crumbs69

 

This contains some thoughts on Daniel 5

Crumbs from the Master ‘s Table 69

The Writing on the Wall

Scripture Daniel 5:22-30 New International Version22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 25 “This is the inscription that was written: mene, mene, tekel, parsin 26 “Here is what these words mean:

Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

27 Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

28 Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain,

Crumbs This chapter gives us the saying “ the writing is on the wall” to describe inevitability of coming woe. Daniel 5 can be understood in the light of Daniel 4. Belshazzar knew all about Nebuchadnezzar's break down and the lessons it taught him. It seems to me this is a chapter for twenty first century humanity. We need a sight of the one true God but use his gifts to worship gods of our own imagining. We need to grasp a sense of the Holy. The wonders of Babylon which Nebuchadnezzar had boasted of before his humiliation were taken for granted by Belshazzar. “ Mene” means numbered. It may not be presumed that things will carry on as normal. All our days are numbered. “Tekel” (compare shekel) was both a coin for commerce and a unit of weight. We do not come up to scratch and have not got the resources to satisfy the needs of humanity or the requirements of a holy God. “Peres” means divided. Belshazzar’s empire is about to be split and given away. Things we assume are equally fragile. God can take them away.

Other folk in this account are the Queen and Daniel. The Queen had the wit to point out the one who could help. It is a grave temptation to think we know the answers to all society’s problems. Often helpful humility to point to another is needed. Daniel refused all personal reward from fulfilling a divine mission but again fearlessly spoke truth to power. Nebuchadnezzar had humbled himself before God but Belshazzar had not. Divine judgment is swift.

Questions

1.What should our contribution to healing today’s woes be ? 2. What are the blessings we should not take for granted? 3. What does humbling ourselves before God involve ?