Living In A Lions Den Without Being Eaten

Living in the Lions Den Without Being Eaten

Daniel 5:1-6:28

Has there been a time in your life you felt you were under attack?

One of the times in my life and family that I experienced attacks from evil happened when I was pastor of the FMC in Taylor, Michigan. (Myrtle Hannah)

We find helpful foundational teachings in Daniel 5 and 6 to help us survive attacks of our enemy. Who is our primary enemy: The Bible says, Satan goes about like a roaring lion."

Daniel chapter 5 teaches that "There are Consequences to Sin."

I. There Are Consequences to (Sin.)

King Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC. Nebuchadnezzar’s son in law was made king and then in 553 Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, Belshazzar was made king of Babylon. Belshazzar knew the story of his grandfather and his years of living like an animal for 7 years. He also knew that Nebuchadnezzar honored God in his later years of his life. Belshazzar rejected his grandfather’s God and worshipped the gods of Babylon.

Daniel 5:4 Belshazzar sponsors a great banquet praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. As Belshazzar was in the banquet hall celebrating the great feast to the Babylon gods, the city of Babylon was under siege by the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar felt safe behind the great mote, 100 bronze gates and walls wide enough to drive four chariots abreast.

The feast was well under way, many were well lubricated with wine and all were praising the Babylonian gods.

We might ask: "What does it take to scare or frighten a proud and pompous king? Belshazzar had an unexpected after dinner surprise. A hand appeared and began to write on the banquet wall. The king noticed the and as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. The hand writing on the wall drastically changed the mood of the banquet from celebration to dreadful fear.

The king called in all his wise men. They could not interpret the writing. They were all baffled. They didn’t have a clue.

The queen mother, Nebuchachnezzar’s daughter, came to her grandson’s rescue and told him that she knew someone who could interpret the handwriting. She called Daniel by his Hebrew name signifying that she knew Daniel personally and she possible was also a believer in his God over the Babylonian gods.

King Belshazzar called Daniel for help and Daniel appeared before the King and first of all gave his a history lesson. He told the King how his grandfather had defied God and ended up living as a wild animal. It was only when King Nebuchadnezzar acknowledged God as creator and Lord that he gained back his sanity.

Daniel spoke directly to the King. "O Belshazzar, you have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. You have been immoral and worshipped foreign gods. You have not honored the God who holds in His hand your life and your ways. God sent the hand to tell you the consequences for your sins."

Daniel, not in his 80’s, stands before the king and tells him that God is judging him because:

1. Belshazzar had Rejected the (Truth) Belshazzar was not ignorant of has God had dealt with his grandfather, yet he chose to reject truth.

2. Belshazzar arrogantly challenged (God) Daniel said that Belshazzar had set himself up against the God of Heaven.

3. Belshazzar worshiped (false gods) of gold, silver, stone, wood and iron.

4. Belshazzar had (wasted) his life. "You did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways."

Galatians 6:7 "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows."

Daniel said that God sent the hand that wrote on the wall:

(Mene) - God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

(Tekel) - You have been weighted on the scales and fund wanting.

(Peres) - Your Kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.

After Daniel gave the interpretation king Belshazzar commanded Daniel to be clothed in purple, a god chain placed around his neck and proclaimed the 3rd highest ruler in the kingdom.

That very night King Belshazzar was slain and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62.

God’s word is true:

John 3:19-21 "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds ere evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the light comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he had done has been done through God."