Lessons from the past

In chapter 4 of Daniel, King Nebuchadnezzar, became arrogant and took credit for all that he was accomplishing. God banned him to the wilderness for 7 years and when he returned all of his authority was returned and the King praised and honored God, whom was the source of everything in his life.

Fast forward to chapter 5 of Daniel. Nebuchadnezzar son, King Belshazzar throws a party, gets drunk and uses sacred chalices to drink wine from. During the party God sent a disembodied hand to write a message on the wall and it terrified the King. He called in mystics to interpret the message but they couldn’t. So the queen reminded the king about Daniel and so he called him in to decipher the message.

Daniel laid into King Belshazzar about his conduct. Belshazzar well knew how his father Nebuchadnezzar had behaved and the outcome of that situation. Yet Belshazzar decided to openly discredit God for everything. It seems pretty obvious to me that Belshazzar would have known the consequences his father faced and would have conducted himself better, but he didn’t.

Daniel interpreted the message for Belshazzar and it confirmed from God that the time of his rule was limited and Belshazzar was murdered that night.

Selfishness destroys. I’ve seen it over and over in scripture and in my life. Whenever I put myself above God, thinking I know better, the outcome is never what it could been. I’m enticed by selfishness to be built up, but in reality, it only knocks me down. Selfishness stagnates growths

Why is it that we can be so blind to stop ourselves from repeating the behaviors of those who came before us? Is it because we rely too much on experience but don’t learn to move forward from it. Sometimes we only learn how to repeat the habits learned from within it. What does that say about our potential for growth? What does it take to make an experience something to from which we can build upon and pave the road for a positive outcome. Are the failures of the past so ingrained into our beings that it takes too much effort to get beyond them (or we’re unwilling to exert the effort) so we either settle into a pattern of repeating them or totally ignoring them? What if a sinful pattern in my life could be used to help someone instead of drag them down into a self-serving outcome.

Belthazzar chose to follow the original selfish path that his Father had been persuing prior to God’s revelation to him. Where was Belthazzar when Nebuchadnezzar had his change of heart? Was he at boarding school and didn’t know what had transpired in his life. Why didn’t Nebuchadnezzar share the revelation with his son, or did he? Either way. Belthazzar chose to ignore it. Why?

I see habits formed in my own children that I possessed at the same age in my life. Spending money and not saving it. No identifiable goals for the future. A minimal involvement in church or relationship with God. It clicked finally clicked with me, though. I got it and give God credit for everything I am, can do, and have. I thought I’d demonstrated that to my boys but perhaps what they saw in me in earlier years was stronger than what they see in me now. Why didn’t Balshazzar see the change/growth in his own Father