The Writing's on the Wall

 

We use this expression to mean we knew something was going to happen because there were clues.  This week we looked at Daniel 5 in youth group.  In this account of Daniel in Babylon he encounters a new king, Belshazzar, most likely Nebuchadnezzar's grandson.  Belshazzar gets into trouble with God Almighty for using goblets to drink wine from that were previously set apart for use in the temple of God.  In this true story the writing was literally on the wall.  Daniel was called in to interpret the writing for Belshazzar, which basically said the time was coming for his kingdom to be handed over to someone else.

I want to talk about the figure of speech, "the writing's on the wall," that we use to mean we knew something was going to happen in light of parenting teenagers.  You know your kids very well.  You know their patterns of behavior.  We are creatures of habit and we tend to do many of the same things every day.  If you notice a change of behavior, subtle as it might be, keep it in mind.  There just may be something else going and "the writing may be on the wall."  Don't be afraid to ask questions.  Don't be so naive to not look into your suspicions that something else is going on.

Questions for Families:

• Where do you think King Belshazzar went wrong?
• What did Daniel do or say that was surprising?
• What was the translation of the writing on the wall?
• What happened to King Belshazzar that was directly tied to the writing?
• Where do you see yourself falling short in your honoring of God?
• What can you do today to get back on track with your relationship with him?