God is a Hamantashen!

One of my hamantashen batches for Purim 2015

Jews can use food to teach just about anything! From matzah on Passover, to latkes on Hanukkah, to cheese blintzes on Shavuot (Pentecost), we love to tell stories with food. 

Last week was no exception. Thursday was Purim,* a festival celebrating the inspiring lives of Esther and Mordechai, as well as the hidden Hand of God that saved His people through Esther's famous "such a time as this."

I celebrated with a wonderful gathering of ladies, teaching them about Esther's moments in the presence of her king, and what they show us about entering the Presence of our Heavenly King.

I decided to bring a sweet treat to the event: hamantashen: triangle-shaped cookies bearing the villain's name. Literally "Haman pockets," these plain cookies with sweetness hidden inside are a portrayal of Haman, the king's right-hand man who sought to line his pockets with power by destroying Mordechai and all of God's people.  

If you don't know the story, here it is in a nutshell - in a hamantashen , if you will...!

Persian king throws two decadent banquets totaling 187 days. Tipsy king asks queen to strut her stuff in front of guests. Queen refuses. Queen is banished. Beauty contest held to replace her. Jewish girl living in exile (Esther) wins crown. No one in palace knows she's Jewish. King's right-hand man feels threatened by Jewish man rising in ranks. Tricks king into ordering execution of the man and all Jews. Doesn't know queen is his nemesis' cousin. Queen breaks protocol and risks life to intervene. Bad guy exposed, executed.  Queen's cousin promoted. Jewish people saved.

The life of Esther is like a drama written for the stage.  There is love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal, condemnation and redemption.  Yet it wasn't written for the stage, it was written in the king's annals.  It's the dramatic account of two faithful Jews who God used to save His children in exile.

And we use hamantashen to help tell the story.  Yes, the cookies remind us that seemingly ordinary Haman had hidden secrets and agendas.

But as I've studied Esther over the years, hamantashen have also reminded me of our heroine: an orphan girl living in exile, whose ordinary exterior concealed a treasure inside, the treasure of strong, determined faith.

But most of all, the sweet treat of Purim reminds me of the real hero of this rescue. The rescuer whose name is never mentioned in the entire Book of Esther.  I'm talking about God Himself.

While His Name is remarkably absent, God's Presence is powerfully present throughout the account.  His divine Hand aligned a succession of "ordinary" circumstances into a divine tapestry so that Esther was in the right place at the right time "for such a time as this."  Sweet redemption framed up by plain human relationships.

But it's more than that.  Hamantashen, that three-sided cookie, is a reminder to me of our three-in-one Redeemer. Who came to earth looking completely ordinary on the outside, but - when people choose to partake of Him - unleashes the sweet treasure of fellowship with the King Himself, and the fruit of the Spirit.

God is a hamantashen!  My King who rules in righteousness and abounds in lovingkindness!  The Spirit, who guides in all truth and comforts hurting hearts!  And my Savior, the ordinary-on-the-outside-but-divine-on-the-inside god-man.

God is a hamantashen!  Hmmm. I think I'm going to go bake another batch...

Lord, I praise you as the three-in-one God! My Father, the King, who rules in righteousness and abounds in lovingkindness. The Spirit, who guides in all truth and comforts my hurting heart. And my Savior, who came as a helpless baby, a humble carpenter, yet reveals sweet freedom. Help me to never be blinded by the ordinary so that I miss Your divine Presence.  Amen

Purim means "lots," as in the lots Haman cast to determine the date of the Jews' annihilation.
Mordechai = more-deh-kye
Haman = hay-man
Hamantashen = hah-men-tah-shen

Dancing in the Aisles

What if we established a federal holiday to celebrate the Bible?

Congress probably wouldn't go for it. It's not very politically correct.  But maybe some state governments would enact it, say, down here in the Bible Belt.  Everyone would get the day off from work, and we could sing and worship and parade around with our Bibles!

Wait a minute.  There's already a national holiday to celebrate God's Word.  (click here to read the full blog post)

Rejoice, Rejoice! Again, I Say Rejoice!

The Feast of Tabernacles is the only feast in Scripture for which God actually commands people to rejoice!  And to rejoice for an entire week!  In fact, a nickname for the feast is Zeman Simchateinu, "The Season of Our Joy."

Certainly, other Old Testament feasts caused rejoicing. But the Feast of Tabernacles is the only one for which the Lord commands it.  

And His people obliged. The rejoicing in ancient Jerusalem during this feast was beyond what we can imagine. The entire city was lit up by the light of just three enormous menorahs, or lampstands. They were so high that priests had to climb ladders in order to tend to the wicks. Live entertainment filled every waking moment that didn't involve worship. Even the famed Gamaliel was known for juggling flaming torches during the celebration!

"Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD...and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days." Leviticus 23:34,40b ESV

So what is it about the Feast of Tabernacles that would require a week of exuberant rejoicing?  We can look to God's two other commands to shed light on this question. 

First, the Lord told the Israelites to live in "booths" for the entire week. These were temporary, makeshift huts with roofs skimpy enough to see the stars through them at night. Living in these temporary tabernacles was intended to remind God's children of His protection and sustenance during their wandering in the wilderness. 

God's other command was to celebrate with four specific types of vegetation from the land. Waving them in a special ritual - which is still done today - reminded the people that God alone provided their sustenance, even after they settled in the land flowing with milk and honey. 

Live in makeshift huts. Shake some branches. And through it all, rejoice. 

The message for God's children then and today is this: Rejoice in all things. 

Whether you are wandering in the desert of life or reaping a harvest of blessings, rejoice. You can and you must. Not because times happen to be good, or because you're just putting on a happy face on the outside. We rejoice in all things because - either way - God is sovereign, God is good, and God is there. 

God alone is our true shelter and Provider. If we place our trust in Him, nothing can ultimately shake our security. Not a pink slip or a diagnosis or a disappointment. This is how we can find joy in the wilderness and why we find joy in the bounty. 

Again, I say, rejoice!  

Jesus' Death is Alive

The Israelites in the desert and the Jews in Jerusalem had to repeat the Day of Atonement sacrifice year after year after year. But Jesus, the final atonement sacrifice, was resurrected. That means that His atoning blood is eternal. Jesus’ death is alive. And so are His mercy and grace and pardon and restoration. His blood covers your sin and your brokenness just as powerfully and beautifully today, as it did the moment He uttered the words, “It is finished.”

Simply Receive

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.  It's the holiest day on the Jewish, Old Testament Calendar… the one day each year when, at God's command, the high priest entered the Holy of Holies… the spiritual standing of the entire nation was at stake… (click here to read the full blog)