The Year of Murder (Purim)

It started out covert and hidden. It was not meant to get out to the public, at least not (or I should say most definitely not) in the way it was revealed. But if the trick was to be successful, it needed to be revealed, with lots of PR and a positive spin. And it is here we start the story:

Oh once there was a wicked wicked man,

And Haman was his name, Sir.

He would have murdered all the Jews,

Tho they were not to blame, Sir.

Oh yes, there was a wicked (saying it once is not enough, which is why the song repeats this word. I could say evil or many other things about him) wicked man and his name was Haman. Haman (magnificent) son of Hammedatha (the double) the Agagite (I will topple) came from a wicked ancestry, the line of Amalek. This tribe of people sought to destroy the Hebrew people when they were helpless ex-slaves exiting Egypt. Haman wanted to complete the task.

He called his sons and henchmen in to help him plan how to destroy the Hebrew people. After the plan was developed they cast lots (called the pur - פּוּר) to determine the date they would kill the Jews. The dice selected a date almost a year away to do their deed. It was a year of planning for the murder of God’s people.

And Esther was the lovely queen of King Ahashveyrosh

When Haman said he'd kill us all,

Oh my how he did scare us.

Much can be said about Queen Esther. She was a niece of Mordecai, one of the exiles from Judea to Babylon. Her original name was Hadassah (myrtle tree), but her name was changed to Esther (star) when she entered the beauty pageant bo become queen of Persia.

But Mordechai her cousin bold

Said: "What a dreadful chutzpah

If guns were but invented now,

This Haman I would shoot, Sir."

This is a great verse in the song for it talks about Mordecai’s discovery of Haman’s plot in most graphic terms. Haman is called out for his nerve (chutzpah), not just audacity or effrontery but his chutzpah at even thinking God would not discover the plot and protect the Jewish people. Mordecai was so angry when at Haman’s bold venture he would have shot the villain: if gons had been invented at that time!

*When Esther speaking to the King

Of Haman's plot made mention

"Ha, ha," said he, "Oh, no he won't!

I'll spoil his bad intention."*

When Mordecai told his niece she must go before King Ahashveyros in order to reveal what Haman was up to, she got very nervous. The Jewish people prayed so she would gain courage and go before the King. When Esther approached the monarch, he showed favor. Esther invited her husband and the villain Haman to two banquets. Haman was actually the guest of honor. He bragged to his wife Zeresh (Gold), “I’m the only person Queen Esther invited to accompany the king to the banquet.”

But anger got the best of him. He could not stand Mordecai, and planned to kill him on a scaffolding he built near his home. Esther chapter six contains a strange turn of events when God in jest forces Haman to honor Mordecai.

The guest of honor he shall be,

This clever Mr. Smarty

And high above us he shall swing

At a little hanging party.

The bitter turn of events in chapter six was not the worst thing that could happen to Haman (although he thought so at the time). The worst came in the next chapter, on the very same day, when Haman attended the banquet where he would be honored. And, in a sense, Esther did honor him, by telling King Ahashveyros the truth about his “most trusted adviser.” The King was not pleased and called for Haman’s immediate execution.

Of all his cruel and unkind ways

This little joke did cure him

And don't forget we owe him thanks

For this jolly feast of Purim.

The Jewish people celebrate Purim to remember how God watches out for His people. They throw parties, wear costumes and eat Hamantaschen.

Do Angels Sing?

A consistent theme of the Christmas story is the appearance of Angels to people. The story begins with an Angel who comes to Abraham on Mount Moriah and tells him, “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed.” (Ge. 22:18, repeating the promise given by God in Ge. 12:3) The Angel also visits Zechariah (Luke 1), Mary (Luke 2), Joseph (Matthew 1), and shepherds in the fields outside Bethlehem (Luke 2). These Angels are a major part of the Christmas story; they bring the good news and promises of God to earth.

This week in Advent Journeys we are experiencing Christmas through the journal of a shepherd. In Saturday’s journal this shepherd wrote how “an angel of the Lord appeared … and the glory of the Lord shone around them.” The angel said to the shepherd and his co-workers, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Then the Bible tells us, “a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.’”

There are many who tell us that Angels do not sing, because the Greek word used for the communication of the Angels in this passage is λέγω (legō), which means “to say or to speak.” The dictionary also tells us this word covers every kind of speaking: to bid, boast, call, describe, name, tell, utter. When this word is used in scripture (and in other places) most often it describes someone speaking or talking. But in a wider sense, this word conveys communication. What many ignore is that singing is a form of communication.

The truth which many scholars (who study this passage in a very narrow way) miss is that when multitudes of angels come together in communication it is most often through the medium of singing. The pattern of speaking which we see in this passage is a basis for the way we worship. Mary led Israel to worship through singing in Exodus 15. They continued singing as they traveled in the wilderness (Numbers 21:17) and as they settled in the land of Israel (1 Chronicles 6:31). God commanded Moses (Dt. 31:19), David (1 Chronicles 15:8) and others to write music.

The Bible tells us of the true songs of pure worship which are sung in heaven. These include ‘a new song’ which is sung in Revelation 5:9-10 “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” The angels also sang the new song of Moses, ““Great and marvelous are your deeds, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways, King of the nations. Who will not fear you, Lord, and bring glory to your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Revelation 15:3-4)

The song of the angels to shepherds in fields outside of Bethlehem was a vibrant means of communication. “Fear not,” should explain to us we should fear neither hearing, speaking or singing the message of God. “Behold, I bring you Good News of Great Joy,” gives an example of how we should communicate the Gospel (good news) to those who have not heard. “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” gives us the example that all of our music should be pointed to God (and not to we ourselves). This song also teaches (as does the song previously mentioned from Revelation 5) that as a result of our worship (and like the shepherds who “spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child”) we should “be a kingdom and priests to serve our God.”

The Apostle Paul tells us to be like the angels, “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15-16). Never let anyone tell you not to sing the joyous message of Christ, especially at Christmas!

Astronomy & Music

The time I spent on the journey with the Magi was amazing.  I learned many things as I visited the East and sat at the feet of the Astronomers.  During our third day of Advent Journeys this week the caravan of Wise Men is traveling up the Euphrates River.  Along this part of the trip they are enjoying the rich agricultural portion of this river, and have some time to enjoy.  They pull out their musical instruments.  As I wrote this portion of the devotion, I learned the Middle Eastern Astronomers made a huge impact on music.

Take for instance the musical scale.  It is made up of seven notes (A, B, C, D, E, F and G - plus sharps and flats … but there are seven actual notes).  This equates to one note for each day of the week.  (with sharps and flats, if the scale was arranged differently it could have been more notes).  The seven notes are named Xosrovani.

The seven notes can be played thirty ways, called modes.  These include: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian and Locrian.  They can be augmented or diminished.  A musician can explain this better, but the thirty modes represent thirty days of the month.  These are further organized into 360 melodies (one for each day of the year) named dastan.

Music was important to all ages of Mesopotamian history.  In the book of Daniel we find persians used the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, and pipes.  They probably also used percussion instruments.  Some of the instruments were brought in from India, other instruments from the west, from Greece.  Many instruments still exist, or have been re-created, and can be heard on YouTube.