Daniel 5:1-31

We have repeatedly seen the truth behind the statement that “those who do not learn from history are bound to repeat it.”  Nebuchadnezzar had been given crash course in the dangers of pride and importance of humility.  Now his grandson Belshazzar is about to be killed for not having learned this lesson. Pride is a sure fire way to bring down the wrath of God.  Belshazzar coupled pride with blasphemy and brought the wrath of God down upon himself.  God requires that we humble ourselves before Him and worship Him in true reverence.

AN ACT OF BLASPHEMY: Belshazzar is in the middle of a long standing war with the Medes and the Persians.  He takes time out of this war to gather the people for a big party.  While at this party he has the bright idea of bringing all the sacred objects taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be used as the place settings for this drunken orgy.  God was not pleased.  God sends a message to Belshazzar in the form of a finger writing a message on a wall.  Nobody could interpret the message, so once again Daniel is called upon to see if he is able to decipher the meaning of this message.  God will not stand idly by as His name is being Blasphemed.  His response may not always be as swift as it was in this case, but He will judge those who do not fear Him.


A MESSAGE OF HUMILITY: Daniel immediately recognizes the message, but before interpreting it, he takes advantage of the opportunity to remind Belshazzar of the lessons of history from which he should have learned.  He recounts the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s humiliation and conversion in order to demonstrate to him how his failure to learn from the past was going to bring condemnation upon him in the present.  The message was a statement that God had judged him unworthy to continue as king and a warning of the end of his kingdom.  Belshazzar is so arrogant that he does not even repent or lament this message he promotes Daniel as promised, but Daniel knows this promotion will have no meaning because the kingdom of Babylon is about to fall.  That very night Belshazzar was killed and went to his eternal judgment.  It is vital that we learn to live and act in true humility before the Lord.

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