I Was Cupbearer to the King

This final verse of Nehemiah 1 is a simple statement, but it also tells us a lot about Nehemiah as a leader.

It gives us the context of his leadership – serving the king while the Jews were returning to their land after 125 years in exile. The Jews were a despised remnant, living among ruins, fearing for their safety, and perhaps even envious of those who stayed in exile in other countries. This was a tough context for Nehemiah to lead in.

I see some parallels between his context and ours. Like Nehemiah, we’re faced with ruins all around us. Physical ruins created as we quickly moved off base to a new home and office. Emotional ruins created as we shared news with partners. Ministry ruins as our 13 year track record was reset to 0 in some people’s minds. And even the ruins in our own hearts. This is the context I feel like we’re in. Like Israel, we have a lot of restoring, rebuilding, and healing to do. And like Nehemiah, we must lead those who are counting on us, those the Lord has called us to serve.

Nehemiah’s role as cupbearer also gives us insight into his leadership qualities and competencies. I’m not going to cover them all, but I was fascinated by what I learned reading “Becoming Nehemiah – Leading with Significance” by David L. McKenna. Nehemiah began with menial tasks and worked his way up in responsibility and trust. He learned to serve under authority which is critical before a leader can effectively lead with authority. He learned to analyze situations, plan, and activate people to get the work done. He learned attention to detail, how to anticipate conspiracy or other problems, and how to adapt to crisis. And with the king’s life on the line as well as his own, Nehemiah also learned to account for his results. Wow! All that as cupbearer to the king.

Despite all the challenges and worldly temptations, Nehemiah did not compromise his faith, forget his roots, or abandon his lifestyle of worship and prayer. We learn this about him as early as chapter 1.

Nehemiah was cupbearer to the king. As I reflected on his simple yet powerful statement, I asked myself the following questions.

How well am I serving in the menial tasks I have right now? How well can I be trusted by those above and below me in position? And through both personal challenges and those that weigh on my mind for this ministry, have I abandoned my faith? Have I backslid at all in my devotion?

What can I learn from Nehemiah for my own role as cupbearer to the King? (capital K)