THE WRITING ON THE WALL (Pt 2)

By Tim Sullivan

 

The prophet Jeremiah spoke of three kings of Babylon who would rule over Judah:

Jeremiah 27:7
And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son's son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

These kings were Nebuchadnezzar, his son Evilmerodach (2 Kings 25:27), and his grandson Belshazzar, the last king of Babylon whom we read about in Daniel chapter 5. The following events occurred many years after the death of Nebuchadnezzar:

Daniel 5:
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.

This holy vessels had been commissioned by God during his visitation with Moses on Mount Sinai. True, if Judeans themselves had reverenced such things as they should, neither they nor these cups would have ended up in Babylon. But for these holy vessels to be used by pagans in toasts to their false gods was a new low. And so God, who will not be mocked, invited himself to this party:

5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

As you might imagine, the king was terrified by the sight. Gathering himself together somewhat, he called out his spiritual counselors and offered a reward for an explanation.

6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

But once again, those counselors showed themselves to be utterly worthless.

8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Now the queen gave her own counsel. (It seems likely that this queen was not one of Belshazzar's wives, but rather a queen-mother, the widow of a former king. She told Belshazzar about Daniel, a man of whom the king knew nothing.)

10 Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:
11 There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
12 Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

When Daniel was summoned, the king pretended to be quite familiar with him. He repeated the same offer of reward he made to his band of incompetent soothsayers.

13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Daniel let him know he was not interested in his rewards. He would, however, tell him the interpretation of the vision. 

17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.

But first, Daniel reminded the king of what happened to Nebuchadnezzar:

18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

But was this lesson just for Nebuchadnezzar? God forbid! And so Daniel pointed it right between the eyes of the man now sitting on the throne.

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:

I have known quite a few people who claim to have had encounters with the King of kings. (I myself cannot make that claim, although I like to think I have met him many times through his Word). Some I believe and others I don't. Those who boast of their supposed encounter, I pity. Those who speak of trembling before his throne, I believe. God holds our breath in his hands. We should never forget that.

Now Daniel made known the meaning of the writing on the wall:

24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

In one last show of what the Jews call chutzpah, Belshazzar rewarded Daniel for his service. But to be made the third ruler over a dying kingdom was no honor. The golden necklace had far more redeeming value.

29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
31 And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

As in the days of King Saul, God often gives people what they want, even when is not what they need. The Israelites wanted a king, and God reluctantly allowed for it. But no one should ever doubt that it is God who always has the last word. Perhaps that is why Christians are commanded to pray "for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" (1 Timothy 2:2). No earthly magistrate can legislate "a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty" for anyone but himself. Such a life comes as a reward for trusting God, and that certainly includes trusting that he is the ultimate sovereign concerning all affairs on the earth.

One last thought: One day we will all be "weighed in the balances." Let us pray that we and our loved ones are not found wanting (lacking), but that we are found "in him."

Philippians 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

 

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Presented 4 November 2018 in French Settlement, Louisiana