“So it came about when the command and decree of the king were heard and many young ladies were gathered to the citadel of Susa into the custody of Hegai, that Esther was taken to the king’s palace into the custody of Hegai, who was in charge of the women… So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus to his royal palace in the tenth month which is the month Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign” (Esther 2:8, 16).
What does it look like to view the world biblically? Viewing the world biblically looks like a child constantly seeking to compare the things he sees and hears around him with the scenes of his favorite movie. A biblical world view means we constantly try to locate our own lives within the context of the “Bible movie,” which for us is the one true story that gives meaning to all others. It means we see analogies between the circumstances of our own lives and the lives of our biblical forefathers.
Parallels
The author of Esther is, in this sense, a model of someone who sees the world through the lenses of Scripture. Consider the story of Esther being taken by the king of Persia because of her beauty, and her need to conceal her ethnic identity. Where had the author of Esther seen this story before? Ahh! Yes! Esther and Mordecai’s story reminded him of the story of Abram and Sarai in Egypt. And this is why he writes in such a way that we will see these parallels too.
Abram and Sarai go into exile (Gen 12:10); Mordecai and Esther are in Exile (Esth 2:6-7). Sarai is beautiful (Gen 12:11); Esther is also beautiful (Esth 2:7). Because of Sarai’s good looks, she is taken into Pharaoh’s house (Gen 12:14-15); because of Esther’s good looks she is taken into the king’s house (Esth 2:8). Things go so well for Abraham on her account he’s given servants (Gen 12:16); things go so well for Esther she is given servants (Esth 2:9). Abram commands Sarai to conceal her identity (Gen 12:12-14); Mordecai also commands Esther to conceal her identity (Esth 2:10, 20).
A biblical world view means we constantly try to locate our own lives within the context of the “Bible movie”
Because of all these parallels to God’s faithfulness in the past, we are confident Haman’s plot will not succeed. Just as God had rescued Abram and Sarai from the clutches of Pharaoh in the past, so he will find a way to deliver Mordecai and Esther from the hands of all their enemies. Viewing Mordecai and Esther’s story biblically means we know that nothing on earth will stop God from fulfilling his promises.
To see the world biblically is to locate ourselves in the storyline of our crazy world via the GPS of God’s sovereign actions in the past. We rest securely in his all-powerful, never-changing hands! It means we live by faith and confidence that the God who rescued our people from the Egyptians and from the Persians is the same God who will deliver us too!
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope” (Rom 15:4).
