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Daniel 5 (ESV)

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. ¹⁸ O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. ¹⁹ And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. ²⁰ But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. ²¹ He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. ²² And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, ²³ but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

²⁴ “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. ²⁵ And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; ²⁷ Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; ²⁸ Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. ³¹ And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

 

REFLECTION:

1. Some scholars thought that Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s grandfather. He was arrogant. The outcome he suffered was explained in the previous chapter. However, his painful life experience did not become Belshazzar’s warning. Therefore, when Belshazzar drank wine and feasted with a thousand of his lords, in order to praise his grandfather’s achievements, he used the vessels in the Jerusalem Temple to serve wine, and brought his subordinates and relatives to praise the false gods (3~4); It can be seen how blasphemous his behavior is!
2. God let King Belshazzar see a finger writing on the plaster of the wall, his face changed, and his heart was panicked. Similarly, the Babylonian wise men were unable to explain the meaning of the words (6-9). Finally, Daniel, who has the spirit of the holy gods (4:8-9, 5:11-14), explained their doubts.
3. The king agreed that if Daniel could explain the writing on the wall, he would reward him with magnificent gifts and great power. Daniel declined the king’s gifts and was not tempted by material rewards. He did what pleased God throughout his life. To reject the king’s reward is not to contempt the king. Daniel knew that he was old, and this gift was of no benefit to him. He wanted to give the king an unbiased explanation. Can you love God and do what is pleasing to God without seeking your own interests?
4. Nebuchadnezzar was arrogant and set up a golden image of himself, as a result God no longer allow him to be king. If he did not glorify God, God took back his human glory and he was no difference than a beast (20b~21). Not only did Belshazzar not worship God, but he had a vain heart toward God and despised His honor. Therefore, God also made him no longer exist. “That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.” (30) His throne and kingdom were also divided (28). It can be seen that God is a God of justice.

 

PRAYER:

Ask God to give you a meek and humble heart, not to be arrogant for your talents, wealth, or power, knowing that everything comes from God. Ask God to empower you to love God, love others, and do things that please God, without seeking your own benefit.