I Was the King's Cupbearer.
Nehemiah's story teaches us to yield ourselves to God in our helplessness and ask Him to work through us to fulfill his mighty purposes.
F.B. Meyer reflects on Nehemiah's role as the king's cupbearer, emphasizing the significance of this seemingly humble position and the trust it required. Despite being removed from the heroic actions of the outside world, Nehemiah's heartfelt tears and prayers for Jerusalem reveal a deep commitment to God's purpose. His faith illustrates that God can work powerfully through anyone, regardless of their status or strength. Meyer challenges listeners to yield themselves to God, believing that their weaknesses can become vessels for His mighty works. The sermon encourages a posture of prayer and surrender, highlighting the transformative power of faith.
Text
I was the king's cupbearer. Neh. i. 11.
THE post was an important one. It gave its occupant the opportunity of coming into close contact with the king; it implied a character of unusual trustworthiness, since Oriental despots were very afraid of poison. But no one expected a royal cupbearer to do anything very heroic. He lived in the inner part of the palace, and was necessarily excluded from the great deeds of the stirring outward world. Nehemiah also was evidently a humble and retiring man. His response to the story of the ruined condition of Jerusalem was just a flood of tears and prayer to the God of heaven. And had you seen those tears and heard that prayer, you might have thought that just another flower was drooping, another seed falling into the ground to die.
But this was not all. These prayers and tears were supplemented by an earnest purpose, which was maturing with every hour. He gave himself to God to be used, if God would have it so, as an instrument in the execution of his recorded purpose. He was a man of faith. It mattered little enough that he was only a cupbearer, for that was no barrier to God; indeed, God might work more efficiently through a frail, weak man, than through the prince, the soldier, or the orator, since He cannot give his glory to another. What a glorious faith was his, which dared to believe that through his yielded life God could pour his mighty rivers! Why do we not yield ourselves in our helplessness to God, and ask Him to work through us, to fulfil his mighty purposes?
"We kneel, how weak! We rise, how full of power!
Why therefore should we do ourselves this wrong,
Or others ‑‑ that we are not always strong!"
Sermon Outline
-
I
- The Importance of the King's Cupbearer
- Characteristics of the Cupbearer
- Nehemiah's Response to the Ruined Condition of Jerusalem
-
II
- The Power of Prayer and Tears
- An Earnest Purpose to Serve God
- Faith in God's Ability to Work Through Weakness
-
III
- Yielding to God in Helplessness
- Asking God to Work Through Us
- Fulfilling God's Mighty Purposes
Key Quotes
“We kneel, how weak! We rise, how full of power!” — F.B. Meyer
“Why therefore should we do ourselves this wrong, Or others - that we are not always strong!” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We should yield ourselves to God in our helplessness and ask Him to work through us to fulfill his purposes.
- Faith allows us to believe that God can work through our yielded lives to fulfill his mighty purposes.
- We should not underestimate the power of prayer and tears in serving God.