MEMORY VERSE
23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.
But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
26 Therefore God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Daniel 5:1-31
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been 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 and iron, wood and stone.
5 In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.
10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And 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, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.”
The Writing on the Wall Explained
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing. 16 And I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas. 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.”
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet 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 a kingdom and majesty, glory, and honor. 19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him. 21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified. 24 Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; 27 TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
Belshazzar’s Fall
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
MEMORY VERSE
23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives, and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand.
But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.
26 “Here is what these words mean: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Honor: to esteem, lift up, or hold in high regard.
and the God: God (of Israel)
holds in his hand: Being held with the power
your life: Your Existence
all your ways: Everything you do
what these words mean: The Definition of the words
God has: God (of Israel) The God of Israel has ordained a set time
of your reign: kingdom (49x), reign (4x), realm (3x)
and brought it to an end: finish (2x), deliver (1x).
But you did not esteem the God of Israel who holds you with all power, your existence, and everything you do. The definition of these words is, the God of Israel has ordained a set time for your kingdom to finish it.
By not being obedient to the Lord who is all-powerful we can shorten our life.
Choose to set aside the flesh, the flesh is weak but the Spirit is willing. The flesh profits you nothing.
REFLECTION:
Gal 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap.
I believe America is reaping what it has sown over the years, sin, depravity, and climate change are all a part of it. If a man drinks, he can get cancer, if he smokes he can get Emphysema or COPD, bad eating leads to obesity, and so on…
EXPLORATION:
bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
2. He did not care about God nor respect the people
3. TEKEL, the writing on the wall means you have been found wanting= coveting.
4. 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
5. He did not learn from Nebuchnezzar’s mistakes. They both ruled with an iron fist and had pride, Babylon’s people were oppressed, they both Put Too Much Faith in Humans, they both abused resources, and they both consulted the wrong people in the beginning who did not know God.
6. Pride
7. Psalm 38:5 My wounds fester and stink because of my foolish sins. NIV
My wounds are foul and festering Because of my foolishness. NKJV.
Unconfessed sin will harden the heart and grow like a boil with puss that oozes, sin will affect everyone around you. If you were a Jew, you would be considered unclean.
8. God cleanse them and takes care of us as in the Good Samaritan story
Luke Chapter 10 He provided everything for the wounded man.
9. The Bible tells us that the Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin (John 16:8). The word convict is a translation of the Greek word elencho, which means “to convince someone of the truth; to reprove; to accuse, refute, or cross-examine a witness.” The Holy Spirit acts as a prosecuting attorney who exposes evil, reproves evildoers, and convinces people that they need a Savior. the Holy Spirit convicts people of their sin, He represents the righteous judgment of God (Hebrews 4:12). There is no appeal of this verdict. He uses the word, people, signs, and closes doors.
10. The more I do something the longer it takes to achieve victory in my life.
11. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
He is faithful and just to forgive us.
12. I am not in hell or dead or in jail for starts.
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