The Old Testament is full of fascinating, frightening, heroic, heart-rending, amusing, amazing true stories – and none more so than the story of Esther.

Set in the Persian Empire in the 5th century BC, it is a tale of intrigue and suspense, twists and turns, and not a little humour. The Jews are faced with an enemy bent on their destruction, and Esther is called upon to risk her life to save her people.

But more than just being an exciting story, Esther is also a book in which the true historical narrative of how Esther saved the Jews, conceals a ‘type’ – of another, grander story, of God’s plan of salvation to save the world. That plan of salvation – the gospel – is expounded by Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, but it is foreshadowed in the account of Esther. In each chapter of this book, the author takes a verse from Romans and shows how the story of Esther illustrates and illumines God’s greater story.