Weighed and Found Wanting

God is not mocked.  During his Brazilian presidential campaign of 1985, Tancredo Neves said if he got 500,000 votes from his party for the presidential election, not even God could remove him from his presidency.  He got the votes, but he got sick the day before being made President, then he died.

During a show in Rio de Janeiro, Cazuza (a Bi-sexual Brazilian composer, singer and poet), while puffing a cigarette, puffed out some smoke and said: “God, that’s for you.” He died at the age 32 of lung cancer in a horrible manner.

After the construction of the Titanic, a reporter asked the man who built it, how safe would it be?  With an ironic tone he said, “Not even God can sink it.” I think we all know what happened to the Titanic.

Marilyn Monroe was visited by Billy Graham during a presentation of her show. He told her the Spirit of God sent him to preach to her.  After hearing what he had to say, she told him: “I don’t need your Jesus.”A week later she was found dead in her apartment.

Bon Scott, the lead vocalist for the band AC/DC sang these lyrics: “don’t stop me, I’m going down all the way, down the highway to hell.” On the 19^th of Feb 1980, after drinking all night, Scott was found dead, having choked to death on his own vomit.

God is not mocked. In fact, in the letter to the Galatians Paul wrote these words: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians 6:6-7

As we return to the book of Daniel today, we’re going to see the tragic results of a person who chooses to mock God. But as we do, Daniel is going to remind us of the dangers of sin and failing to turn away from anything that is not pleasing to Him. So, if you brought your Bible with you today, let me encourage you to find Daniel 5, and let’s see what God would have us learn about our sin and His judgment as He confronts the sin of King Belshazzar.

Now, before we enter his story, let me give us a bit of context about King Belshazzar.  At the time of this encounter, King Nebuchadnezzar has been dead for about 15 years.  He had been succeeded by Amel-Marduk, the evil Merodach of Jeremiah 52:31.  He reigned for about four years. Amel-Marduk was succeeded by Mergal Sharusar, who reigned for four years.  After him came his son Labasi-Marduk who was overthrown after six months by a group of conspirators including Nabonidus, who was to be the last actual Chaldean King. Nabonidus made his son Belshazzar co-regent, entrusting the kingship to him during his ten-year absence in Arabia. So, Belshazzar was technically “the second ruler” of the kingdom. This is why later in this passage he was only able to offer Daniel the position of being third ruler in the kingdom.  However, as we come to the text, we will read that Nebuchadnezzar was called “his father.” Now, this might cause some confusion.  But in the ancient near east, it was customary to use the term “father” to speak of an “ancestor” which gave the relationship a greater weight. In terms of actual progeny, it is suggested by some scholars that Belshazzar was actually Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson. This will make sense as his grandmother, the “Queen Mother” comes into the story.  So, at the time of this story, Belshazzar has been reigning as co-regent a little over six years.  So, now let’s dive into the story by reading verses 1-4 where we will see that:

God sees our sin: King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them.  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 his concubines drank from them. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Daniel 5:1-4

With Darius the Mede sitting outside about to invade Babylon, Belshazzar knows his supremely fortified city has the stores and resources to handle any military siege for many years. Fully secure in his power and wealth, he throws a great feast.  He’s determined to be the life of the party. Before the gaze of a thousand eyes, he begins to drink himself under the table as a demonstration of his bravado. And as the alcohol begins to depress the restraining element of his mental powers, the true nature of his sinful heart is released.

We can almost hear his boastful spirit calling out to his servants: “Get those Jewish holy cups out here, and we’ll drink a toast to those parasites too.” These sacred vessels symbolized the very presence and power of God. Belshazzar knows why these vessels were made. And he knows that Nebuchadnezzar had come to worship and honor this God as the God of heaven. He knows all this but chooses to reject it. He has made up his mind to publicly disparage Yahweh by taking these holy vessels and treating them as nothing more than common utensils. Then he goes even further by using them to worship his false gods. And his royal guests, his many wives, and his concubines all join in the frivolity and raunchiness of his open display of scorn to Yahweh. But now, by openly mocking God and worshiping his gods he is making the biggest mistake of his life. And the lesson of this chapter is about to be revealed:

