Media Matters - Part 3

The Feast of Purim was just celebrated and if you participated in the study of the Jewish feast a few years back you will remember its significance in the history of the Jewish people. Here is a brief explanation from “GotQuestions.Org” The feast of Purim is a Jewish holiday in celebration of the deliverance of the Jews as recorded in the book of Esther. It is also known as the Feast of Lots (Purim being the Hebrew word for “lots”). The feast is not mentioned in the New Testament, although scholars believe the unnamed feast of John 5:1 could be Purim. In Esther, Haman, prime minister to the Persian King Ahasuerus, is insulted by the Jewish leader Mordecai, who refused to bow to Haman. Haman convinces the king that all Jews are rebellious and must be destroyed. To set the date of the genocide, Haman uses lots, or purim. Unbeknownst to Haman, Ahasuerus’s queen, Esther, is a Jew and Mordecai’s niece. Esther appeals to Ahasuerus for her people’s lives. The king cannot revoke the decree to attack the Jews, but he does issue a new decree allowing the Jews to defend themselves. As a result, Haman and his family are executed, and the Jews kill 75,000 would-be attackers. To memorialize the victory, Mordecai institutes the Feast of Purim to be celebrated every year (Esther 9:26-32). Please take time to read this passage in Esther, especially in light of our subject about fake and misleading news. Every day the potential exists for us to be misled by the news we hear or read. Worldly people have been using misleading news to destroy others since the beginning of time. Queen Esther, a leader with godly values was not appreciated by all who lived during the time of Ahasuerus’s rule. Fast forward to now, just this week, during the celebration of Purim, the major media outlets have refused to report on major allegations concerning the Governor of a major state. Thankfully, we still live under the rule, “innocent until proven guilty”. No one wants their name spread all over media outlets when all that is known is unverified accusations. Sadly, most of the major media outlets are just looking for the next salacious story. In the industry of communication especially concerning political activities, it’s called “red meat”. When Supreme Court Justice nominee Brent Kavanaugh was accused of similar inappropriate activities the media did not hold back. They were ready to hang him on Haman’s gallows. The silence you now hear concerning the Governor of the second largest state by population is proof positive of “fake news”. The absence of news is almost as bad as misleading news. Thankfully God is still in control, and we should expect victories for the kingdom of God and holy living on this side of eternity. We need to stand up for the truth no different than Esther did when Mordecai replied to her, “For such a time as this!”