From Cupbearer to Carpenter

"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 1:4

    Once upon a time, there lived a man named Nehemiah who dwelt as a captive among foreigners. One hundred and forty years earlier, his people were taken from their homes in Jerusalem and exiled to Babylon, a distance of more than one thousand miles. 

    Now, Nehemiah was doing alright for himself, considering his captive state, for he had risen in the ranks to cupbearer of King Artaxerxes, so when he heard from visitors that Jerusalem lay in burned ruins, he could have kept quiet and lived in relative comfort, but he was so upset that he wept for days in prayer and deep grief. 

    First, in his prayer, he gave glory to God and reminded Him of His covenant of love for those who keep His commandments. Then, he launched into a confession of sins, not just his own, but those of his people, the Israelites. Finally, with firm conviction, he asked God to grant him success when he went before the King with his outlandish plan: He wants to go to Jerusalem and rebuild the walls! This was no small task; there were at least ten massive gates that had to be repaired or rebuilt.

    Though the Bible doesn't give these details, I would imagine a cupbearer doesn't know much about major construction. Maybe he built a coffee table on the weekend once, but that doesn't make him a surveyor, a carpenter or a mason. Though he had no calloused hands, he had what it took: A childlike faith.  

    As he approached the King, "the gracious hand of my God was on me" (2:8) and his requests for a lengthy leave of absence, letters of permission and a charge account for supplies were all freely granted.

    In every story, there has to be an antagonist or two and they were sure waiting for Nehemiah upon his arrival in Jerusalem. Sanballat and his nefarious cohorts, Tobiah and Geshem, were dishing out intimidation and threats of legal trouble, but our hero responded, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or historic right." (2:20)

    I took great encouragement from this true account of Nehemiah. I wonder if he has any idea that an American woman in the 21st century is learning from him, but is it enough to simply read this? Maybe I should apply it in my life, but how? I'll have to pray about that to my God of heaven, the same God who blessed our protagonist. I'm quite certain He will grant me success.

    Oh, by the way, that "outlandish plan" was completed in just 52 days! 

"Don't be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes...Our God will fight for us!" Nehemiah 4:14, 20