God sees his sins: God sees Belshazzar’s foolish pride, his sexual immorality, and his rebellious and scornful heart. And now, the prophecy of Isaiah 47, given more than a hundred years earlier concerning the downfall of Babylon, is about to come to fruition. There God’s Word says, You were secure in your wickedness; you said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, ‘I am, and there is no one else.’  But disaster will happen to you; you will not know how to avert it. And it will fall on you, but you will be unable to ward it off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly. Isaiah 47:10-11

Belshazzar’s about to learn how true this is.  Indeed, we should all learn how true this is before it is too late. God sees even the deepest and most hidden parts of you. Like Belshazzar’s sin, He sees your sin. He sees the false idols we hold onto for security: wealth, position, power.  He sees if we have a rebellious spirit.  He sees our addictions to the idols of comfort and security. And He calls you to turn away from your sin before it is too late.However, it was already too late for Belshazzar. For at this very moment…

God confronts his sin: Suddenly thefingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale he was so frightened that his legs became weak, and his knees were knocking. Daniel 5:5-6 What has happened? Belshazzar has been made conscious of the reality of the judgment of God. He may not have fully understood the significance of the words on the wall, but not even a fool would fail to recognize how ominous they were. Belshazzar became deathly pale, his thoughts terrified him, and his lower body lost all strength. Some think his limbs gave way; however, the translation was literally, “the knots of his loins were loosed,” meaning he lost control of all his bladder or bowels. He’d come unglued!

At this point, Belshazzar is sobered by the writing on the wall. But he’s yet to grasp what has happened or what the writing means. So, he does the only thing he knows to do. He summons his pagan counselors: the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” Daniel 5:7

In desperation Belshazzar turns to his religion. He calls in his wise men, but their wisdom fails once again. Things are going from bad to worse. The Message describes the situation: “So now the king was reallyfrightened. All the blood drained from his face. The nobles were in a panic.” Daniel 5:9

Theologian Dale Davis paints a picture for us of what God is doing here by confronting Belshazzar’s sin. He writes: “God has frightened Belshazzar; religion has failed him; he is reduced to a shivering, sniffling mess with no supports whatever. He is therefore on the edge of the abyss of hope, is he not? He is the object of God’s terror, but in one sense, it is a kind terror. God does Belshazzar the favor of leaving him without any recourse, in utter helplessness – and hence a huge opportunity. Whenever God brings a man to the end of himself, smashing all his props and wasting his idols, it is a favorable moment indeed. If he will but see it.”

Belshazzar is at the end of his rope. Is there any hope?  Enter the Queen Mother:  The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father, he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means. 5:10-12

This is the turning point of the story. There is someone who can interpret this writing. The one who can help Belshazzar is the one who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.  He’s the one who was appointed by his grandfather to be the chief of all his wise men. He’s the one who was found to have an extraordinary spiritand knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Summon Daniel. He can tell you what the writing means.

It’s been 15 years since King Nebuchadnezzar has died. For years, Daniel has been relegated to the sidelines. But in the urgency of the moment, the queen comes to Belshazzar’s aid. Fearing the consequences of Belshazzar’s open blasphemy, she advocates for the wisdom and insight of Daniel.  She lays out Daniel’s credentials.  He had “insight, intelligence, and wisdom” and “an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, and the abilities to interpret dreams, solve riddles and explain enigmas” This description is reminiscent of the prophetic description Isaiah gave of the Messiah: And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
    And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord.
He shall not judge by what his eyes see,
or decide disputes by what his ears hears. (Isaiah 11:2-3)                                                 Daniel had a share in the Spirit of the Messiah. No wonder Daniel so often resembles Jesus. This was what the queen tried to express. In other words, the queen is telling Belshazzar that Daniel was in fellowship with another world. He knows God.  He knows the author of the writing on the wall.

So, Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom.  The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” Daniel 5:13-16

I love how Daniel responds to Belshazzar at this point. Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. Daniel 5:17 Daniel reminds us here that God’s servants can’t be bought.  He isn’t going to speak what itching ears wish to hear.  He’s a man of integrity.  He’s going to speak the truth of God’s Word, even if it isn’t what you want to hear.  And so that’s what he’s about to do.  He’s about to reveal the interpretation of the writing on the wall, but before he does, he gives the historical background to his sin:

“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. Because of the high position He gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes. Daniel 5:18-21

Daniel tells Belshazzar that God had given Nebuchadnezzar his rule and glory. So, when Nebuchadnezzar exalted himself, God humbled him. Belshazzar knew of God’s chastisement of his father, but he turned away from the lessons of his father he should have taken to heart.  So now…

God exposes his sins: Listen now to the divine accusation. In the following verses the words “you” and “your” are used 14 times in a machine-gun-like applications of Belshazzar’s foolishness: “But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 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. Therefore, He sent the hand that wrote the inscription. Daniel 5:22-24

Belshazzar was arrogant and rebellious. Belshazzar had committed blasphemy, and he was guilty of idolatry.In his blasphemy, Belshazzar used the vessels God set apart for His worship and used them for himself.  In his idolatry, he did not worship God as God, nor did he give God the credit for the power and success he enjoyed. He had praised powerless idols, while neglecting the one true God who gave him his very life and breath. So now, God delivers His judgment of Belshazzar and the kingdom of Babylon in the writing on the wall. The fingers Belshazzar had seen have been “sent from Him,” that is from God Himself.  This is the inscription that was written:  mene, mene, tekel, parsin. “Here is what these words mean: 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.” Daniel 5:25-28

As Daniel himself explained it, the Lord had numbered the days of Belshazzar’s kingdom and brought it to an end because King Belshazzar had been weighed in the balance and found wanting. Yet it’s not only Belshazzar who has been weighed and found wanting; his gods have also failed the test. Belshazzar praises his gods of wood and stone and gold and silver, ascribing to them glory and honor, yet his gods couldn’t keep the Most High God from disturbing the peace of his feast. Nor could they keep him safe from the Medes and the Persians. Which leads to the final scene in this tragic tale of Belshazzar’s foolishness. And what we see is this:

God Deals With Our Sin: 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. Here Belshazzar does the honorable thing. He gives Daniel what he promised. He clothes him with purple and gives him a gold chain and proclaims him as third highest ruler in the kingdom. But his gifts are too little too late. For that very night God brings his judgment to bear on Belshazzar and the kingdom of Babylon. For we read, That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.  Daniel 5:30-31

Turn out the lights, the party’s over! According to the Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon, the Medo-Persian army did not attempt to storm the impregnable Babylonian walls that night – walls which were at least forty feet high and twenty-five feet thick.  So how did they get into the city and defeat Babylon that night?

This is how: They diverted water from the Euphrates River (which ran under the walls of Babylon) into a marsh. With the level of the water lowered, the soldiers were able to wade the river under the walls and enter the city. Xenophon added that the city was invaded while the Babylonians were feasting in a time of drunken revelry… As a matter of fact, Xenophon cited the festival as the very reason the Persians chose to attack Babylon and defeat them on this particular night.

With that, God closes the book on Belshazzar and his kingdom. His arrogant and foolish sins had crossed the line. He had challenged and mocked the Most High God and lost. And God saw his sin as He sees everyone’s sin, and his time of reckoning had come. He’d been weighed on the scales of God’s justice and was found wanting.

In fact, Belshazzar’s ability to rebel against God and live for himself has a contemporary ring to it in every age. Just as he partied while his adversaries were encamped outside his gates, so too do many live today to eat, drink and be merry, actively engaging in sinful lifestyles, all the while deliberately ignoring God’s revelation of Himself in the Scriptures, in their consciences, and in the world. We live in a day where people no longer believe God will weigh their lives on the scales of justice.  We live in a day where people suppress the truth about the God who will judge all mankind. The dismiss the truth of Hebrews 9:27, “For it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment.” We live in a day where people do not honor the God who holds their life in His hands. So let us remember what Paul wrote to the Galatians: Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction. Galatians 6:6-7

So, this story was written for us as a warning.  It wasn’t written for the Babylonians.  It was written for the Jews so they might see their need for repentance. And it was written for us – that we may see the emptiness of our world’s idols of power, position, pleasure and wealth.  It was written to remind us that these idols are nothing in comparison to humbly serving the One who saved us from our sins.  Let us not be like Belshazzar who refused to give God the credit for any of our successes in life. And may we use the warning of Belshazzar’s pride to examine our lives to see if there is any sin that God sees in us. And if there is, let us repent of our sin, and rest in God’s mercy. For He promises that If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9  So, don’t be deceived.  God is not mocked.  But He is to be praise and glorified by His people.