Before we begin just a few things that will also be clear in the text. First of all, a little bit about Belshazzar. He was the son of Nabonidus. Nabonidus had tried changing the gods of Babylon and no one liked him, and he didn’t really want to rule either, so he appointed his son to rule as vice regent. Giving him all authority. But this is why he gives the third position in the kingdom to anyone that can answer the riddle, because the top two are taken. I know that this chapter calls Nebuchadnezzar Belshazzar’s father but that is how the Israelites spoke about ancestors. The Israelites would have called Abraham their father.
And the second thing is the queen spoken of here is probably Belshazzar’s mom, but I will get back to that later. I have entitled this sermon:
Do not try to play around with the living God. His Judgement is swift, and immediate.
- Belshazzar’s Party
- Belshazzar’s color
- Belshazzar’s mom
- Belshazzar’s pride
- Belshazzar’s fall
Belshazzar’s Party
Hegel, a historian once said, “The only thing we learn from history is that we have learned nothing from history.” It is maybe a bit cynical but no one can deny its truth regarding the man we are looking at today.
The scene opens with Belshazzar having a good time. We read, “King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.” He is entertaining 1000 of the top government officials, with himself sitting at the head of the table. It speaks of opulence, a lack of sobriety, a lack of decency and a complete disregard for the most high God. Before the gaze of a thousand pair of eyes he begins to drink himself under the table as a sign of his bravado.
The wicked say in their heart there is no God. No transcendence. No one has a say over my life. Belshazzar is basically saying, it is my party and I will do what I want. It is my life, this life is all about me.
Notice the arrogance and pride. He is showing off in front of all his nobles, wives and concubines, and he thinks that in order to really make a display he would show just what he thought of Israel’s God. We read about it in verse 2-4, “While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold, and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.”
Here they are drinking out of the cups brought from Jerusalem that signified the Lords presence and power - some 5400 as we read in Ezra. And they use them to toast the gods which cannot see, speak, or hear. It is an amazing picture of pride, blasphemy and idolatry. What they are saying is, “This is what we think of your God! These things are nothing to us, because your God is nothing to us!”
Not much has changed… as people get together in their parties, drinking, and bragging about their own accomplishments without any regard for the God that gives them the breath they use to boast in themselves. We still worship these same gods. The riches representative of gold and silver, the strength and power that represents iron and bronze, and the magnificent building of wood and stone. We love our stuff. These are gods we can control and manipulate, that do not have authority over what I may or may not do. Do you see the pride here? Total and absolute disregard for God. Not only a disregard, but outright blasphemy: “This is what we think of your God!”
Well God is about to show his people that these kings, no matter how powerful, are in his hands.
Belshazzar’s Color
A hand writes something on the plaster of the wall near the lampstand in the royal palace. Everyone sees it. It is written on the palace wall where there were usually magnificent paintings of the country’s victories, and what they thought of themselves. But now there is a hand writing what God thinks of it, and the Bible goes on to describe this king as a real basket case. He just falls apart.
It says in verse 6, “His face turns pale, and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way.” His limbs have given in. The literal translation for one of these phrases is the joints of his loins were loosened, or in English, he went to the bathroom. It was not a kingly pose he offered to the thousands he was in front of. He went from this proud, arrogant king boasting of his greatness, to a terrified man soiling his own garments.
And then in verse 7-10 he calls in the same old guys, the enchanters, astrologers and diviners, for answers and promises them some nice clothes and a gold chain, and they would be made to be third highest ruler in the kingdom. After all this time, he still goes to his enchanters, astrologers, and diviners.
Now we might be tempted to say, silly Belshazzar, living 600 years before Christ. How dumb these people were. But before you take that route: remember, Babylon was one of the most advanced civilizations of the ancient near east, I am sure these guys had head knowledge to blow us out of the water. But in the end they were fools. And we have seen that again and again. They did not have the answers to man’s deepest questions. And yet man in his folly returns again and again to the wisdom of fools.
