Scripture

“For you are his successor and you knew all this. Yet, you have not humbled yourself.”

Observation

The story skips 23 years from Nebuchadnezzar to Belshazzar. This king gives a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles. He orders the gold cups that had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem to be brought out, and they drink from them.

Suddenly they see the fingers of a human hand writing on the wall. The King summons all his wise men and fortune tellers, but they are not able to decipher the writing. The queen mother then tells Belshazzar about Daniel. Belshazzar promises Daniel that he will be honoured and given the third highest position in the land if he can explain the message.

Daniel recounts how Nebuchadnezzar had spent seven years living like a wild animal because he had refused to repent. Belshazzar should have known about this, but instead of repenting, he has defied the Lord of Heaven by defiling the cups from the Temple.

The writing on the wall is decoded as: “The days of the King’s reign have been numbered and will be brought to an end. He has been weighed and has not measured up. His kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

This all happened that night.

Application

Belshazzar died and his empire with him because he refused to repent. He proudly defiled the sacred things of the Lord. There are many people who defy the Lord and blaspheme against Him. They want to be independent of God, so they curse and defile His name.

But God will not be defied. These people will face the judgement of God just as Belshazzar did.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God,” but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Prayer

Lord, may my heart never grow cold towards you. Please help me to stay humble before you. Amen.