(Note: This is the 14th in a series of posts on Daniel’s life)
The Fingers Of A Man’s Hand
As the 5th chapter of Daniel’s prophetic book opens, the Medo-Persian army has surrounded the great city of Babylon. In his pride, the Babylonian King Belshazzar threw this huge drinking party for all his nobles, because it was believed the visiting army would be unable to penetrate the massive walls of the city. “At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand that was writing, his face turned pale, and his thoughts so terrified him that his hip joints shook and his knees knocked together” (vs. 5-6).
The King Is Sobered Up
King Belshazzar was suddenly very sober! After a failed attempt to gain an explanation, from his wise men, the queen mother shows up and encourages the King to seek the prophet Daniel’s counsel. Now advanced in years, Daniel rehearses the story of Nebuchadnezzar— Belzhazzar’s grandfather— and concludes with this: “…you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life” (v.23). What a rebuke! Like many in our own day, Belshazzar seemed to think he was entitled to live his life however he wanted with no consequences! Perhaps he thought God would just wink at his sin!
Don’t Ignore God’s Justice & Judgment
There’s a grave danger in over-focusing on God’s love, mercy & grace! We dare not ignore His justice & judgment! We do so at our peril! It is possible to exhaust God’s immense patience! Though 2 Peter 3:9 says that God is “…patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance”; scripture also teaches us that His patience has limits. The Holy Spirit inspired the Apostle Paul to write a letter to the Church of Galatia and tell them: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption…” (6:7-8).
Your Days Are Numbered
So, how did Belshazzar think this would end for him? Was he so deluded that he thought he could live out his life with no regard for the God who created him; and, get away with it? Apparently so! He abused God’s patience; and, God’s judgment was against him— “This is the writing on the wall,” Daniel said, “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient. PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (v.25-28). Times up, King Belshazzar! God is stripping you of your kingdom!
When God Speaks We Need To Listen
This whole tragedy was so unnecessary! Belshazzar should have known better! He knew his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar’s “story”! Some 40-50 years earlier, God had revealed— through the Prophet Daniel (ch.2)— that Babylon would be replaced by the Medo-Persian empire— the very army just outside Babylon’s walls! And it all happened just as God said it would! God’s Word is certain! It’s authoritative! If God says it, you can bank on it! Don’t grow weary over the delay of God’s promise that Jesus will come again! “Scoffers will come in the last days to scoff,” Peter warned (2 Peter 3:3), “living according to their own desires, saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?” When God speaks, please listen!
Vertically Focused In A Horizontal World 