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.
Nebuchadnezzar, I believe, didn’t have that talk with his son or his grandson. Let me ask the dads in this room, “did you have that talk with your children?” If your child has breath and you have breath, it is not too late to have that talk. You must teach your children to take God seriously in their life.
Lesson #2
Nebuchadnezzar obviously failed to teach his grandson that no matter how powerful or successful you become, you still are going to need God. And I believe every dad and every grandfather must have that talk with their child or children.
Daniel 5:5-6 “5 Immediately human fingers appeared and they wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the palace of the king, and the king was watching the palm of the hand that was writing. 6 Then his face changed and his thoughts terrified him, and his hip joints gave way and his knees knocked together.”
Here is the grandson successful- ruling Babylon, the most powerful nation in the world and He needs God. It should not surprise us because Nebuchadnezzar twice was troubled and he needed God. He needed God when his wise men of Babylon could not interpret his first dream. It was Daniel who went to God and got the dream and the interpretation. And then when another dream bothered the king, Daniel gave him the interpretation and offered the king advise as to what he should do.
Nebuchadnezzar from personal experience should have had that talk with his grandson that went something like this. I needed God in my life on two occasions because two strange dreams I had troubled me, and I did not know what to do with them.
Let me ask you dad’s, have you sat down with your children and told them no matter how successful you are or how well your life is going, you are going to need God. Only He can help!
Lesson #3
Nebuchadnezzar obviously failed to point his grandson to a spiritual man of God that he might need to call upon when a problem arises. And I believe every dad and every grandfather should be able to point their child or children to godly people who can help their children with a problem.
It amazes me all the stuff that Daniel did for the king- interpret two dreams and then amazingly running the kingdom of Babylon for seven years without calling any attention to himself (like we talked about last week) and the king never mentions to his grandson that you have this amazing man of God in your kingdom. Use him when you need him. He blessed me when I needed help.
The grandson when he sees the handwriting on the wall call in the wisemen of Babylon. But like always these wisemen cannot help.
It was his grandmother, Nebuchadnezzar’s wife who remembered Daniel and pointed her grandson to Daniel. Let’s read Daniel 5:10-12 “10 Because of the words of the king and his lords, the queen came into the banqueting hall and the queen spoke up and said, “O king, live forever, and let not your thoughts terrify you and do not let your facial expressions grow pale. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. And in the days of your predecessor, enlightenment and insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods was found in him; and, O king, Nebuchadnezzar your predecessor appointed him as chief of the magicians, the conjurers, the astrologers, and the diviners. Your predecessor the king did this 12 because there was found in him an excellent spirit and understanding and insight for interpreting dreams and explaining riddles and solving riddles; that is, in Daniel whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now, let Daniel be called and he will tell the explanation.”
Nebuchadnezzar did not do his job. It was his wife who had to do it for him.
I pray that as the man of the house, you take your responsibility seriously and you point your children to godly men and women who can help them. Don’t let your wife have to do it or a neighbor have to do it because you can’t.
Conclusion
Men, your job is to train up your child. How seriously do you take that responsibility? Nebuchadnezzar didn’t, and his grandchild suffered the consequences.
You don’t take your responsibility seriously and your children and your grandchildren are going to suffer.
Dads, let me leave you with some good advice- take God seriously.