I know it does not sound nice, because it is an offence to the intellect. We do not like to be called fools. But it is also what Paul says to the well-educated, well off church in Corinth. “Where is the wise man? Where is the scribe? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?” We humans without God always go back to the same broken places. To the same broken cisterns. Without the Spirit of God, me and you are complete fools.
I am not saying you have to take your brains out to believe in Jesus, the Christian is a reasonable person, but reason will not get you to God. Nor will your works. Nor will anything you do or will ever do. This is offensive to the pride of man. You are saying I can’t make it on my own? Yes, I am. You are saying I can’t make it there through intellect or how much reformed theology I know? Yes, I am. You are saying I am a mess. A royal mess that cannot fix myself. I need help. If I don’t get help, then I am lost. Yes, I am. That is hard. I know. That is offensive to man. That is why we will turn everywhere else unless God in his sovereignty points us cross-ward.
Belshazzar’s mom
Well anyways all this must have caused quite a commotion, in the palace, because in comes mom. I say this is probably his mother for three reasons. This word could mean mother, all of his wives and concubines look to be with him, as we read in verse 3, and only a mom can do what this woman does. I mean, you remember how difficult it was for Esther to come into speak to king Xerxes. She had to come on fear of death. But this woman just barges in. Even the king has to listen to mom.
Anyways she starts off well in verse 10 she says, “O king, live forever.” The irony here is that he will die tonight. She goes on and says, “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale!” In other words, “get yourself together, son! You look like a basket case in front of all your nobles, get a hold of yourself.” And then she goes on to say, “there is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.”
There is a man… look at how this man is described in verse 11-12, “the Spirit of the gods is on him…he has insight and intelligence, and wisdom…. He has a keen mind, and knowledge and understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems.” If you look at the beginning of this and compare it with Isaiah 11 there are tremendous similarities. This man is being described here in Messianic terms. In Christ-like ways. The whole Old Testament is pushing us forward, giving us an ever- greater picture of the Messiah, foreshadowing him through people, prophecies, law, and history. The answer to man’s deepest questions are coming.
In some ways it reminds you of what the woman at the well said in John 4. Remember when she went back into the village and said, “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did.” Jesus had showed her that she had been looking for love in all the wrong places, after 5 husbands and a guy she was currently living with. Jesus shows us you are going to the wrong well to quench the thirst of your heart. You need to go to him who is living water. And she says, I know the messiah is coming. And he replies, “I who am speaking to you am he.”
There is a man in the kingdom that you can go to for the answers of your heart, beloved. There is a Man upon whom rests the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of insight and intelligence. There is a man! His name is Jesus. He has the answers to our deepest longings. You may go to him.
Belshazzar’s Pride
So the king listens to his mom, as every son should and calls on Daniel to be brought in. But notice the arrogance with which he treats Daniel. As a slave, as a captive. Soiled by his own arrogance, legs shivering, pale faced, and he still treats him as if he were a captive. As if somehow his power was greater than that which this prophet represented.
He says in verse 13, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah?” are you one of those exiles that we brought over? One of those immigrants? “I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.” He goes on to tell him that if he can read and interpret the writing then he will be the ruler in the land.
Just a quick side note here: This is the language of God. It had to be read and interpreted. It is not enough just to read, we must also understand. To know what it means. Only the spiritual man can understand spiritual truth.
This is true of the Bible too, we can read it but it is not enough to read, we must also understand, and for that we need the Spirit. Throughout this passage it is a question of not just reading, but interpreting. Who can read and interpret? Only those who have the Spirit. What does 1 Corinthians 2 say about the Christian? “We have the mind of God.” Anybody can read the Bible. There are schools in atheistic China that used to use the Bible to teach people English, but just because they read it does not mean they understand, unless the Spirit chooses to work.
Let’s look at Daniels reply. First of all three things. Keep your gold, keep your clothes. And give someone else the highest position. I have no need for any of that. Spiritual gifts cannot be bought. God’s word is not for sale. This is an old man that realizes that all these things mean very little in the grand scheme of things.
