Daniel 5 God’s Finger
Belshazzar decides to have a party and show off. He disrespects God and he gets God’s finger in response. No. Not the middle one. The one writing on the wall.
Daniel is NOT following a chronological timeline in sharing his stories. We are at the end of the Babylonian empire today. That means we have passed through several emperors / kings since Daniel was carried off to Babylon. And this emperor isn’t familiar with Daniel and has no respect for Daniel’s God.
In the story today, Belshazzar is completely disrespectful to God. And it isn’t an innocent act. It is deliberate. I have no idea why he was ‘showing off’ in this manner. Some people go out of their way to cause trouble or show off. He was one of them. Let’s rejoin our story and see where the Spirit takes us.
♥ ♦ ♥
“I’m in the mood for a party” Belshazzar tells his closest advisor.
“What kind of ‘party’ and what would we be celebrating?”
“I want to share a night of eating and drinking with 1,000 of my closest friends. I want them to see that I am not afraid of all those who are seeking to take my throne. And my wealth as well!”
Invitations are sent out and the women begin planning what to wear to this event, especially since they are invited to attend. They will not be relegated to a back room, but sitting beside their husbands. They need to look good in order to show his wealth.
Weather anyone wants to admit it or not, this feast is all about showing off. The more extravagant the better.
The hall is set and the guests are arriving. It is the biggest display of wealth ever hosted in all the land. Ladies dressed up in jewels and find gowns, men with robes with the most intricate embroidery, many of them done with spun gold thread, the grandest chariots, and the best dressed servants.
At the entrance of the palace, the men and women separate. The women go to the queen’s banquet hall while the men to the kings.
Inside the banquet halls, the tables are spread with fine silk table coverings, the food is the finest in the land and plenty of it, and the best wines. The dishes are made of polished silver and bronze, with matching goblets. Tapestries are draped along the walls and suspended from the ceiling, and the pillows are of the softest spun cotton and down ever put together in one place. It is a feast for the eye just entering these rooms.
Belshazzar, and his officials recline at a table on a raised dais at the end of the room. After everyone finds their places, Belshazzar stands to make a toast. He looks out over the room and is carried away in the display of wealth he sees before him. As he reaches for his silver goblet, his hand hesitates. “Wealth like this, deserves wealth in return, and my display must be better than theirs” he tells himself. He raises his hand and signals his servant.
All eyes are on Belshazzar as he whispers quietly to his servant. The servant nods, then hurries from the room, taking a dozen or more servants with him. All eyes remain on the king as he continues to stand.
The servants are on an errand. The king told them that he wants the vessels that were taken from the Temple in Jerusalem brought to him so he and his guests may drink from them. This will be the most audacious display of wealth ever made. It also puts the God of Israel in his place.
The servants take time to rinse all the vessels, as they were in the temples of several of Babylon’s gods. When they are ready, the whole lot of them are carried into the banquet hall. The first vessel is taken to the king and filled with wine. He waits while the other vessels are being distributed among the lords. The remaining vessels are taken to his wives and his concubines. They are in the women’s banquet hall.
Now that all the vessels of the God of Israel are assigned and filled, Belshazzar makes his toast. “To the gods of gold, silver, and bronze. They provide the most beautiful items. To the gods of iron, stone and wood. They provide the most useful items for us. May these gods always shine down on us; especially those gathered here.”
The people give a rousing cheer and praise these same gods while drinking from the vessels of the God of Israel.
As soon as the cheers pass the lips of the people, a strange sound is heard. What is more, a sight NEVER before seen appears in the room. It is a human hand and it is inscribing something on the wall. The message is burned into the wall as the hand moves across it.
Belshazzar’s face drains of all its color, his mouth moves but no sound emerges, his hands tremble and the cup drops from them, and his knees go weak and he sinks to his cushion and falls over onto the floor. His servants rush over and raise him up.
The guests in the room notice where the king’s eyes are locked and they turn to see the sight. Screaming erupts and the people scramble to get away from the sight.
When Belshazzar can finally speak again, he calls out loudly; “Bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers.” Then he declared before all the people; “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” Daniel 5:7b).
When the wise men arrive, he repeats his decree: “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
The all went over to examine the writing. They found it warm to the touch, but unintelligible to them. They had no idea what language it was written in, or even if it was a language. The fact that it was written by a huge hand, they were leaning towards it being written in the language of the gods. But which god, and what it meant was beyond their ability to say.
“I’m sorry, my king, but none of us recognizes the language, nor can we tell you its meaning.”
The king’s color goes even paler, if that was even possible, and his mind is a whir with worry. No one in the room could solve this riddle. The king looks like he is on the brink of death as he continues to stare at the writing on the wall.
The queen hears the commotion coming from the king’s banquet hall. She hurries across the hallway and is in time to see the wise men departing. Even though women are not allowed in the king’s banquet hall, her concern for her husband propels her forward. She heard the king’s command regarding reading the inscription, for it was shouted loud enough for the guards at the guardhouse to hear it.
The queen understands the basics of the problem and has a solution for it. Her eyes are drawn to her husband’s obvious distress first though. “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation” (Daniel 5:10-12).
Belshazzar is willing to try anything! “Bring Daniel to me at once” he bellows. When Daniel enters, he bows out of courtesy. Belshazzar waists no time in pleasantries.
“You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” Daniel 5:13-16).
Daniel is not impressed with the king’s offer, or the king himself. This man has had nothing to do with him until this day. But Daniel will honor his God, however he can.
“Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom He will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.
“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, 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; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians” (Daniel 5:17-28).
As soon as Daniel finished translating the writing, the king ordered that he be given the gifts specified. A purple robe was places around his shoulders, a gold chain put around his neck and a proclamation made. “Daniel is now third to the throne of Babylon!”
Daniel endured the ceremony but knows that it was pointless. He knows that Babylon is about to fall.
By morning, Belshazzar is killed and the kingdom is given to Darius the Mede, who rules under Cyrus at the fall of the Babylonian empire.
(to be continued)
God’s judgment in this case is swift. It is as swift as the judgment rendered to the statue of Dagon when the Ark of the Lord was brought into his temple. Belshazzar took displaying HIS wealth too far! He dishonored the things of God.
I wonder about the timing of this event. Was Babylon on the verge of falling, or was she standing firm against the onslaught? Did Babylon lose that battle because of Belshazzar’s actions? However the events were set up, Belshazzar’s behavior was reprehensible! And God dealt with it. God DOES deal with sin. Not as fast as we would like sometimes. But other times we are GRATEFUL for Him delaying long enough to restore our right relationship. NOT that we are bound for hell for making mistakes, but having a right relationship goes a LONG way to cutting down on negative consequences.
Father God, thank You for allowing me to share in Your stories. Thank You for Your forgiveness! For sending Jesus to purchase that forgiveness for me. Let me ALWAYS be quick to repent of my sins. I cherish our relationship and want NOTHING to come between us! NO other gods deserve my praise.
