Belshazzar's Feast

Daniel 5


Starting in verse one of chapter five, we learn that King Belshazzar prepared a great feast to a thousand of his lords. At the banquet table the king and his lords began to drink wine. As he sat there tasting the wine, he commanded one of his servants to go and get the golden and silver vessels that his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem. He wasn’t satisfied to drink from his own cup, he wanted the vessels from the temple of the Lord. He wanted the vessel’s that the priest used, the one’s that were supposed to be used for God’s glory only. King Belshazzar also wanted his princes, his wives, and his concubines to drink out of those vessel’s as well.

So they all sat around drinking wine and praising the god’s of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone. Now tell me one good thing a piece of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, or stone has ever done for you? I’m so glad I don’t have to rely on those gods to deliver me out of trouble or save me from my enemies.

My God is real and he’s alive. My God actually has a heart. The Bible says in Genesis 6, that man became so wicked on earth, that it grieved God at his heart. My God not only has a heart, but his heart can also be grieved. My sin can grieve him. My God can also be moved or touched by something I do or say.

My God has a pair of eyes too. The Bible says in Proverbs 15:3, that the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. I have a God that sees all. He knows what’s going on in every town, state, and country.

My God has ears. The Bible says in Psalm 4:3, that the Lord hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the Lord will hear when I call unto him. Psalm 17:6 says, “I have called upon thee, for thou wilt hear me, O God : incline thine ear unto me, and hear my speech.” Psalm 20:1, “The Lord hear thee in the day of trouble.”

Boy, I’m so glad my God has ears. One day I was in some serious trouble. I was in physical distress, and I cried out to God. God heard my cry and delivered me from death that day. I’m so glad my God has ears, and he can hear my cry. I can never repay my God for what he’s done for me.

My God actually breaths! In Genesis 2:7 the Bible talks about the breath of God. My God has a mouth also. In Deuteronomy 8:3 Moses is talking with the children of Israel, and he says, “ And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with Mana, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.” Also in 2 Chronicles 36:12, the Bible was talking about King Zedekiah, and it says, “ And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and humbled not himself before Jeremiah the prophet speaking from the mouth of the Lord.” And Isaiah 40:5 says, “ And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed , and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.” The Bible also says in Geneses that God spoke the world into existence. God said it, and it was so. So we wouldn’t even be here today if it were not for the mouth, and the breath of God.

In this story we are going to learn also that our God has hands and fingers too. Aren’t you so glad that our God is real, and that he’s alive?! Praise God we don’t have to worship something that is dead and motionless. Our God can breathe, our God has a heart, ears, eyes, mouth, and hands. We were made in his image.

Well, Belshazzar was having a good ole time, drinking , laughing, and carrying on with all his buddies, when all of a sudden, fingers from a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the king’s wall. And the king saw the part of the man’s hand that wrote. I don’t think it would have been nearly as scary for the king if he’d only seen the writing slowly appear on the wall. But he actually saw part of the hand of God, and that’s what troubled him the most I’ sure. It troubled him so much that his facial expression changed from happy to horrified in less than a second. The Bible says that the joints of his loins were loosed and his knees smote against each other. Now I believe the King James Bible from cover to cover. I believe God knew what word he meant to say when he said it. The word smote means to smite, and the word smite means to strike, to throw, to cast, to fling, to kick, to hammer , or to forge. It sure looks like there’s a bit of force to the word smote, don’t you think? I don’t think the Lord meant to say that the kings knees wobbled or shook or trembled. No. he said what he meant, and he meant what he said. That king was so horrified, that his knees were literally banging together, and his insides felt all rubbery. He needed an explanation, and he needed it right then and there.

So, he called in the wise men of Babylon, all the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the sooth-sayers. And the king said, “Who ever can read this writing, and show me what it means, I’ll clothe him with scarlet, and put a gold chain about his neck. Not only that, but I will also make him the third ruler in the kingdom.”

The King went through all the wise men, but not one of them could even read the writing, let alone interpret it. By this time, the king was really troubled. He didn’t know what to do. Boy, he was in a real fix now. You know, that’s how people are in the world today. They try everything, and they go to everyone else, to trying to solve their problems. But God almighty is the only one who can solve all the riddles in life. He’s got everything planned out, and he knows exactly what he’s doing.

When all hope looked lost for the king, the queen stepped up and reminded the king about Daniel and how his father had made him master over all the wise men. She told the king how light, understanding, and wisdom was found in Daniel. She told the king that an excellent spirit was found in him, and how he could interpret dreams, figure out hard sentences, and dissolve all doubts. Do you know that all the above reminds me of the Holy Spirit? Boy, if there are any doubts, the Holy Spirit can sure dissolve them, if you just pick up God’s word and start reading it. The Holy Spirit is excellent and can impart wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. The Holy Spirit can also take a child, and show him something in the Bible that Bible scholars couldn’t even figure out. So now we learn here that Daniel is a type of the Holy Spirit.

So the King brings Daniel in and shows him the writing. He told Daniel that if he could interpret the writing, that he would make him the third ruler in the kingdom. He would also clothe him with scarlet, and put a gold chain about his neck. But you know what Daniel said? He told the king that he could keep the gifts himself. Daniel knew God alone was the source of all knowledge and wisdom.

Before Daniel read the writing and interpreted it, he told the king this.
“Oh King, the Lord God gave your father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor. And all the people, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whoever he wanted to kill, he killed, and whoever he let live, would live. He set up whoever he wanted, and put down whoever he wanted. He did what ever his heart desired. But with all that power, he developed a might big problem. It was a problem with pride. His heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened with pride. Don’t you remember oh King, how God had to humble your father? How his glory was taken from him, and his heart was made like the beast of the field? Don’t you remember oh King, how his dwelling was with the wild asses, and how he ate grass like the oxen? He had to stay like that until he finally came to his senses and realized that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appoints over it whoever he wants to. Oh but thou, Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, and you knew about all this. You have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. Not only that, but you have brought all the vessels out of his house, and you, your lords, your wives and your concubines have drunk wine in them, and have worshiped the god’s of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. Those gods can’t see, hear, or even know you. But the God who gives you every breath of air you breathe, you haven’t even acknowledged him, nor glorified him. So , oh King, his hand has come down, and this is what he has written to you. MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

Translated, it reads, 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.

Even though it was all bad news for the king, he stuck to his word, and gave Daniel a gold chain, clothed him with scarlet, and made him the third ruler over the kingdom. That very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and Darius the median took over the kingdom. Daniel was right, King Belshazzars days were numbered right down to the day. And the king with all his power, and all his might, and all his gods, just didn’t weigh enough in God’s balances. He was lacking, he was wanting.

You know what? We would be lacking too if we didn’t have Jesus Christ to sit in the balances with us. If Christ is in you, you’ll measure up just fine. We need to realize that without Christ, we are nothing. And that if anything good ever comes out of our life, it’s because of Jesus Christ.
Last of all, Belshazzars kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and the Persians, just as Daniel had said. Everything that God says will surely come to pass. I’m so glad I’m on his side, aren’t you?