Nehemiah 1:11 ESV
11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 2:1-4 ESV
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
586 BC Babylon Destroyed JerusalemNehemiah 1:3-4 ESV
3And they said to me, “The remnant there in the province who had survived the exile is in great trouble and shame. The wall of Jerusalem is broken down, and its gates are destroyed by fire.”
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
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Nehemiah 1:11 ESV
11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Nehemiah 2:1-4 ESV
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. 3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Add a note
So Nehemiah’s actions today begin with prayer. Actually his actions today began with 4 months of prayer.
Nehemiah 1:4 ESV
Nehemiah’s Prayer
4As soon as I heard these words I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of heaven.
As I said, the title for today is Purpose in Position.
So what is his purpose?
His purpose flows from his position, not as a cupbearer to the King, but as a faithful servant of God.
Because of that position, as a faithful servant of God, he has been given position as a cupbearer to the king…and in this position, his purpose is fulfilled.
Nehemiah 1:11 ESV
11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
Add a note
Nehemiah 1:11 ESV
11O Lord, let your ear be attentive to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants who delight to fear your name, and give success to your servant today, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.”
Now I was cupbearer to the king.
The Expositor’s bible commentary says:
Varied sources suggest something about Nehemiah as a royal cupbearer:
- He would have been well-trained in court etiquette
- He was probably a handsome individual
- He would certainly know how to select the wines to set before the king
- He would have to be a convivial (cheerful and friendly; jovial) companion, willing to lend an ear at all times.
- He would have great influence as one with the closest access to the king, able to determine who was able see his master
- Above all Nehemiah had to be one who enjoyed the unreserved confidence of the king.
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Nehemiah 2:1-2 ESV
Nehemiah Sent to Judah
1In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. 2And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid.
Call to Service/Ministry
SO as you begin to hear and follow the Lord, and the circumstances around you begin to become louder, and louder, and louder, the quiet nudge of the Lord’s leadership in your life is like those noise cancelling headphones that helps you to clearly and distinctly recognize His voice.
So what are those circumstances, those loud noises around you? They sometimes are not bad things. It could be your career/family/friends. Maybe sometimes they are bad things, like habits you have developed/elements of sin in your life/hobbies or possessions that have supplanted His rightful place in your heart.
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Nehemiah 2:3-4 ESV
3I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” 4Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven.
Add a note
“Glorious Day” — Kristian Stanfill
“All The Poor And Powerless” — All Sons And Daughters
“Good Good Father” — Chris Tomlin
“Way Maker” — Leeland
“The Blessing” — Kari Jobe & Cody Carnes
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