I WAS CUPBEARER TO THE KING
Nehemiah 1 and 2
“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven.”
Nehemiah was in a good position, serving the king. There was nothing to suggest that he was previously nationalistic and concerned with the fate of his home country and his people. There was no genealogy to suggest any pedigree. In all likelihood, at this point in time, the work of rebuilding the Temple, told in the early chapters of Ezra, had already stopped for many years. For some reason (or perhaps this was not the first time) Nehemiah asked about the developments in Jerusalem and upon hearing the sad state of affairs broke down in tears.
Nehemiah did not elaborate on his own journey to this point. What we know is that he cared so much about activities in a far-off homeland that he was willing to risk his position, and even possibly his life, to go there and manage them.
But before he undertook to speak to the king, he spent a great deal of time on his knees in prayer, seeking to heal Israel’s relationship with God, standing together with his people in repentance. He fortified his own faith by picking up the promises of God, burnishing the Jews’ credentials as God’s servants and people, whom God had redeemed time and time again.
He was not a recognised leader among the Jews. Neither was he a priest. There was no mention of him being a nobleman. It was unlikely that he was a rich man. Yet he volunteered to do God’s work because he cared enough to weep, to repent in solidarity, to draw close to God, to pray and plan, and to take calculated risks to advance his plans.
What do you think of Nehemiah’s example? Do we share the same concern for the work of God, the people of God, the church of God, that we would weep, pray, and volunteer ourselves to help? Would we spend that kind of effort on our knees and place our resources in God’s hands to use for his glory?
“Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of this your servant and to the prayer of your servants who delight in revering your name. Give your servant success today by granting him favor in the presence of this man.”