King Belshazzar seemed ignorant of who Daniel was, however, my Bible Commentary tells me that Belshazzar knew Babylonian history, and so he knew how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar. Nevertheless, Belshazzar’s feast was open defiance to God’s authority as he took the gold and silver cups from God’s Temple and drank from them. So here’s the lesson… No one who understands that God is the Creator of the universe should be foolish enough to challenge him. Amen?
When he called Daniel in, the king told him he has “heard” that he has the spirits of the gods, and that he is filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. The king told Daniel that his enchanters and fortune-tellers can’t translate. He told Daniel he has “heard” that he can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. He basically told Daniel he was a last ditch effort…his last hope. The king promised Daniel he would be clothed in purple royal robes and have a gold chain put around his neck, if he was able to tell him what the writing on the wall meant. Let’s pick up on verse 17…
“Daniel answered the king, ‘Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.
You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all of this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message.” Daniel 17-24
I’ve learned, that many centuries ago kings had the right to execute the bearer of bad news! But Daniel wasn’t afraid to tell the truth to the king even though it was not what he wanted to hear. This reminds me that we shouldn’t be afraid to tell truth even if pressure comes. Who can be against us if God is for us? I’m convinced that we will always live to accomplish God’s plan for us.
Here’s something else to learn from this… Belshazzar used the silver and gold cups that were dedicated for the use in God’s Temple. We must not use for sinful purposes what has been dedicated to God. In Today’s world, that means…church buildings, financial donations, and anything else that was set apart for God. We all must be careful how we use the things of God.
“This is the message that was written: MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is what these words mean:
MENE means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. TEKEL means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. PARSIN means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
“Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.That very night, Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.” Daniel 25-31
Even today, the handwriting on the wall should be a warning for us… God’s time of judgment comes for us all. If you have forgotten God and slipped into a sinful way of life, turn away from your sin now before He removes any opportunities to repent.
I truly love and care for all of you…..