Immediately after Haman’s shame at being forced to honor Mordecai, he is taken to Queen Esther’s second feast. There Esther reveals her request to Ahasuerus: she asks that he spare her and her people from destruction. When the king asks who is behind such wickedness, Esther names Haman as the foe. As Haman realizes his imminent demise, he pleads for his life from Queen Esther, but the king sees it as an assault on his wife and orders that Haman be executed on the very tree Haman had intended for Mordecai’s death. To see Haman receive what he deserved in being executed on a tree reminds us of the curse of our sin that Jesus took upon Himself when He went to the cross for our salvation.

Rev. Jason Schockman, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, School, and Early Childhood Center in Oconomowoc, WI, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Esther 6:14-7:10.

"For Such a Time As This” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Esther. Although God is never explicitly named in the book of Esther, He remains the One who directs all the events of the book. Happenings that seem coincidence, chance, or luck are truly God at work. He puts Mordecai and Esther in the right places and moments to work through them to deliver His people.