Daniel 5:1-31

The Writing on the Wall

A sermon by Pastor Joe Haynes

Preached on February 26, 2017 at Beacon Church

If you and I remember that the prophet Daniel was a prophet in Babylon, but for the Jews. His ministry had an audience, and that audience was originally the Jewish people who had seen their kingdom, Judah, annihilated by King Nebuchadnezzar, and their people scattered throughout the empire. But during that time of defeat and loss, God raised up a number of prophets—Habbakuk, Joel, Obadiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, and Jeremiah. Daniel had been taken as a prisoner from the fallen Kingdom of Judah to the far away metropolis of Babylon in the year 605BC. And the end of chapter 1 tells us that Daniel was still there in the royal court of Babylon when Cyrus the Persian became king. That’s how this book began: starting with the fall of Judah, but looking forward to the fall of Babylon, at the hands of the Persians. For those of us who as children were told stories from the book of Daniel, our favourite was Daniel in the Lion’s Den (chapter 6); but for the Jewish people Daniel was writing for, their favourite was without a doubt, chapter 5, and the Fall of Babylon the Great. God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah and said, “For Israel and Judah have not been forsaken by their God, the LORD of hosts, but the land of the Chaldeans is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel.” (Jer. 51:5 ESV) And Jeremiah predicted, when Nebuchadnezzar was at the height of his power, 55 years before the events of Daniel 5, “The LORD has stirred up the spirit of the kings of the Medes, because his purpose concerning Babylon is to destroy it, for that is the vengeance of the LORD, the vengeance for his temple.” (Jer. 51:11 ESV)

God had promised the Jews that before 70  years had passed from the fall of Judah, the Chaldean Kingdom of Babylon would be punished by another kingdom (Jer 25:12, 29:11, 51:11), even predicting the very name of the Persian Emperor, Cyrus, 150 years beforehand by Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28, 45:1), and predicting the detail that though the King over all would be Cyrus the Persian, the army that conquered Babylon would be from Media (Jer 51:11). So isn’t it odd that Daniel only gives one single verse to the fall of Babylon, the great anticipated, hoped for revenge for Jerusalem, and the fulfillment of a half-dozen separate prophecies? “And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old,” (Dan. 5:31 ESV). I’m amazed over and over again that the Bible doesn’t devote a lot more space to how amazing it is that God does what He said He would do, fulfilling ancient prophecies in great detail. But that’s because even when God fulfills His promises and punishes Israel’s enemies, He does it to call His own people to repent of their sins and fall on His mercy.

God takes all sin personally

The fall of Babylon described in Daniel 5 is very well known form ancient historical sources—so well known that we even know the day: October 12, 539BC.[i] It’s arguably one of the most important events in world history--and although that’s all very interesting stuff, this shows that it was very personal for God. In fact, the way Daniel tells this story shows that what matters most to God here, is not teaching Babylon a lesson, but teaching Daniel’s readers a lesson about our own sin. When we read about the sin of this man called “King Belshazzar”, let’s not miss what this reveals about our ourselves:

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.  2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.  3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.  4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. (Dan. 5:1-4 ESV)

Ancient records indicate this was probably a religious feast that happened to land on that momentous day—but the party Belshazzar threw can be described in 3 words: decadence—a thousand of his “lords” (v1), along with wives and concubines (vv2,3); debauchery—again from what history now knows about Belshazzar, if you imagine a wild night including a thousand drunk men, plus wives and concubines, in an ancient, pagan city like Babylon, your imagination is probably not far from the truth. It is believed that Belshazzar was not only a drunk, but an assassin motivated by greed (he probably killed the last of Nebuchadnezzar’s heirs in order to put his own dad on the throne),[ii] a murderer, and a blasphemer of other nations’ gods (a very offensive crime at that time); that’s the third word, a “declaration” of war on the God of the Jews. Not only do the drunken partiers worship “the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone” (v4)—reminding us of the ominous statue, in Nebuchadnezzar’s dream, made of gold, silver, bronze, and iron—but Belshazzar is even brash enough to send for the cups and bowls stolen from God’s Temple in Jerusalem, and to defile them to get his guests drunk. This was an openly hostile action aimed specifically at the God of Israel, probably because it was well known that God’s prophets had predicted Babylon’s defeat at the hand of the Medo-Persians. Jeremiah 51 contains a detailed prophecy of Babylon’s fall, written 55 years earlier, with instructions to take that scroll to Babylon, read it for everyone to hear, tie it to a stone and throw it in the river Euphrates as a sign that Babylon too will sink to rise no more (Jer 51:59-64). So the king defied God. Therefore God condemned the king.

God judges proud sinners personally

Belshazzar knew what he had done to offend God by defiling the Temple vessels, and I’m fairly certain he guessed it was the reason for the writing on the wall: verses 5-6 are careful to mention that he saw the hand writing on the wall, and then all the blood drained from his face. He was scared. And he knew why. He just didn’t know exactly what it all meant.

5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.  6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.  7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, "Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom."  8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.  9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. (Dan. 5:5-9 ESV)

I want you to notice that when the Queen Mother rushes in and reminds Belshazzar about how Daniel had interpreted impossible dreams for the great King Nebuchadnezzar, she seems to persuade him when she mentions that Nebuchadnezzar had given Daniel the Aramaic name, “Belteshazzar”, meaning “O Wife of Bel, Save the King!”—appealing to the king’s ego and his own name which meant, “Bel, Protect the King!”[iii] This foolish king knew about God, but depended on the worthless gods of Babylon instead.

