The Mission of the CupbearerWe talk about God’s sovereignty a lot, but we keep running into circumstances that—on the surface—appear to threaten that reality. If God is sovereign, why do his children go through such difficult times? God is about to open a way for Nehemiah to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the walls, but why were the walls in such disrepair to begin with?
Before we answer that, let’s make the question personal. Some of you have recently recovered from being seriously sick. We praise God for your recovery, but we may also wonder why you were sick in the first place. If God is in control, shouldn’t we always experience health? Shouldn’t God’s people be the most prosperous? We know that isn’t true, but why?
Opposition and sickness are the consequences of living in a world corrupted by sin. It was Israel’s sin of idolatry that led them into Babylonian exile. That doesn’t mean that every trial we go through is the result of personal sin, but they only exist because God’s good design, from the beginning, has been corrupted by sin.
Trials will provoke a variety of negative emotions that have the ability to send us into a downward spiral of despair and frustration.
Trusting the Lord does not eliminate trials, but provides the integrity to face them with courage.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8.
This morning we will consider three ways that Nehemiah dealt with his trial in a positive manner.
I. Nehemiah Was Honest (1-2) Presumably, Nehemiah has served the king continually these past several months. What’s different about this occasion is that Nehemiah was no longer able to conceal his depression. He generally kept his sadness in check when he was serving the king (v.1), but it appears his sorrow became overwhelming.
Imagine going through this emotional challenge. Some people wear their heart on their sleeve. Everyone knows when they’re upset. In fact, it seems like they want others to sympathize with them.
There is a term for this, it’s called “Sadfishing”. It is described on Wikipedia as “a behavioral trend where people make exaggerated claims about their emotional problems to generate sympathy.” Maybe you know someone like that, or you experience that tendency yourself from time to time.
Let’s be clear, Nehemiah was not sadfishing King Artaxerxes. His life depended upon him maintaining a professional demeanor before the king. There is the very real possibility that this scene took place during a festival. It would certainly add to the tension if Nehemiah is viewed as Debbie Downer killing the party mood. Or, even worse, is the potential that his sadness could be interpreted as having something against the king (which was actually true). Moping or pouting to gain the king’s sympathy wouldn’t just get him fired, it could possibly get him killed!
That is why Nehemiah “was very much afraid” when Artaxerxes noticed his sadness (v.2). That reaction would be inconsistent with a perfectly safe working environment. Artaxerxes may show his compassionate side in this passage, but we know that he was not afraid of executing people, even those who were close to him. In fact, Artabanus, the commander of the guard, killed Artaxerxes father and then encouraged him to murder his older brother in order to take the throne. After becoming king, Artaxerxes avenged his father’s death by murdering Artabanus.
Nehemiah was also sensing just how much was riding on this moment. He had been preparing for this opportunity for one-third of the year. His fear represents the recognition that he has reached the culmination of that time.
Before we consider Nehemiah’s response, let us reflect upon his integrity. We will see that he was honest in the face of sadness and bold in the face of fear, but let’s pause here for a moment. Note his emotional investment in this project.
What works up your emotions? What makes you sad or fearful? What gets you frustrated? Do you find yourself emotionally invested in...
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