Reading: Daniel 5
The Persian army was already making
its approach on Babylon. Belshazzar calls everyone together in
what is either denial, or an arrogant assumption that he can't be
defeated. There are 1000 nobles on the guest list along with his
wives and concubines. In an act of hubris, Belshazzar brings the gold
and silver goblets taken from the temple right into his party and
everyone begins drinking from them. As they drink, they praise the
gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood & stone.
Rather
than facing his fears, recognizing his weakness, or preparing for the
inevitable, Belshazzar is hosting an “in your face” party.
In the midst of demonstrating his utter
disregard for God, something rather unusual happened.
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. 6His
face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak
and his knees were knocking.
(Daniel
5:5-6)
Archaeologists have
found what remains of this very room. The wall behind the king was
decorated; the other 3 were made of gypsum—plaster. Belshazzar
sees the handwriting on the wall (this is
where that expression comes from) and has enough insight to
realize that it isn't good. He doesn't know what it says, but
somehow this pulled the rug right out from under him. He could no
longer ignore his impending judgment. Moments ago,he was the mocker
drinking up from God's gold cups. Now he is so scared his legs give
way and his knees are knocking.
On the surface,
Belshazzar has no fear of God. As soon as he sees the handwriting on
the wall, however, he knows it is the work of God and has an innate
understanding that it isn't good. Unfortunately, it's too late.
Belshazzar knew deep down that he was not in good standing with
God. Maybe he thought that if he ignored God and exalted himself
long enough that God would just “go away.” God doesn't go
away.
What was the
handwriting on the wall? MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. Three nouns
referencing three weights, or pieces of money. Each has an etymology:
Number, Weigh, Divide. The interpretation is, “Your days are
numbered...your life is weighed on the
scales and found wanting...your
kingdom is divided...”. The short version is,
“Tonight you die!”
Though uninterested in
Belshazzar's rewards, Daniel is clothed in purple, made royalty for a
moment. When he woke up in the morning, the party was over and
Belshazzar was slain. Darius conquered Belshazzar. But why is this in
your Bible? What assertion is this
text making about you and me? It's not just that
Belshazzar's days were numbered–yours are too! It's not just that
Belshazzar's life would be weighed and found wanting–your life will
be weighed. How will it be found?
As our lives are
examined what will count for the glory of God? What will remain and
what will be blown away (Psalm 1:4), or burned up (1 Corinthians
3:11-15)? Ultimately, there is only one life that can be weighed and
found sufficient: the life of God's Son with Whom He was well
pleased– the life of Christ. If we are found in Him we will not
come up short, but we must still build on that foundation with a life
that brings honor to God and not ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:10).
We see what kind of
math was applied to Belshazzar's life: division. What kind of math
will be applied to you? Division or multiplication? The handwriting
is on the wall for everyone of us! Our days are numbered. Our life
will be weighed. Kingdom of Heaven economics will be applied to our
life. Will your own little kingdom but cut to pieces like
Belshazzar's? Or will kingdom economics multiply you some 30, some
60, even 100-fold?
The only way to be
weighed and not be found wanting is to live by faith rather than
denial. This begins by recognizing just how
wanting (lacking) we are and trusting in Christ for salvation. It
also means living our lives in light of “that day”— the day we
stand before God. This is living in the proper fear of God. That
is the foundation of faith; that is the source of true wisdom.
To find out more about
Belshazzar and why, when weighed on God's scale he came up weightless
(wanting) listen to the message The
Handwriting on the Wall.
Love the Gospel, Live the Gospel,
Advance the Gospel,
Jerry
