Father's Day Lessons From The Grandson Of A King Series

Introduction

Many years have passed from Chapter 4 to Chapter 5 in the Book of Daniel. Daniel, the boy who was taken from Israel and made to live in Babylon at the age of sixteen, is now in his eighties. How time flies from sixteen years old in chapter 1 to about eighty-two in the start of chapter 5. Isn’t that true about our own life? One day, you wake up and you are old.

Prior to chapter five, King Nebuchadnezzar has died. His son and grandson are now on the throne as co- rulers of Babylon. His grandson is ruling Babylon and dad is away from Babylon trying to reestablish trade routes taken hostage by the Persian and the Cyrus governments.

Daniel, he is no longer in government. He is no longer ruling over Babylon; Daniel is no longer the overseer of the wise men of Babylon. He has done what Ms. Brenda has just done and Ms. Colleen is about 11 days- retire. But he is still living in Babylon.

And this is where our story picks up. This is where we learn our Father’s Day lessons. The grandson will teach us the errors of grandfather and his father.

Let’s begin by reading the Scripture.

Scripture

Daniel 5:1–12 (NKJV)

5 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.

5 In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”

Lesson #1

Nebuchadnezzar obviously failed to teach his grandson that you better be taking God seriously in your life. And I believe every dad and every grandfather must have that talk with their child or children.

Just one chapter ago, Daniel had that exact talk with King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel was acting as the spiritual dad and Nebuchadnezzar the unbelieving child. Listen closely to what says in Daniel 4:27 “27 Therefore, O king, let my advice be acceptable to you and your sin remove with righteousness and your iniquity with having mercy on the oppressed, in case there might be a prolongation of your prosperity.’ ”

Daniel was saying to the King- you need to take God seriously. If God said that He will send you out to the field to live for seven years, He will. But if you repent, God may give you more days in your kingship. Daniel’s advice was don’t play with God, take him seriously.

Now, we come to chapter 5, the king’s grandson is having a party. He invited a couple thousand of his closest friends. (When you have money and power, you are going to have a lot of friends.) They are drinking and having a good time, and out of nowhere, the thought crosses his mind that the wine will taste better in the gold and silver vessels that my grandfather took from the temple in Jerusalem, God’s temple and His vessels. Here is the grandson’s mistake- He didn’t take seriously God, or the things of God and he is going to pay the price with his life before the end of Chapter 5.