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, "O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change.  11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father-- your father the king-- made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers,  12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation." (Dan. 5:10-12 ESV)

So, it seems that while desperately hoping for the god Bel to save him, Belshazzar sends for Daniel, the man who had been Prime Minister under Nebuchadnezzar, and an exile from Jerusalem. And Belshazzar tries to impress Daniel and buy his help with promises of power and gold.

13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, "You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah.  14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.  15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.  16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom." (Dan. 5:13-16 ESV)

As if Belshazzar has anything he can give Daniel! When Daniel walks into the room, and sees the Temple vessels being used like beer steins, he was angry. He refuses the king’s bribes, and lays out the crimes against Heaven for which Belshazzar is about to be held accountable. And he starts by comparing Belshazzar to the great King Nebuchadnezzar, the king Belshazzar apparently liked to compare himself to—in verse 11 that’s probably why the Queen Mother called Nebuchadnezzar, “your father, your father the king”—because he liked to remind people he was Nebuchadnezzar’s successor sitting on Nebuchadnezzar’s old throne (not actually related, but trying to fill that better king’s shoes). But that comparison is bad for Belshazzar!

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. (Dan. 5:17-21 ESV)

Nebuchadnezzar was truly a great king because he humbled himself under the mighty hand of God. Now listen to the crushing irony of in the comparison with Belshazzar:

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. (Dan. 5:22-23 ESV)

The false god Bel did not send Daniel to rescue the king. God sent Daniel to judge the king. Daniel did not bring the king victory; he brought God’s verdict:

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.  (Dan. 5:24-29 ESV)

Here’s why I think those 4 words, literally translated, “mina, mina, shekel, and half-shekel” scared the king so much. The measuring started with a unit of weight called a “mina”. Everyone here knows the Aramaic word for the unit of weight bigger than the mina: a talent. (Jesus used a “talent” in his famous parable.) So if you put Nebuchadnezzar on one side of a scale, his humble faith in God is worth a many talents of gold (remember, “You are the head of gold!” Dan 2:38). Belshazzar, on the other side of the scales, isn’t worth much at all: In Babylon, a mina was 1/60 of a talent, and a talent was the usual unit King's used to weigh gold. (c.f. 2 Chron. 9:13) A shekel was 1/60 of a mina. A half-shekel? Well… it’s not good news for Belshazzar. He could read what the writing said—four low-value measurements of weight—but he needed Daniel to tell him what the writing meant for him. And this is Daniel’s conclusion: “Belshazzar, you are finished. God has given your kingdom to the Medes and the Persians.” (Daniel unexpectedly read each word as a verb, when everyone else only saw weight measurements—units of money like “dollar, dollar, nickel, and penny”.) God had weighed Belshazzar, and he came up way short of the gold standard. 

God saves humble sinners personally

Why run from God instead of to Him? Let me ask you this, as a sort of reality check: if you found out God had weighed your life, and that you had come up far short of the standard, what would you do? This is the really shocking thing in this chapter: not the writing on the wall, not the end of Babylon. Every Jew who read this story knew what the ancient historians tells us about that night: Babylon’s armies had already been defeated; the army of General Darius the Mede, had been sent by King Cyrus of Persia, and was literally at the gates—surrounding the city of Babylon. And King Belshazzar, knowing this, threw a party and prayed to gods of gold, silver, bronze, wood, and stone, desperately hoping for some kind of salvation from any of the gods of the Babylonians, but shaking a defiant fist at the only God who rules over the kingdom of mankind and gives it to whomever He will. Belshazzar might have thought they were safe behind Babylon’s famous fortifications. But the high king of Babylon, his father, and his army had been defeated in battle by Persia’s King Cyrus just two days earlier. The writing was on the wall before the writing was on the wall! How much evidence do we need? How many reasons will make us finally humble ourselves and confess our sin to God and ask Him for mercy?

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.   (Dan. 5:29-6:1 ESV)

You know, skeptical scholars used to make a big deal out of the fact that there was no record in history of a Babylonian king named Belshazzar. Or any Persian King named Darius for that matter! They used to say whoever wrote this wasn’t really there and didn’t know what they were talking about. And a lot of those experts used that argument to show that there was no way The Book of Daniel is as old as it claims—because some of its prophecies are so specific and so accurate about events centuries later (they said) that it must have been written afterwards. But then, one archaeological discovery after another began to show that Babylon’s last King, Nabonidus, had gone to live in Arabia looking for religion for 12 years and left his son, Belshazzar to rule in his place. And that’s why Belshazzar’s reward, in verse 29, is so strange: he could only offer Daniel the #3 spot in Babylon, because he himself was only #2 after his absentee father, King Nabonidus. For over 1800 years, unbelievers thought Daniel was wrong. But Daniel was sent by God, and God is never wrong.

So again, a reality check: if you knew that your life might be required of you this very night, that an army was already at the gates, that you would have to stand before the Judge of the Universe and be held accountable for your life, what would you do: run from God? Or run to Him? When Jeremiah’s last words were read aloud in the streets of Babylon 50 years earlier, there was an offer of mercy announced from God, “Come out of the midst of [Babylon], my people! Let everyone save his life from the fierce anger of the LORD! Let not your heart faint, and be not fearful…!” (Jer 51:45-46) How can we hear about “the fierce anger of the LORD” and not be afraid? As Paul invites us in Romans 10:13, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord, will be saved.” Jesus Christ, when He died on the cross, gave His life for yours and mine, and took the whole punishment of God for all sin for all time. This means your punishment has already been paid by Jesus. God is no longer angry about your sin. He invites you to depend, not on yourself or gods of gold and silver, but on what Jesus did to save you. So today, stop running from God, and run to Him, depending on Jesus Christ our Saviour, and be saved.