Resources | Parallel Stories: Esther & Joseph

We all want to know and understand the Bible better, but when it comes to putting all the pieces together and making sense of the bigger story of Scripture, things can get complicated. How do we glean the meaning and message of a particular book? Is each book meant to be understood standing alone? Or are there ways that the different narratives of the Bible are interrelated, meant to bring meaning to one another and point to a larger story of what God is doing in the world? And what do you do with a story that doesn’t mention God at all?

As a church this fall we will study through the Book of Esther, which is one of only two books in the Bible (the other being the Song of Solomon) that never mentions God’s name. You can imagine that this apparent absence of God in this story can create difficulty for many Christians who try to read and make sense of this wonderful story. Yet, in spite of this unique challenge, we believe the story of Esther is inspired by God and can be immensely useful to teach us what is true, correct us where we are wrong, and equip us as believers (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
One of the ways that we can engage the truth within Esther is by reading it in light of what the Bible teaches in other places — letting Scripture interpret Scripture. Doing so helps us make sense of the Bible not as a series of independent stories, but as one unified, overarching narrative.
As a whole, the Esther story bears a striking resemblance to an earlier story in the history of Israel: the story of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). Esther is written in a way that at times alludes and points back to Joseph’s story. This is meant to shape our expectation as readers that God is in fact very much involved in the events, even if he is not directly mentioned. At the end of the Joseph story, God’s role was made explicit: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20). Given the similarities between the two stories, one might infer the role of God to be similar in the story of Esther, only implicitly rather than explicitly.
Below are just some of the parallels between the stories of Esther and Joseph.
  • Both are set in the court of a foreign, pagan king, in which the characters maintain some level of secrecy about their identity.
  • In both, there is a character who rises and experiences great favor with the king, but then suffers a sharp decline.
  • In both, the heroes overcome their misfortune, emerging to lead to the deliverance of their people.
  • In both, the turning point involves the king’s remembering an Israelite on a sleepless night.
  • In both, there is a royal banquet in which the invited guests (Joseph’s brothers; Haman) do not know the true identity of the host/hostess. These banquets serve as a crucial turning point in the deliverance of the Jewish people.
  • In both, the heroes are rewarded with some measure of royal power.

 

By following along with our Reading Plan this fall, you will have the opportunity to read through not only the Book of Esther but also the story of Joseph. Over time you will pick up a series of echoes from the Joseph story that will serve to frame the Esther story in a similar light. The distinction between the two stories helps show us that the same God who is present as deliverer through miracles, dreams, visions, and prophets is still present as deliverer in the absence of these things. The same God who has saved through signs and wonders also works through a subtle, sovereign, and providential control of history. Though on the surface He may appear to be absent and uninvolved, He is, in reality, providentially at work to accomplish His purposes and deliver His people for His glory and their good.