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Daniel 5:7-9 The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
THIS is a familiar scene in Daniel, isn’t it? The king has a vision. He is greatly disturbed, agitated, impatient, and he is terrified. Belshazzar responds to the vision of the hand writing on the wall as his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar reacted to his dreams. Past lessons can become discarded fables when arrogance says, “I have a better way.” The Bible points to many children of faithful men and women who rejected God’s sovereign authority. Our greatest evangelism opportunities begin in our home for our children and grandchildren. Belshazzar calls the “wise” men of Babylon. They are useless as others before them because they have no wisdom of God’s work. The mystery on the wall is too deep for even their lies and tricks. What is God-ordained is far beyond man’s brain. Not even the promise of great reward could open the enchanters’, astrologers’ and diviners’ minds. The world’s history begins with mankind seeking wisdom in many places other than God’s Word. Satan promised Eve that disobeying God’s commands would give her new knowledge. Genesis 3:5 “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” We also have the philosophies of ancient Greece, contemplations of Eastern mysticism and other pretenses to the truth. Many false prophets also declare they have a new word from God. How do you know who to believe? Should not the answer be simple? You believe God. You can do so when you focus your learning around his Bible. The knowledge of God in your heart protects you from the culture’s constant deceptions and deadly promises. Belshazzar had learned nothing from Nebuchadnezzar’s experiences. He thought he had a better way. He did not. His mind was set to the lies, and his kingdom would be judged. Keep your mind on God. Philippians 1:9 And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ. Daniel 5:4-6 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. 5 Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale, and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.
IN its physical structure Babylon was deemed unconquerable. Babylon covered 14 square miles and had not fallen to an invasion for 1,000 years. Around the city was incredible double wall system with a moat between the two walls. The outer wall was 87 feet thick! And get this: the wall was 350 feet high with 100 gates, plus hundreds more towers that reached another 100 feet above the walls. Unbelievable, isn’t it? Why would anyone within these walls be afraid? The truth is, there is no fear like that of a guilty man knowing an unstoppable force confronts his life. As the hand mysteriously writes on the wall (There is archeological evidence of the hall and where the writing could have happened.) Belshazzar’s mindset changes from prideful contempt of God to fear. A power much greater than he or his walls was in the room. Adding to his fear, Belshazzar had no idea what would happen next. The powerful king is powerless, at the mercy of the force writing the message. I remember many years ago when I was considering my relationship with God. I wondered, “What would life be without him? What if I decided to live ignoring his commands? What would happen if I neglected the Lord’s love and grace?” At the very thought of that kind of life, a deep fear gripped my gut. Envisioning a separation from my Lord God’s sovereign authority over my life, I felt weak in the knees. I am thankful the Holy Spirit used my gripping fear to “not be wise in (my) own eyes; (but to) fear the Lord and shun evil. (Proverbs 3:7) All the physical strongholds of wealth can surround us. But they are of no use when God confronts us. Isaiah 45:23 By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. Receive God’s authority. Live in peace. Rejoice in your salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience. Daniel 5:1-3 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
AT the conclusion of Daniel 4, King Nebuchadnezzar confessed the power of the Lord God to be above all. As we enter Daniel 5, some years have passed. Daniel is not a present influence in Babylon, and we see the king is Belshazzar. Verse 2 says Nebuchadnezzar is his father. Belshazzar, though, is Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson. In the Hebrew and Chaldean (Babylon) languages the word “grandfather” does not exist. You see this in many Scripture references when people refer to ancestors as “father” (father Abraham). Nebuchadnezzar’s lessons and confessions of God’s authority were lost on his next generations. Nebuchadnezzar’s son and now his grandson deliberately moved to elevate gods of silver, bronze, gold and iron in Babylon. Belshazzar is not only rejecting the Almighty God, he is profaning any belief of the God Daniel serves and Nebuchadnezzar confessed. That’s why In in the midst of an excessive banquet Belshazzar used the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. Belshazzar’s mindset was to belittle God. He likely concluded there is no power in the Jews’ God who allowed his temple to be destroyed and its utensils to be stored away for years. We can have the same thoughts in God’s silence, can’t we? When he allows us to live in our self-serving ways, when our culture appears out of control, when it seems our church is dying, when children are sick with deadly diseases, we may consider the omnipotent God as an impotent bystander. But we must be careful to discern God’s purposes. The Bible repeatedly teaches his silence is a waiting time to reveal himself to particular people in certain ways. And, we will not always like what he reveals. But in faith we must accept his will. Our purpose is to worship the Holy God, rejoicing his grace has allowed us to enter into his heaven one day. Belshazzar’s idolatry will very soon become a climatic judgment on Babylon and his life. Our task is to continue to teach the world that to profane the Holy God brings destruction. 2 Samuel 22:3 my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation. He is my stronghold, my refuge and my savior — from violent men you save me. 4 I call to the Lord, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies. Please note, we will resume with Daniel 5 in about 2 weeks.
Daniel 4:36-37 “At the same time that my sanity was restored, my honor and splendor were returned to me for the glory of my kingdom. My advisers and nobles sought me out, and I was restored to my throne and became even greater than before. 37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and exalt and glorify the King of heaven, because everything he does is right and all his ways are just. And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.” THESE are the last words Daniel records of King Nebuchadnezzar. Many commentators believe he is confessing the LORD God as Lord of his life. As one has written, “What we can say certainly is that Nebuchadnezzar moved from acknowledging only himself as sovereign to acknowledging Yahweh’s sovereignty over him.” (from Thomas Constable's Notes on the Bible.) How did God move to transform the king’s mind, heart and soul? He used visions and dreams. And he used Daniel. The sovereign God’s purposefully gifted Daniel to interpret visions and dreams. God spoke directly to Nebuchadnezzar, and he also used Daniel. In Daniel’s commitment to only eat a God-centered diet, his prayers to understand the kings dreams and his truthful words to the king, Daniel revealed God. Daniel is a true disciple. He learned of God; he loved God; then he lived for God. There was no compromise in his mind, no shuffling in his walk. Daniel’s heart was willing to use the opportunities God gave him to minister the Lord’s ways with his gifts, even amid life-threatening circumstances. The king’s confession and Daniel’s faith would be examples to the Jews. They needed to know their God is above all; he has the power to humble the most prideful and powerful man on earth into submission and humility. He will bless those who faithfully obey and commit to his ways and his Word. John 21:15 When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” Please note, we will resume with Daniel 5 in about 2 weeks. |
AuthorBob James Archives
November 2024
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