I spouted a mouthful of fake news at lunch the other day. To the grandchildren, no less.
With a federal election pending, it seemed natural that the discussion around our table turned to politics. 鈥淣ana,鈥� asked one of the children asked, 鈥渄oes God discipline bad kings?鈥�
鈥淲ell,鈥� I said, 鈥淲hen people disobey God, there are always consequences. Even for kings.鈥�
鈥淟ike what?鈥� someone asked.
I scrambled for biblical examples. 鈥淩emember Daniel in the Bible?鈥� I asked, 鈥淭he Daniel who got thrown into the lions鈥� den, but God shut the lions鈥� mouths and saved him?鈥� They did.
鈥淲ell, Daniel worked for one king named Nebuchadnezzar. A proud king, who thought he was so great that people should worship him. He had a really big banquet one night, and suddenly, out of nowhere, a hand 鈥� just a hand, no arm 鈥� appeared and started writing words on the wall.鈥�
The children鈥檚 eyes widened as I recited the actual words, which strangely, I鈥檝e recalled since childhood: 鈥淢ene, mene, tekel upharsin.鈥� I went on to explain that bottom line of those words: God wasn鈥檛 pleased with the king, and the kingdom would soon be taken from him.
鈥淲hat happened then?鈥� one of the children asked.
鈥淲ell,鈥� I said, 鈥淗e went kinda crazy. He ended up living in a field with the beasts, crawling on all fours, eating grass like a donkey. For awhile, he couldn鈥檛 be king anymore.鈥�
Suddenly the Preacher, who had just entered the room, inserted himself into the conversation 鈥� a distinct departure from habit. Standing to his full six feet plus height, and with as much fire in his eyes as I鈥檝e seen for years, he sputtered,
鈥淵ou鈥� you鈥�. you鈥檙e talking like someone who鈥檚 never been to church in your LIFE!鈥�
I felt rather prickly suddenly. 鈥淲ell. I鈥檓 not the Bible scholar. You are. So YOU straighten it out.鈥� I also just may have mentioned that I鈥檝e attended church most every week of my life, and for the last four decades, he鈥檚 been the preacher in the pulpit.
That was unfair of me. And it didn鈥檛 help, I think. He corrected the story. Apparently I鈥檇 named the wrong king, the wrong punishment, the wrong timing, and the wrong animal. (You can find the details at the source: Daniel chapters 1 鈥� 6.)聽 聽
鈥淒on鈥檛 you read your Bible, Nana?鈥� one of the Beans asked after he left the room. That didn鈥檛 help either. 鈥淚 do, all the time,鈥� I sniffed. 鈥淏ut I don鈥檛 remember everything.鈥� (I didn鈥檛 mention that there are days lately when I congratulate myself for remembering my own name.)
Later, during the night, I woke up thinking of my colossal tumble from grace. I started chuckling and couldn鈥檛 stop. I laughed so hard, I almost rolled off the bed. Details are vital, and I admit I need to review. But I got the bottom line right: God does bring consequences to people, nations, and leaders who flout his principles, and no one is exempt. Between the Preacher and me, the kids understood. And that news is accurate.
