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.
b. Look at the Weak King (5:6-7)
Verse 6
The king’s position meant nothing. The wealth, fame, nor power that he had could prevent his face from turning pale, could prevent his heart being overcome by terror, or prevent his knees from knocking. Matthew 16:26 For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?
The guests that were gathered there that night noticed the fear upon the kings face. They could see that his body was seized by a fit of uncontrollable trembling. His proud look was now gone, his blasphemous tongue was now stopped; the sneering scorn had now been silenced. He stood there and literally shook in his shoes.
Some commentators say that the phrase the joints of his loins were loosed, can mean that he actually wet himself, or as John Gill put it that “he could not hold his urine.” Other commentators like Albert Barnes say that the loins are the seat of strength in the body and that the king’s strength departed.
Whatever the view is the king was brought back down to reality with a bump. He had mocked God to His face and God responded - Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
What a humiliating position to be in. This man had control of so many people in this great kingdom and yet he had absolutely no control of the situation that he now found himself in. God had turned this great banqueting hall into a courtroom and the king was about to be declared “Guilty!”
Verse 7
What a shame once more. Why is it that people seem to look for help in the wrong places? The world does not have the answers. The king “cries” for his wise men. He would have been much better off calling upon the name of the Lord. Rom 10:11-13 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. [12] For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. [13] For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
If the king couldn’t control the moving fingers the least he could do is understand what message was written. So he calls for his wise men (as if that has ever helped in the past). He commands that they explain this strange writing, he wanted to know the meaning of this message.
He offers these men royal honours and gifts, a royal robe, a gold chain and the position of third ruler in the kingdom. Rich and lavish were the rewards that the frightened king offered, unfortunately he offers them to the same old useless crowd that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had consulted in vain all those years ago.
c. Look at the Wise Men (5:8-9)
Verse 8
History repeats itself once again, these so called wise men were unable to interpret the message on the wall. Even if they could read the writing they would not have the ability to interpret the meaning of the message.
Paul offers one explanation why these so called wise men could not read or interpret the writing on the wall 1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Verse 9
The ignorance of the wise men made the king even more terrified, his lords were amazed, perplexed, confused and they could offer their king no help whatsoever.
The time had come when political authority, wealth, power and human wisdom could do nothing to solve the problem. Once again the Lord had exposed the ignorance of the world and the futility of human power to discover and explain the mind and will of God.
Where do we turn in times of need, where, what or who do we look to when we need help? The world does not have the answers. The wise men do not have the answers. The astrologers do not have the answers. The mystics do not have the answers.
Psalm 121:1-2 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. [2] My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.