And then he goes on to give this king a little history lesson. A history lesson that Belshazzar knew all too well. He gives him the history of basically the first four chapters of this book. Of a king that had been even greater than Belshazzar that God had stripped of his glory because of an arrogance that had lifted itself up to heaven, and about how God had humbled that king all the way down to an animal. Verse 20 is the point of it, “But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed of his royal throne, and stripped of his glory.” You see it was not that he had all the power, and all this glory. It was the pride that followed. How often does not great power and wealth lead to pride. Thinking we have done it.
Daniel is reminding Belshazzar of the story Belshazzar knows all too well. The apple has not fallen far from the tree, like father like son.
He drives this point home in Verse 22, “But YOU his son, o Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though YOU KNEW all this.” You KNEW! Belshazzar. You are without excuse! “Instead you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.” This is what pride is. Shaking a fist at God. My way not your way. As he concludes at the end of verse 23, “But you did not honor the God who holds in his hands your life and all your ways.” The breath you breathe, the life you live are his! You knew this! You know your history yet you chose to ignore it.
It reminds me of what Paul says in Romans 1, can we quickly turn to this passage? V 19. “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness. Science, and what may be known about God is plain to see. You know Paul is talking about all of humanity. You KNEW! And yet your rebelled! “For since the creation of the world Gods invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature= have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made so that men are without excuse.”
“For although they knew God! They neither glorified him as god, nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Although they claimed to be wise they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.” Claiming to be wise they became fools. It is a fool who refuses to see who they are without Christ! Without God! Cursed! Without God’s peace, without his presence! Because they refuse to give glory to the one who deserves it. We must not worship something that is not even worth it. Clear the stage, make some space for the one who deserves it.
Belshazzar’s fall
You knew Belshazzar, but you didn’t listen, “Therefore,” as we read in verse 24, “he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. “Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
I don’t know if maybe he thought he had more time, maybe he thought since God gave his father more time God would also give him more time. Don’t ever play that game. If you know God is calling. Don’t think that just because your uncle Van de Merwe came to Christ on his death bed you can wait. First of all, you don’t know about Uncle Van de Merwe. And second of all there is no guarantee that you will have lunch. Today.
If you are living in sin confess it today confess it now. It is far better to be right in the eyes of God when you meet him, then to have lived a life in which you pretended that there was no God. There is an immediacy about this chapter. In verse 5, “suddenly…”, and now in verse 30, “That VERY NIGHT…!” One morning he was king partying with his people, that very night, God took from him everything. And in his death he came face to face with the God he refused to acknowledge in life. This chapter is not longer than 24 hours, and God is saying something very clear to all who will listen. Listen while you still have time.
Take stock of your life today o dear ones and do not presume upon the justice and mercy of God.
Spending counterfeit
Incentive, wasting
Precious time and health
Placing values on the
Worthless, disregarding
Priceless wealth
Well, you can wheel and
Deal the best of them
And steal it from the rest of them
You know the score
Their ethics are a bore
Finally, I love what it says in verse 29, give credit where credit is due, I guess. Daniel is once more exalted as in every chapter and the king is humbled. Daniel receives honor the king dishonor. But that honor is so fleeting as in a few hours from then the Persian empire will have been done digging under the walls and taken over the city.
Dear church this chapter was a clear warning to Israel, while also being an amazing comfort. A warning: not to presume upon God’s grace. To repent. To believe in their God as the one who judges all men. And second what a comfort. God was in full control. Here again they see their God lifting up empires, and bringing them down. Here again he brings the king down, only to exalt his anointed prophet. Here again Daniel who is probably around 90 lives on while the young king is killed.
As we sit here in the 21st century what does this do for us. As we look around us at this country, do we not wonder if he is on the throne. O he is. And he can change things in a day. But you know what, no matter who the next president is, no matter what happens tomorrow, all Gods people are called to do is to be faithful today. God has everything else in his hands. Even your life, and he weighs it in the balance. The only thing that will tip the scales in your favor is an unshakable faith that Jesus Christ is yours. Jesus Christ is the one who is your life. Reject him and you are as good as dead. Amen.