January 20, 2012
Nebuchadnezzar died. His son Belshazzar is now king. He throws a big banquet for a thousand guests. He ordered the gold and silver cups his father removed (stole) from the Temple to be brought in for he and his guests to use. While they were using the very things made for and dedicated to the LORD, they were praising and worshiping their gods which were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Instead of worshiping the God who made ALL things— the creator; they instead worshiped the things He made—the created. A hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall. The king watched this happen and was very frightened. He called for the magicians, "wise men," and wizards. No one could interpret the writing. Finally the king's mother reminds him of Daniel who had interpreted his father's dreams. Daniel comes. The king offers him a reward which Daniel does not want. Daniel 5:17 - "You may keep your gifts for yourself, or you may give (them) to someone else. But I will read the writing on the wall and will explain to you what it means."
Daniel begins to explain to him that it was God who made his father powerful and successful. He had power because God gave it to him. It was when his father began to think, "I did this," that he would have problems. Daniel 5:20–21 - "But Nebuchadnezzar became too proud and stubborn, so he was taken off his throne. His glory was taken away. He was forced away... these things happened to him until he learned his lesson: The Most High God rules over every kingdom on earth, and he sets anyone he choose over those kingdoms." And then comes the most pivotal statement. Belshazzar, "You already knew these things." You saw what happened to your father. You already knew! Daniel 5:22–23 - "Still you have not been sorry for what you have done. Instead, you have set yourself against the LORD of heaven." You did what you wanted when you wanted to do it. You ignored truth. You relied on other things, and you praised those things instead of God. Daniel 5:23 - "You did not honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do."
So God has sent you this message: "Mene, mene, tekel, and parsin." It means:
From Life Lesson: Materialism is not the answer to a fulfilled life. Trust only in God.
Next Entry: Daniel 6:1–28
Nebuchadnezzar died. His son Belshazzar is now king. He throws a big banquet for a thousand guests. He ordered the gold and silver cups his father removed (stole) from the Temple to be brought in for he and his guests to use. While they were using the very things made for and dedicated to the LORD, they were praising and worshiping their gods which were made from gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Instead of worshiping the God who made ALL things— the creator; they instead worshiped the things He made—the created. A hand appeared and wrote a message on the wall. The king watched this happen and was very frightened. He called for the magicians, "wise men," and wizards. No one could interpret the writing. Finally the king's mother reminds him of Daniel who had interpreted his father's dreams. Daniel comes. The king offers him a reward which Daniel does not want. Daniel 5:17 - "You may keep your gifts for yourself, or you may give (them) to someone else. But I will read the writing on the wall and will explain to you what it means."
Daniel begins to explain to him that it was God who made his father powerful and successful. He had power because God gave it to him. It was when his father began to think, "I did this," that he would have problems. Daniel 5:20–21 - "But Nebuchadnezzar became too proud and stubborn, so he was taken off his throne. His glory was taken away. He was forced away... these things happened to him until he learned his lesson: The Most High God rules over every kingdom on earth, and he sets anyone he choose over those kingdoms." And then comes the most pivotal statement. Belshazzar, "You already knew these things." You saw what happened to your father. You already knew! Daniel 5:22–23 - "Still you have not been sorry for what you have done. Instead, you have set yourself against the LORD of heaven." You did what you wanted when you wanted to do it. You ignored truth. You relied on other things, and you praised those things instead of God. Daniel 5:23 - "You did not honor God, who has power over your life and everything you do."
So God has sent you this message: "Mene, mene, tekel, and parsin." It means:
- Mene—God has counted the days until your reign is over
- Tekel—You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting
- Parsin—Your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians
From Life Lesson: Materialism is not the answer to a fulfilled life. Trust only in God.
"Before we can ever expect to build a life that is meaningful and fulfilling, we must see the futility of materialism... the idea then is to live a pure and godly life, walking in righteousness and letting the power of the Spirit flow through us. Because God's grace frees us from sin... we are free..." ~ From Living on the Ragged Edge by Chuck Swindoll
Next Entry: Daniel 6:1–28
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