A cupbearer was a high-ranking official whose job it was to taste the wine that was going to be served to the royal table just incase it was poisoned.

This is the one little moment we can so easily skip when reading the story of Nehemiah, found in the Old Testament. This minor detail that so often gets overlooked is important to remember because before he became a rebuilder and restorer of walls, Nehemiah was the cupbearer to a king. A different kind of person who was willing to lay down his life for another. 

 

Trust, confidence, influence. Not normally the tools we associate with builders.