah Portions occur during this 12th month of Adar.

This week is Shabat Shekalim with the extra reading from Exodus 30 where we read that every male Israelite is obligated to give one half shekel towards the upkeep of the Tent of Meeting. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less.

The next on 8th Adar ( 8th March) called Shabbat Zakhor, The Shabbat of Remembrance, with the special reading from Deut. 25 describing the attack of Amelek, calling us to remember what Amalek did, and a reminder, just before Purim, of what Haman attempted to do, and that Haman was an Agagite, a descendant of Amalek.

“REMEMBER what Amalek did to you on the road as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you by the road and attacked those in the rear, those who were exhausted and struggling behind when you were tired and weary.” Indeed, it is always good for us to REMEMBER to be constantly alert to the enemy who is prowling around like a lion wanting to devour us, keep alert, don’t be a straggler KEEP UP with the Lord.

The third is on 22 Adar (22nd March) Shabbat Parah, the Shabbat of the Red Cow, with the extra reading from Numbers 19, and this is seen as a paradox. The ashes of the sacrificed red heifer which are used to make people clean, make the priest offering the sacrifice unclean. But this is a wonderful parallel with Yeshua, The red heifer, which is almost unique, Yeshua OF COURSE absolutely unique, sacrificed outside the camp making the one who is offering the sacrifice unclean but the one sprinkled by the sacrifice, the blood of Yeshua, becomes clean. Halleluhya

Most references to this 12th month of Adar are in the Book of Esther apart from:

Ezra 6: 14 where we read: The leader of the Judeans made good progress with the rebuilding of the Temple (the 2nd temple) thanks to the prophesying of Haggai the prophet and Zecharia, the son of Iddo. They kept building until they were finished, in keeping with the command of the God of Israel, this house was finished on the 3rd day of the month Adar, and the people of Israel, the Cohanim, the Leviim, and the other people from exile, joyfully dedicated the house of God.

Then in Ezekial chapter 32:1 we have this amazing prophecy which begins: “On the first day of the twelfth month the word of the Lord came to me. Human being raise a lament for Pharaoh king of Egypt say to him: You compared yourself to a lion among the nations, in fact you are more like a crocodile in the lakes, you burst out of your streams churn the water with your feet and foul their streams” . The Lord then carries on saying what he will do to Egypt – not pretty I can assure you.

The prophecy continues on the 15th day of the month: again not pretty, saying Egypt will go down and lie with the uncirumcised dead, along with Ashur, and Eilam, Edom and her kings and all her princes, because they terrorised the land of the living,”

So we have this month reminding us of the the joy when the second temple was finished, but also another reminder of what God does to those who stand against Him and His people.

Finally to the book of Esther, which brings us again joy, and the downfall of Israel’s enemy. A happy story. I think we all like happy stories, and I personally thoroughly enjoy the re-telling of the amazing story of Esther with my grand-children, with much shouting and cheering the heroes, and booing the the baddies.

Briefly: Purim, as you all know, happened in Ancient Persia in 4th century BCE. The Temple in Jerusalem had been destroyed more than 50 years earlier, and the Jews were subjects of the mighty Persian empire which extended over 127 lands. It is celebrated on the 14 Adar, the day after Haman rolled his dice declaring that the 13th Adar was the most propitious date to exterminate the Jews. So it was the next day , after the Jews had successfully fended off their enemies that we celebrate.

I am sure you know that the book of Esther (actually Hadassah in Hebrew) never mentions God, by name but it is the amazing story of a young women, prompted by her uncle, to put her own life on the line for the deliverance of her people.

We have a bad Queen, Vashti, an evil Haman, the chief of the King’s officers, a King with insomnia, which then eventually gives Haman the opportunity to list all the things that the King should do to someone he wants to honour, thinking it was for himself, then gutted when he hears it is for Mordechai the Jew, and the ultimate irony of Haman being hung on the gallows he built for Mordechia. We have a beautiful Queen Esther and we have a happy ending.

Of course there are a couple of famous quotes: “Who knows whether you didn’t come into your royal position precisely for such a time as this.” Esther 4:14.

And: "Then I will go in to the King, which is against the law; and if I perish I perish" Esther 4:16

These are probably the best known quotes but there is one other which I also like. It is the quote from Haman’s wife, Zeresh, who said to her husband, when he is in the middle of his plotting and planning to kill Mordechai the Jew, and is building a gallows in readiness: She says to him: "If Mordechai, before whom you have begun to fall, is a Jew, you will not get the better of him, on the contrary your downfall before him is certain”. (Esther 6:13) Did he listen to his wife? NO!

But I want to remind you that the first decree to annihilate the Jews which Haman persuaded the King to make could NOT be rescinded. All Esther was able to do was to get another decree which said: “The King granted the Jews in every city the right to assemble and defend their lives by destroying, killing and exterminating any forces of any people or province that would attack them, their little ones or their women or would try to seize their goods as plunder." And PTL, they were successful - obviously with the Help of The Lord, to do that. And here we are over 2,500 years later still having to do again.

Since the birth of the modern State of Israel the Jews have not only had a safe homeland to come to, but also a land where they have the right to fight their enemies who continue to want to annihilate them, which, as you know they have had to do since the very day the State was birthed 76 years ago, and sadly continuously throughout those 76 years.

So Purim is a celebration of God’s deliverance of His people, and therefore Adar is considered one of the happiest months of the Jewish year. Purim celebrated on the 14th/15th of the last month of the year, and Pesach 14/15th of the first month of the year ( both times when we have the beautiful full moon in the sky)

And one final thing, on the 7th Adar every year there is a special ceremony on Mount Herzl remembering the IDF soldiers, the whereabouts of their remains being unknown.. It is traditionally believed by some that Moshe died on 7th of the 12th month, and like him his burial place is unknown.

Lord as we enter this final month of the year, a new portion of time remembering with joy how the plot of Haman to annihilate the Jewish people was thwarted, and praying that all the on-going plots and plans by our many “Hamans” in the world today, to do the very same thing, are all thwarted too.

Reason indeed to give thanks, and to remember that you are the Sovereign Lord and God of Avraham Yitzak and Ya’acov, who reigns and rules for ever and ever.

We dedicate ourselves afresh to you as we welcome and receive this new portion of time and pray we may continue to be watching and praying, and ready for your return, or our own deaths, whichever comes first. And as we continue to live in this world of chaos and uncertainty, let us remember the words of Isaiah: Turn your eyes to the heavens. See who created these ” B’Shem Yeshua AMEN

יהי רצון מלפנין יהוה אלהינו(ve-lo-hei) ואלהי אבותינו שתחדש עלינו חודש טוב באדנינו ישוע המשיח

May it be Your will Lord our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that you renew for us a good month in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah.

Afterthought:

Maybe for such a time as this, this year, it would be most propitious for The Nation of Israel to observe the Fast of Esther (Ta’anit Ester) on Purim eve, 13th Adar (13th March). This is traditionally to remember the 3 day fast observed by the Jews in the story of Esther before she approached the King. How wonderful if all the Jews of today set this day aside to cry out to The God of Israel to have mercy on us, to humble ourselves before Him, acknowledging the many ways The Nation is unrighteous, and not fulfilling the call to be set apart and holy, and a light of truth to The Nations, and to pray for our deliverance from Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthi’s, Iran, and the crazy progressive world that has allowed anti-semitism to once again explode world-wide.

Maybe instead of drinking and eating too much on Purim, and dressing up as witches, supermen, and devils, it would be good to remember the true characters of this amazing story, and believe that this month may indeed be a month of deliverance for our people. Especially as this is also the Islamic month of Ramadan.