Daniel Chapter 5b Series

Daniel – Chapter 5b

A. Chapter 5 Outline

I. Belshazzar (5:1-4)

a. The Party (5:1)

b. The Preposterousness (5:2-3)

c. The Profanity (5:4)

II. The Lord (5:5-9)

a. Look At The Wall (5:5)

b. Look At The Weak King (5:6-7)

c. Look At The Wise Men (5:8-9)

III. The Queen Mother (5:10-12)

a. Her Ignorance (5:10)

b. Her Insight (5:11-12)

IV. Daniel (5:13-29)

a. Daniel’s Reward (5:13-16)

b. Daniel’s Refusal (5:17)

c. Daniel’s Rebuke (5:18-23)

d. Daniel’s Revelation (5:24-28)

e. Daniel’s Robing (5:29)

V. Darius (5:30-31)

a. The Slaying of The King (5: 30)

b. The Silver Chest Reigns (5:31)

Message

Isn’t it amazing how people are so quick to criticise the Bible but will never admit that they are wrong even when an archaeological dig proves what the Bible said in the first place.

Look at what Jeremiah said many years before it actually took place.

Jeremiah 27:6-7 And now have I given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant; and the beasts of the field have I given him also to serve him. [7] And all nations shall serve him, and his son, and his son’s son, until the very time of his land come: and then many nations and great kings shall serve themselves of him.

Jeremiah’s forecast is quite accurate. He named three rulers, Nebuchadnezzar, his son and Belshazzar, his son’s son. The Bible NEVER contradicts itself. Even in prophecy it’s accuracy is a miracle in itself.

We have already looked at one character from this chapter, Belshazzar, and now it is time to look at the second Character involved in these events…

II. The Lord (5:5-9)

It always amazes me how God reacts to situations. What would we have done if our name was being dragged through the mud and we were being ridiculed? There are no flashes of supernatural light. No deafening claps of thunder. A hand silently appears and writes some characters on the wall.

a. Look at the Wall (5:5)

Without warning, the fingers of a human hand appeared in the area of a wall that was lit up by a candle. Can you begin to imagine what a sight that would have been? All of a sudden we go from the rowdiness of the party atmosphere and people just stop and stare at what is taking place right in front of them.

In the quietness the party guests, along with the dumbfounded king, look in amazement at the words being written on the wall.

The writing was a miracle from God that the idols of Babylon could never accomplish. These dead idols lacked the attributes of the living God, they were unable to do either good or evil, yet the people worshiped them.

Psalm 115:1-8 Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth’s sake. [2] Wherefore should the heathen say, Where is now their God? [3] But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. [4] Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands. [5] They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: [6] They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: [7] They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.[8] They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

The workers whose hands made the idols have more power than the idols they call “gods.” Our God is able to work for us as we seek to serve Him.

His Fingers made the universe Psalm 8:3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;) and

It was the finger of God that defeated the Egyptians when Pharaoh refused to let the people go. Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh’s heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the LORD had said.

It was the finger of God that wrote the holy law for Israel on the tablets of stone Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

Jesus said that it was by the finger of God that He cast out demons Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.

Now the finger of God was writing a warning to the Babylonian leaders that the hand of God would very soon be executing judgement.