Nehemiah: From Cup Bearer To Governor

Serving – December 2010 – Grace & Truth Magazine

PREPARATION FOR SERVICE

NEHEMIAH
From Cupbearer To Governor

“I was the king’s cupbearer ... I was appointed to be their governor.” Nehemiah 1:11; 5:14 NKJV

Nehemiah’s Occupation
Have you ever wondered why Nehemiah recorded his occupation in Babylon: “I was the king’s cupbearer” (1:11)? It tells us a lot about the man.* To hold this position as chief official of the court, he most probably was a man of impeccable character and practical wisdom. Since he had to taste the wine set before his king – to prevent him from being poisoned to death – he either lived a very dangerous life or one with full confidence that he would be protected by his God. This prepared him to face the enemy in Jerusalem with the same resolve and same Almighty resource (4:4,9). In Babylon he learned the ways of state as he observed the workings of the King’s court. This helped ready him for the special task that the Lord had for him – to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem and govern the Lord’s chosen people. Nehemiah was financially independent from tax revenues in Jerusalem (5:8,10,14,17), suggesting that he was a good steward of that which God gave him through his job as cupbearer.

Nehemiah’s Character Traits
His character however, was more important than his occupation. It would appear from a number of verses (1:4-11; 2:4) that Nehemiah had a close bond with his God. He was already a man of prayer before being called into his unique work. He knew that the living God was available to meet his every need (2:4), and he was willing to share this confidence in his God with others (1:18,20). This may also imply that he had a definite care for God’s glory and the blessing of His people (1:9,10). Because of these intrinsic qualities, God allowed this servant to be prepared by his job in the court of Artaxerxes the king for the work God had for him in Jerusalem.

Nehemiah was: A man of prayer (1:11), confident in his God (1:11; 2:4), concerned for God’s glory and the place where God had established His name (8:1-18; 13:6-13,15-21), having good relationships with the king and the Jews (1:11; 2:2; 13:6; 2:18; 5:1-6), keen about the welfare of God’s people (1:2), trained in the ways of government (1:11; 2:1-8), willing to be a servant (1:11), and a good steward of his income (5:8,10,14,17-18).

These facts are given for comparison with your own qualifications. Are you a person who is close to your Lord and Savior through prayer and confidence in His daily care? Then your present job might actually be His training ground to prepare you for a special task that has eternal value. Your income, including a pension, may have been given to you in adequate amounts to support you in His service or to share with others so that they can work for Him.

Invitation To Serve
The Lord Jesus asked His disciples to: “Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest” (Mt. 9:38). This work may be mission oriented or aimed at building up the Lord’s people locally. While you pray for more workers in God’s mission field, examine yourself to see if He may be equipping you, through your circumstances and even your job, to enter some field of service.

END NOTE:
* Cupbearer: A high ranking royal official primarily in charge of serving wine to the king. Since he was close to the king, who feared the possibility of poisoned food, the cupbearer was required to be a man of irreproachable loyalty capable of winning the king’s complete confidence. — Jewish Virtual Library

By Hank Blok