Monday Morning Pastor 11/5/06

Mark Kieft 11/5/06

Daniel 5

"You do not measure up!"

It was good to have Mark back in the pulpit after a two-week absence. Mark was continuing his series in the book of Daniel.

In Daniel chapter 5 we meet the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar who was the reigning king in Babylon, Belshazzar. Belshazzar's father was off conquering lands and left his son in charge of the kingdom.

This chapter is taking place as the city of Babylon is under siege from the Medes. Fortunately for Babylon the city is the most well protected city in history of to this point and they had plenty of food and a water supply to last for many many years. During the siege the citizens of Babylon threw a number of parties and we enter into the scene of one of these parties.

Belshazzar has fallen far from his grandfather's commitment to honor the Most High God, the God of the Jews. He has fallen so far that he called for the sacred cups taken from the temple in Jerusalem and used them at his party. He drank from the cups and so did his wives and his concubines. This act was basically equal to Belshazzar wagging his fist at God.

The scene then shifts to a hand that appears and writes in Aramaic on the wall, mene, mene, Tekel, Peres, Belshazzar understandably upset, (he just saw a floating hand write on a wall) calls all the magicians and wise men to come and interpret the writing. No one could do it, but the kings mother reminds Belshazzar that there is a man that is filled with the spirit of God that can interpret these things.

Daniel is called to the room and before he interprets the writings he gives the room a history lesson on what God has done in the life of Nebuchadnezzar. In this history lesson Daniel gives for rebukes to Belshazzar.

Daniel's Rebuke

• He rejected the truth. (The truth he had heard about through his grandfather and seen)
• He defied God. (He drank from the sacred cups making them common)
• He worshipped created things. (See Romans 1, he worshipped the gods of Gold, silver, etc.)
• He refused to honor the most high God. (God demands honor from all people, the punishment is death)

Daniel interprets the writing on the wall, God has numbered your days, you have been weighed and been found wanting and your kingdom will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. Verse 30, Belshazzar was killed and King Darius a Mede took over as king in Babylon.

Belshazzar's largest failure was his Pride and Arrogance, something that the human race as a whole suffers from. So how do we overcome even the smallest amount of pride and arrogance in our lives.

Pride Busters

• Live in an attitude of prayer and thanksgiving. (It is pretty hard to be proud when God is receiving all the credit and glory)
• Resolve to follow God's leading. (This is a choice that must be made prior to a crisis moment)
• Commit to obey God's Word!

Belshazzar was guilty of 2 other sins, Idolatry and Blasphemy.

Idolatry - Making anything or anyone more important than God.

C.S. Lewis put it best we too often settle for mud pies in the slums when we could have a holiday at the beach. Following God and enjoying God is the most we could get out of this life, but we all too often settle for other things to focus on. Jobs, material things, entertainment, sports etc.

Blasphemy - Words or actions that dishonor God.

Examples: Taking the Lord's name in vain, Treat the Bible with contempt or distort it, treat sexual intimacy as common.

Be careful to not give into the temptation to sin as Belshazzar did, because the consequences can be grave!

Aaron's Bonus thought:

• The book of Daniel is often criticized for its accuracy in prophecy, in fact people say that it can't be prophecy at all, it must be that Daniel was written later and just made to look like prophecy. Isn't it amazing to think that we serve a God that is all knowing and that he revealed things like this to Daniel so that we could be confident that we are worshipping the one true God. Daniel not only read the writing on the wall he said who would be taking over, and it happened that night.