February 13, 2026

Business by the Book

Nehemiah 2:1  And it came to pass in the month Nisan, in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes the king, that wine was before him: and I took up the wine, and gave it unto the king. Now I had not been beforetime sad in his presence.

Nehemiah was the cupbearer to King Artaxerxes. This was an important position, one that required loyalty, dependability, and a lack of errors. Among other responsibilities the cupbearer was to make sure the king was not poisoned. One error could lead to the king’s assassination.

We have no Biblical evidence of how long Nehemiah was on the job, but it could have been some time. He must have earned the trust of the King over a period of time to be given such an important job. But one thing we do know, that in all the time that Nehemiah had been before the King he was never sad, until this day. The day he was sad caused the King to notice. Upon being asked what was wrong, Nehemiah told the King of the plight of Jerusalem which led to him being given the authority from Artaxerxes to go to that beloved city and oversee its repair.

In the introduction to the story of Nehemiah an important character trait is found that should be carefully considered. He was consistent. Consistency is vital in any leader. Successful people are usually people that are consistent in their work ethic, appearance, and treatment of others. Years ago someone said, “Your job is only as secure as your boss’s emotions.”  Consistency should be the goal of every person who desires continued lifelong success.

Nehemiah’s consistency allowed the opportunity to speak to the King about Jerusalem. If day after day Nehemiah had been sad, somber, gloomy, or dismal Artaxerxes would not have noticed that he had a problem. Even though he was a trusted servant to the King, he probably did not have the freedom to bring up the topic for discussion whenever he wanted.

Strive for consistency: it will pay off in the long run.

Dr. William Howe