Some years have passed since Nebuchadnezzar had been king. His son, Evilmerodach, had reigned. Then his grandson, Belshazzar, was crowned king.
Through all these rulers, Daniel had remained the faithful wise man when needed; though his calling by the king slowly diminished. He was not only faithful to the kings of Babylon, but he was also faithful to God.
The kings of Babylon, however, did not remember the Lord God Almighty like they should have. Perhaps, they viewed Nebuchadnezzar's account of his time as a wild beast-man as a myth. Or maybe, they weren't told about the miraculous things that the wise men who served this God did.
Daniel 5:1-3- Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
Belshazzar had made a feast. And, while he was feasting he decided to bring in the vessels from the temple of Jerusalem to drink from. Not only did he use the hallowed things from the Temple of the Lord, they were worshiping false idols as they did so.
Daniel 5:4- They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
What do you suppose the Lord God Almighty thought of this?
Daniel 5:5-6- In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.
God wasn't too happy with Belshazzar for this. He reached down from heaven and with his finger wrote a note to the Babylonian king.
Belshazzar had never seen anything like it! All of a sudden a floating hand was there in the room with him writing something on the wall of his palace in a language that he had never seen before!
He was so scared that he shook so hard his knees were knocking together.
Daniel 5:7-8- The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
Belshazzar called his wise men, but they didn't know the Lord God Almighty. They couldn't read the writing on the wall. Oh, what was the king going to do?!?!
Daniel 5:9-12- Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied. Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
While Belshazzar was worrying about what to do, the Queen came to visit him. She remembered the time when King Nebuchadnezzar had trouble with the unknown. She knew about Daniel and his ability to do the impossible. And, she told the king about this forgotten wise man.
Daniel 5:13-16- Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel came in before the King. He had already looked at and read the writing on the wall. He knew exactly what it said!
Daniel 5:17-21- Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Daniel told the king that he didn't want his promised gifts. He knew that God had appointed an end to this prideful Babylonian. So, Daniel decided to tell the king the story of Nebuchadnezzar and the power of the Lord God Almighty.
Why would Daniel do this? Was it because Belshazzar didn't know the story? No. He knew the stories. It was because God was about to punish another Babylonian king.
Daniel 5:22-24- And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Daniel said that he knew that Belshazzar had heard about Nebuchadnezzar's savage days. Even though he had heard the punishment for pride, he didn't humble his heart. He worshiped the false idols that could do nothing, and ignored the power of the Creator of the Universe.
Daniel 5:25-28- And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
Daniel told Belshazzar that God was going to take the kingdom from him. And not only from him, but from the line of Babylonians. There was going to come another nation that would take the kingdom.
Daniel 5:29- Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
The king was so glad that someone was able to tell him what the writing meant that he rewarded Daniel with a chain of gold and a promotion to the third ruler in the kingdom. But, this was really for nought.
You see, while Daniel was making known the interpretation to the king, the armies of the Medes and the Persians were preparing to invade the city.
History tells us that the city had mighty walls around it. It was thought to be invincible. The city also had the Euphrates river flowing through it. During a siege the people inside would always have water.
But, this river was what the enemy army used to get into the city. The soldiers dug a trench to let the water flow in a different direction. Then, they crawled under the city walls in the spot where the water used to flow.
While Belshazzar was feasting and shaking and getting the bad news from Daniel, the enemy army had already entered the city and were coming for him.
Daniel 5:30-31- In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
Belshazzar was killed that very night by the Media-Persian army, and his throne was taken by a man named Darius.
This mighty city of Babylon was first mentioned in the Bible just after the flood as the city of Babel. It was here that God gave man different languages.
This city had beautiful clothing that exported to different areas of the world. It was a garment from this city that tempted Achan when Joshua was bringing the Hebrew children into the Promised Land.
It was by the dreadful king of this city that God sent the punishment of captivity to the nation of Judah for their sin of idolatry. The same event that brought Daniel, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego to the capitol of Persia.
God had enough of this wicked city. It had been trouble from the start!
Would this new ruler fear the Lord God Almighty? Would he listen to Daniel's wisdom? Would he learn the lessons from the stories of the past kings who were punished for their pride while they sat on the throne?
