Your Father’s Counselor

Good Morning,

There is a famous Bible story about handwriting on a wall at a big party.

Daniel 5:1 “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.”

The story tells of the king who was proud, godless, and wasted countless hours and finances partying; judgment was headed his way (but that is not the point right now).  The handwriting on the wall was not attached to a body.  Of course, folks were terrified, so they called in experts to interpret what was written, but only Daniel could give an interpretation.

The issue I would like to focus on right now is the words of the queen.  

Daniel 5:10 “Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:”

vs. 11 "There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;”

The queen knew about Daniel, and of course Belshazzar at least knew the story of Daniel helping the prior king, and his father,  Nebuchadnezzar.  

This young king, a man who built nothing but lived upon the riches and power inherited from his father, had ignored what his father had learned. The son had failed to embrace the wisdom and teaching of his father.

Proverbs 27:10 “Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not... “

Daniel 3-4 tell of King Nebuchadnezzar learning of the wisdom of Daniel and the power of God. The foolish son never gained the wisdom and humility of his father. The queen came to Belshazzar and reminded him of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, and she basically said, "You know these things."  

Belshazzar brought in the wise men, and at the last, after being pushed by his wife, he brought in Daniel. This foolish king (who was about to lose his life and kingdom to a foreign nation) did everything he could to solve the problem without turning to Daniel, the old man and counselor of his father.  At the end, there was no choice, so Daniel was brought in.

Proverbs 23:22 “Hearken unto thy father that begat thee, and despise not thy mother when she is old.”

The story is long, but the essence is this, I chose my college on the direction of an older man.  When I prepared to get engaged, I asked an older man to approve my decision.  I made my decisions about starting a church because of the advice of two older men. I determined which city I should move to at the direction of an older man.  I gained my convictions from a few older preachers.  After forty-five years of ministry and fifty years of being saved, the most difficult thing for me is to know few older men to turn to - most are in Heaven now.

Proverbs 1:8 “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?”

vs. 23 “Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.”

To whom we listen will determine our future.  The old men, whom your father trusted are usually a good basis for wisdom.  

Pastor