Faith in the Fire #5 (Studies in Daniel)
Text: Daniel 5
It is good to be together here today at the West Side Church of Christ in the presence of God and celebrating together
the gift of Jesus.
One of the important reasons for us meeting together like this is to remind us that there is more to life than what we
see day to day. We need reminding some times that our lives are lived under the watchful care of the Father in heaven.
Many experts claim that one of the main ingredients of successful fathering is having appropriate communication with
your children. This is one of the things my father and I never had a problem with. I still remember the one conversation
he always had with me that helped me remember to stay on the strait and narrow way. ‘Boy, you are about to meet your Maker.’
Israel was called and rescued by their God to be His special people in the earth and He would bless them richly.
Unfortunately by the time of Amos the prophet, the called out people of God were involving themselves in the same kind of
lifestyles of the nations around them and God brought a message of judgment against them.
So, the prophet gave a list of their offenses and injustices and then proceeded to speak for God about what He will do.
Then he says this: Amos 4:12—prepare to meet your God!
What a statement! What kind of feelings would go through you if that was what you heard today?
You are going to meet your Maker in judgment, so be prepared.
We have been going through the early chapters of Daniel and have looked at some of the most impressive stories
of the Old Testament. As we stated at the beginning of this series, the purpose of these stories was not just to tell us
about Daniel or give us his history. Instead, the purpose of these stories of faith in scripture was always designed to
teach, inspire, encourage, warn or prepare. Jesus used stories not just to tell a fascinating tale but to teach. The
stories of faith of old are stories basically to build up faith in the God who is able.
Please turn to Daniel chapter 5 and let’s look at another great message from this book:
Vs.1-4- the new king and his great party!
Now, the first thing to just notice is the change from King Nebuchadnezzar to King Belshazzar. There is a new king but as
we’ll see Daniel is still around. People of faith survive. People of integrity will stick around. Nebuchadnezzar is
gone; the one who had power over the people of faith has died.
There are a couple of things to just take note of in the early part:
- The king gets involved in a lack of self-control. He has this huge bash, where he invites a ton of people, and
while he is under the influence of wine, he decides to bring out the treasures from God’s temple and toast his own gods
with the drink.
- This king would have known or at least had the opportunity to know about God, God’s temple and even God’s wonders
and yet still would use this God’s treasures to praise his own gods with. His problem however is not just in praising his
gods but he insults Israel’s God.
- As much as Nebuchadnezzar learned about Daniel’s God, his children had no respect for Him. Reminded of
Judges 2:10- there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.
One thing Belshazzar had failed to learn that Nebuchadnezzar had to was that everyone must eventually answer to the
true Ruler of heaven and earth.
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Vs.5-9- the writing on the wall.
As the king and his drinking companions are enjoying their feast, something changes the mood. Look at the description
after the king sees the hand:
his color changes (probably went white) and his knees began knocking together. Here is the first question:
is this just a drunk thing?
I mean, is this guy just simply having a few too many and seeing things?
Whatever it is, the mood shifts drastically.
It wasn’t just imagination, because he calls everyone in to interpret this and nobody can.
What an ending in vs.9—The king was greatly alarmed, color changed and his lords perplexed.
What am I going to do?
Isn’t this a sad state to be in: not knowing about the writing on the wall?
You’re about to go down, you are about to meet a God you have insulted and you don’t know what is going to happen.
Vs.10-12- the queen mother.
This person is probably not Belshazzar’s wife (look at vs.2) but instead the queen mother. She comes in with a kind of
comforting word:
There is someone who can interpret this for you. Daniel would be much older now, maybe even gone into retirement. Call
this amazing Daniel and he will show the interpretation. You wonder why the king didn’t know about this guy, but there is
apparently a lot this king either forgot or wasn’t taught or never bothered to learn.
Vs.13-16- Belshazzar meets Daniel for the first time. In Neb’s case, Daniel was a youth, in Bel’s case; he would be an
older man. This is a wonderful contrast here:
- You are Daniel—one of the exiles of Judah.
- I am Belshazzar—the mighty king of Babylon.
Yet, of the two, Daniel has a greater peace than the king.
Belshazzar offers Daniel the same rich gifts he offered the others if he can interpret the dream.
Vs.17-23- While he at first rejects the king’s gifts or declines them, before he ever gets into the interpretation of the
writing, he gives the king a rebuke. He tells the king about the great power of his father Nebuchadnezzar. Now there
might be a purpose here: Belshazzar doesn’t have the power of Nebuchadnezzar.
Here is your great father who had all this power and when he was filled with pride the Most High God humbled him and he
eventually recognized God’s ultimate Rule.
Nebuchadnezzar received God’s lesson—would Belshazzar?
Here is the lesson about Belshazzar:
- You knew all this but still didn’t humble yourself! (vs.22)
You had plenty of opportunity to change king, you knew this happened to your father, you knew his pride cost him dearly,
you knew he humbled himself before the God of heaven but you continued to go on sinning!
John 3:20- For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be
exposed.
- You lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven! (vs.23)
For some reason, even after all you witnessed and learned, the gods of metal had more influence on you than the God of
heaven. Instead, you have chosen not to honor the God who has complete control over all human life which includes yours.
Imagine for a moment the fact that our breath is in God’s hand right now. Not just right now though, even in our moment
of rebellion! When we think about the pleasure of sin:
are you ready to meet God in what you are doing?
In the flood of Noah’s day—we are told simply that the masses were caught unexpectedly by that terrible flood. Jesus
would later tell us, don’t get caught like that. Be prepared.
Vs.24-28- hear the interpretation O king!
Mene, Mene, Tekel and Parsin!
Mene 2X—completeness & certainty—numbered, numbered! God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.
Tekel—You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. (God’s ways are always just. What did the king lack?
He was uninfluenced by God!) He lived his life as if God wasn’t around.
Parsin—your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
A couple of things of significance here:
- The dream of chapter 2 is beginning to be fulfilled. Babylon would go down and God would still be around.
- This king lacked even common sense. If his kingdom was coming to an end, the Persians must have been pretty close.
We will see that indeed the Persians were extremely close to the palace and yet instead of being prepared he decided to
enjoy a night of excess celebration.
Vs.29-31- The king keeps his word and makes Daniel 3rd in the kingdom but that very night he is killed and Darius the Mede
takes over Babylon.
Cyrus led the Persians into a great victory over Babylon and the days of the fierce Babylonian empire had come to a close
and a new day had begun.
For king Belshazzar the night of his greatest glory ended up being the night of his greatest delusion. He couldn’t see the
writing on the wall.
A few things to meditate on:
- A new kingdom had taken over, a new day had dawned. The Babylonians are no more in power, what would happen to God’s
people?
They continued on! This is the hope of the faith of God: we will survive. We will continue. No matter what enemy, what
power, what force comes against us, maintaining faith in God ensures survival. We serve a king who will destroy all enemies.
1 Corinthians 15:24-26
- Sin blinds us to the danger!
We are told but we don’t need to be that sin has pleasure. (Hebrews 10:25) What we are also told and many of us soon
discover is that its pleasure is fleeting. The real problem however is how it blinds us to peril. The Persians are right
on the door step and this guy is drinking with his friends. Romans 13:11-14
- Let us not neglect so great a salvation! Hebrews 2:1-4. Jesus is calling you, don’t ignore him. Don’t leave him
outside. After seeing all that God has done, the night is about to be past, the new day is about to begin and Jesus
invites you today to know his peace, to know his love and to live in his light! Matthew 11:28-30
Let’s come as we stand and sing…
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