Daniel - Chapter 5

Mark Dunagan
03/01/15 - Sunday Evening

Series: Daniel

Daniel

Chapter 5

Belshazzar the King

It is the eve of the end of the Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar had died in 562 B.C., after a reign of forty-three years. In the next 25 years all was lost.  Even his son, who had followed him, was assassinated. In 555 B.C. Nabonidus became king, yet he spent much time away from Babylon, often more than 500 miles away in the Northern Arabian Desert. And who ruled in his absence? His son, Belshazzar. The break from chapter 4 to 5 is abrupt – perhaps on purpose, reminding us how temporary and wobbly even the Empires of man can be. 

Wine, Women and Worship

If one wonders how this king could be celebrating when it appears the Persians and Medes have the city surrounded (5:30-31), is it that much different than unfaithful Christians or unbelievers who remain unfaithful or unbelieving when they are clearly at death's door on the verge of facing their Creator's judgment (Hebrews 9:27)? Like other rulers, the king thought that Babylon was virtually impregnable to assault. According to Herodotus it was well stocked with provisions and with the Euphrates River flowing through it, water was not a problem. How startling it is that Belshazzar can party with such gusto when it is clear that the war has been lost, just as astonishing how people who know the truth can continue to ignore it right up until the end. 

Those Vessels

Nebuchadnezzar had removed objects from God’s Temple in Jerusalem some 60 years previously (Daniel 1:2), yet this king proceeds to mock God. He feels that the God of Israel is non-existent, he had counted Him out. It was not only contempt for God’s holy things, rather it was contempt for God Himself. People today will likewise mock God – even when it was clear that death was not far away.

Suddenly...

There's nothing like a man’s hand suddenly appearing and writing on the wall to bring about instant sobriety. Like Nebuchadnezzar in chapters 2 and 4, this king calls upon his own experts (5:7-8), and as in previous chapters, such experts prove to be worthless. “This is sometimes God’s pattern – to aggravate our helplessness by exposing the uselessness of our favorite props, even our favorite religious props. You may have your own paganism of choice – occultism, pluralism, machoism, feminism, agnosticism – and they will prove as petrifyingly useless as the Babylonian variety” (Daniel, Dale Ralph Davis, p. 74).

A Good Place to Be

To be brought to a place where it just seems hopeless is a great opportunity to turn to God (5:9). In past ages, some believers had noted: “I had been undone if I had not been undone. I had been ruined if I had not been ruined”. Clearly, what saved them, was a crisis.

The Queen Mother

Here is one of those “nameless” people in the Bible upon which everything depends in the given narrative. She plays the same indispensible role as that played by the unnamed servant girl in 2 Kings 5:2-3 who informs Mrs. Naaman about the prophet in Israel who had heal her husband. She is a minor character in this account, yet everything  from this point forward depends upon her arriving and telling Belshazzar about Daniel.

Forgotten Daniel

It appears that at this time in the Empire, Daniel and his skills have both been neglected. He is not viewed as one of the in-crowd or one of the "movers and shakers", for the Queen Mother has to remind her son that Daniel even exists. How easily the world forgets the godly! Don't miss God’s beautiful mercy in this section: This king has insulted the God of heaven, yet God still graciously offers him crucial information.

Keep Your Gifts

Not to be confused with insolence on the part of Daniel, rather Daniel merely states he will read the writing for free. His refusal of such gifts also makes it clear that, come what may, he is determined to tell the truth no matter what the inscription says or means. Daniel is plain and bold, qualities that we so desperately need today (Ephesians 6:19; 2 Corinthians 3:12).   

Lessons Forgotten

Daniel now repeats what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar in the previous chapter (5:18-22). He makes it clear that Belshazzar knew all about what had happened to Nebuchadezzar (5:22). This was not new information to him. This is a story that he had probably heard since childhood. The problem was not ignorance, but insolence. "Pay attention to what Belshazzar teaches you: having clear information does not guarantee the right response. He knew all this but did not humble his heart (5:22). So having good data does not necessarily bring about required change. Yet Western culture assumes that it will.  Political and social gurus preach the information fallacy constantly. In my own country the knee-jerk reaction to any social problem seems to be, ‘Well, we must educate people’. This often means we throw money at it, construct a bureaucracy to oversee it, and try to fund it in some budget. But it’s all built on the assumption that education will bring transformation... But Daniel’s point is – Belshazzar knew and it didn’t matter” (Davis, p. 79).

How about us? What are we actually doing with the truth that has been revealed to us in Scripture? Let us soberly reflect upon the words of the Savior when He said, “And that slave who knew his master’s will and did not get ready or act in accord with his will, will receive many lashes” (Luke 12:47).

“You Have Not Glorified”: 5:23

This life is not all about me. My job here is to bring honor and praise to my Creator. How are we doing? Let's determine today that stirs people to look to God for a more full, meaningful and abundant life: (Matthew 5:13-16). 

“My Life in His Hands”: 5:23

The culture tries to convince us to be our own person, to do things our own way and not to rent out our heads to any God. Yet this chapter reminds us how fragile even the elite are. Babylon, the impregnable city, would fall that one night and this king would be dead (5:30). Are we living like our very breath depends upon God or do we spend days without even thinking about Him? Do we lie to ourselves by saying, “I know that I need to change this or that – but I am still young and I have plenty of time”.

“Impregnable”?

Today, we do not live in cities like Babylon, but I find that certain things can cause people to think that they will live for a long time:

• A monetary cushion: Luke 12:19-20
• A clean bill of health from a recent checkup.
• The feeling that one is in good shape.
• The fact that one is young.

“Weighed and Found Wanting”: 5:27

God does determine the moral fitness of empires and nations. He does “weigh” administrations and cultures in His moral and spiritual balances (Jeremiah 18; Proverbs 14:34; Psalms 9:17 “Even all the nations who forget God”). But realize this: He likewise weighs the character of individuals. God can bring judgment quietly and swiftly. The judgment in the palace that night was silent. There was no noise of thunder, nor devouring fire from heaven. Judgment can come in quietness. Everyone is accountable to God. “God comes not only to the ghettos and hovels – He judges royalty and the people of the upper crust.  All will give an account to God (Isaiah 14:10,16)” (Daniel,  McGuiggan, p. 88).  

Mark Dunagan | mdunagan@frontier.net
Beaverton Church of Christ | 503-644-9017
www.beavertonchurchofchrist.net