Bible Studies
Exalted Against the Lord of Heaven (Dan. 5:1-4)
Series: There is a God in Heaven (Studies in the Book of Daniel)Introduction:
1. “Your days are numbered!” “The handwriting is on the wall!” 2. Both of these proverbial statements find their origin in Dan. 5. Often today they are interpreted to mean that “fate” or “destiny” has somehow fixed your end, but in this text the statements have to do with God’s rulership in the affairs of men. 3. Throughout the text of Daniel the theme is that “there is a God in heaven who rules!” He stands in contrast to the so-called gods of the Babylonians. The God of heaven even rules over the king of Babylon. 4. This theme was made clear in chap. 4 when King Neb. praised himself for the glory of his majesty and did not recognize God the Most High ruler over the realm of mankind. 5. Chap. 5 introduces us to a new historical period. Belshazzar is now king and he exalts himself against he Lord of heaven.Discussion:
I. As if to spit in God’s eye, he uses the vessels from the temple to drink wine as he praises the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.A. Previously some scholars tried to discredit the biblical account by saying that there was no record of a Belshazzar serving as king in the Babylonian empire, but more recent discoveries (19th century) have debunked that criticism.
1. Cuneiform documents are now known to contain his name. See Young, The Prophecy of Daniel, pp. 115ff.
2. So study in the 19th century study confirmed the biblical record so that it is universally recognized today that Belshazzar actually existed.
B. Historically it is recognized that Neb., Evil-Merodack (2 Kings 25:27), Labash-Marduk and then Nabonidus were the last Babylonian kings before the destruction of the Babylonian kingdom. So what about Belshazzar?
1. According to an ancient document known as A Persian Verse Account of Nabonidus (see Young, p. 116) Nabonidus entrusted the kingship to his son Belshazzar and according to that document, Nabonidus himself “undertook a distant campaign.”
2. “But” you object, “I thought Belshazzar was Neb’s. son? (see v. 2).
a. Must be careful not to understand the ancient language as identical to our modern use of “son.” We often refer to immediate genetic connection. Like Daniel G.and David G. are my sons.
b. The ancient term was not so limited and sometimes carried the idea of one’s predecessor, ancestor or forefather much like the Jews of the first century referred to Abraham as their father (cf. Jn. 8:39).
C. Some scholars have suggested that this banquet was designed to unite the leaders of the empire on the eve of the Persian overthrow of Babylon (539 B.C.). See Tremper Longman III, NIVAC, Daniel, p. 120.
1. This would make an interesting scenario. They are having a drinking party praising their gods the night before they are overthrown by the Medo-Persian empire.
2. The biblical text does not identify this as the fact, but it does say that Belshazzar was slain the very night that Daniel interpreted the hand writing on the wall and “Dairus the Mede received the kingdom” (5:30).
3. The suggestion certainly seems to “fit” the biblical text.
D. If this scenario is what is happening it makes the timing of the handwriting on the wall powerful indeed!
II. “Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing” (5:5-9).A. If Belshazzar is drunk. He is sobered now!
B. If he has been praising his gods, perhaps enlisting their power against his enemies, perhaps he is expecting a response from them??? But his experience is far from comforting. Instead he is terrified!
C. His wise men, his conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners cannot read or interpret the inscription.
D. “The queen” recommends Daniel (5:10-12).
1. Who is this queen? Perhaps not the wife of Belshazzar, because his wives were already present at the drinking party.
2. Some have suggested this was Neb. wife.
3. Whomever she is, she remembers Daniel as the one in whom the “wisdom of the gods is found.”
E. The king speaks to Daniel (5:13ff).
III. Daniel interprets the handwriting on the wall (5:17ff).A. Daniel emphasized that it is the Most High God who humbled Neb. but now Belshazzar has exalted himself against the Lord of heaven (23).
B. “But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified” so He has communicated to you (23-24).
1. Can you imagine the force of Daniel’s words to Belshazzar?
2. Belshazzar must have swallowed hard when Daniel said, “This is the inscription and this is the interpretation.”
C. Speculations have been offered regarding the mysteriousness of the inscription.
1. Perhaps the inscription was written vertically.
2. Perhaps it was horizontal with no spaces between letters and maybe no vowels leaving the exact words ambiguous.
3. Whatever the case, Daniel’s interpretation is not ambiguous.
a. Mene—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
b. Tekel—You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
c. Peres—Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.
D. Whether they are outside the gate at that very moment or not, they will be and Belshazzar is finished.
1. Neb. humbled himself. He was restored to his position.
2. It is just all over for Belshazzar.
IV. “Handwriting on the wall” today.A. Is God’s judgment falling on men today?
1. Some predict the downfall of our government.
2. Some look at events in their own personal lives and in the lives of others as God’s judgment. Ex. Cancer, disease, hardship, aids in the homosexual community, bombing of an abortion clinic, a child molester beaten to death, an automobile accident, etc.
3. Some interpret a child’s death, a police officer being shot to death all as God’s judgment. They even say, “Well it all works together for good,” as if a child’s cancer and death is somehow better than health and life. Sometimes bad things happen to good people—ex. Job, Jesus.
4. I am cautious in judging such situations lest I be like Job’s three friends who condemned the innocent.
B. One thing I do know and that is that God has “written on the wall.” Our writing on the wall is the Scriptures.
1. He has revealed that there is a day coming when all men will give account of the deeds done in the body.
2. He is not willing that any should perish and so calls men to repentance.
3. He has sacrificed His son for your forgiveness. Will you ignore His writing?
4. He said He will judge the world through Him. Will you be found deficient?
5. Will you exalt yourself against the Lord of heaven?
Conclusion:
1. Your days are numbered. “It is appointed for men to die and after this comes judgment” (Heb. 9:27). 2. The handwriting is on the wall. 3. Will you continue your drinking party or humble yourself under the mighty hand of God?
