Are you superstitious? Whenever I think about superstitions I can’t help but think of the Apostle Paul and his speech to the men of Athens. By all accounts, Paul was quite a character. I can just picture him standing on the ancient Areopagus (Mars Hill) of Athens nearly two thousand years ago calling out to those gathered at the famous altar to the Unknown God:
“Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”
I admit, I would like to have been there for that speech. To see Paul in his billowing robes challenging the highly educated Atheneans about their unfounded superstitions would have been quite a sight. Anyway, Paul goes on to explain to the men of Athens that the God they ignorantly worship was the living God of the Bible. If the Apostle Paul was here today, I can just see him chiding our generation with similar advice.
Let’s take the number 13 for example. Even among Christians this number has a certain evil connotation about it. Have you ever wondered why the number 13 has such a superstitious aura? What if I told you, that like the ignorance of those men of Athens concerning the altar to their Unknown God, the superstitions surrounding the number 13 are but the vestiges of a similar story that involves that same “Unknown God”? Continue reading →
This week is Purim, a celebration that honors YHWH, the living God of the Bible and a young Jewish maiden who changed the course of history. The maiden’s Hebrew name was Hadassah which means myrtle, but most of us know her by her Persian name of Esther or star.
It’s the story of a young girl with a courageous heart who answered the call when others would or could not, a story of one who was willing to sacrifice her place amongst the people she loved in order to protect them. You know, we often focus on Hadassah’s bravery as queen when approaching the king unannounced, but seldom do we appreciate the sacrifice she made for her people long before that day arrived.
You see, Hadassah, in order to be considered a potential future queen of Persia, had to be willing to sacrifice her virtue and her place amongst her own people. This was not just a beauty pageant where the losers got to go home with a consolation prize. The best she could hope for in a second place finish was concubine to the king, forever an outcast without respect and place amongst her own people.
But that is not how it turned out. Hadassah’s bravery and her love for her people changed the history of the Jewish people and those efforts even reached across the ages to touch the lives of you and me. Can you imagine what the history of the Jewish people might have been had Hadassah not acted? To be sure, YHWH could have raised up another brave soul to take her place in order to fulfill His redemptive plan for mankind, but surely the historical landscape would have changed.
Today I’d like to give you a unique glimpse of how YHWH used Hadassah to change the history of the Jewish and Persian people. The history we will explore in this article is a little known aspect of that Jewish / Persian history which finds roots in the superstitions surrounding the number 13 and the celebration of April Fool’s day. Continue reading →
Each time Friday the 13th rolls around I can’t help but think of the Apostle Paul and his speech to the men of Athens. By all accounts, Paul was quite a character. I can just picture him standing on the ancient Areopagus (Mars Hill) of Athens nearly two thousand years ago calling out to those gathered at the famous altar to the Unknown God:
“Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”
I admit, I would like to have been there for that speech. To see Paul in his billowing robes challenging the highly educated Atheneans about their unfounded superstitions would have been quite a sight. Anyway, Paul goes on to explain to the men of Athens that the God they ignorantly worship was the living God of the Bible.
If the Apostle Paul was here today, I can just see him chiding our generation with similar advice. Let’s take the number 13 for example. Even among Christians this number has a certain evil connotation about it. Have you ever wondered why the number 13 has such a superstitious aura? What if I told you, that like the ignorance of those men of Athens concerning the altar to the Unknown God, the superstitions surrounding the number 13 are but the vestiges of a similar story that involves that same “Unknown God”? Continue reading →
Have you ever wondered about the history of April Fools? Well the origins of this tradition may date back to the common history of two nations which are still in the news today. By some accounts Israel and Iran are at the brink of war and events seem to be spiraling out of control. The history and dynamics surrounding the relationships of these two nations is fascinating and could well be the basis for the tradition of April Fools.
Nowruz, literally “new light” is the name of the Persian new year celebration which lasts twelve days. It is celebrated in the spring and is closely related to the Spring Equinox. Historians say it has been celebrated for at least 3000 years. It is a joyous time of visiting family and friends.
On the 13th day of the New Year the Persian people celebrate Sizdah-bedar. Sizdah-bedar literally means getting rid of 13. It is often associated with bad luck and ill omen. Many Persian families spend the day in the countryside. It is so widely celebrated that some towns seem deserted on this day. This tradition can be traced as far back as the 6th century BC. It is also celebrated in Iraq, Azerbaijan, Central Asia and Armenia. On this day Persian’s play practical jokes on each other and some claim it is the basis for April Fool’s day. It is interesting to note that Sizdah-bedar is strangely absent from much of Persian history after it became part of the Muslim World in the seventh century.
About the same time Sizdah-bedar is first noticed historically in Persian culture the very same day is recorded as a day of infamy in Biblical tradition. In the book of Esther, a Persian named Haman conceives a plan to destroy the Jewish people. As part of his preparations he starts casting Pur (lots) in the 1st month (Nisan) of the 12th year of the Persian king Ahasuerus. He continues with this ritual for 12 months. Then in the 1st month (13th month from when it began), in the 13th year of king Ahasuerus, on the 13th day of the month the king makes Haman’s plan to destroy all the Jews of the kingdom, law. This day was Sizdah-bedar, the very same day which Persians for the last 2500 years have associated with bad luck.
Those familiar with the book of Esther know that the date for the extermination of the Jewish people was set for the13th day of 12th month of the 13th year of king Ahasuerus. It was through the courage of Queen Hadassah (Esther) and her intervention on behalf of her people that a day meant for the destruction of the Jewish people instead became a day of destruction for their enemies. For over 2500 years the 13th– 15th of Adar is remembered as a day of deliverance for the Jewish people in their celebration of Purim.
Ironic, isn’t it, that Sizdah-bedar, the day of getting rid of 13, was the day Haman was given permission to “get rid” of a nation of people who it could be argued consisted of 13 tribes.
So next time April comes around give a thought to one of the greatest April fools of all time. Consider a man who had determined evil upon a whole race of people and ended up reaping what he had sown.
April fools indeed!
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
Are you superstitious? Whenever I think about superstitions I can’t help but think of the Apostle Paul and his speech to the men of Athens. By all accounts, Paul was quite a character. I can just picture him standing on the ancient Areopagus (Mars Hill) of Athens nearly two thousand years ago calling out to those gathered at the famous altar to the Unknown God:
