Quotes:
“Day by day we should weigh what we have granted to the world against what we have denied to Jesus, in thought & deed." - Albert Schweitzer
“Faith gives you an inner strength and a sense of balance and perspective in life.”
― Gregory Peck
“A year from now, you're gonna weigh more or less than what you do right now.” -Phil McGraw
Daniel 5:22-29 “22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written. 25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. 29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel 5:22-29 “22 Mas tú, su hijo Belsasar, no has humillado tu corazón aunque sabías todo esto, 23 sino que te has ensalzado contra el Señor del cielo; y han traído delante de ti los vasos de su templo, y tú y tus nobles, tus mujeres y tus concubinas, habéis estado bebiendo vino en ellos y habéis alabado a los dioses de plata y oro, de bronce, hierro, madera y piedra, que ni ven, ni oyen, ni entienden; pero al Dios que tiene en su mano tu propio aliento y es dueño de todos tus caminos, no has glorificado; 24 por lo cual El envió de su presencia la mano que trazó esta inscripción. 25 Y ésta es la inscripción que fue trazada: Mene[y], Mene, Tekel[aa], Ufarsin[ab]. 26 Esta es la interpretación del escrito: Mene: Dios ha contado tu reino y le ha puesto fin. 27 Tekel: has sido pesado en la balanza y hallado falto de peso. 28 Peres: tu reino ha sido dividido y entregado a los medos y persas. 29 Entonces Belsasar ordenó que vistieran a Daniel de púrpura y le pusieran un collar de oro al cuello, y que proclamaran acerca de él, que él tenía ahora autoridad como tercero en el reino.”
Nebuchaddnezzar ruled Babylon making it one of the most powerful empires in history. He surrounded the city by two great walls over 30 feet thick. It had towers and a large trench in front of it for security. Archaeologists discovered that the streets in the city were laid out in straight lines that intersect at right angles.
The most notable street was named “Processional Way” which ran along the eastern side of the southern palace, through the Ishtar gate. Processional Way was lined with 120 large stone lions. The ancient historian, Herodotus, said that Babylon “surpasses in splendor any city of the known world.”
Belshazzar, was the grandson of Nebuchaddnazzar and his arrogance surpassed even that of his grandfather.
It can be risky business when you get too big for your breeches.
Let’s consider the word, TEKEL. Daniel said it meant “tried in the balances and found wanting.” - Lacking.
Belshazzar and all his prompt and splendor was weighed against God’s expectations.
And that very night Babylon fell.
Daniel 5:30-31 “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.” –The Chest and Arms of Silver from Neb’s dream.
Daniel 5:30:31 “30 Aquella misma noche fue asesinado Belsasar, rey de los caldeos. 31 [af]Y Darío el medo recibió el reino cuando tenía sesenta y dos años.”
What did God weigh in the balance?
It wasn’t the great walls or the Ishtar Gate. He didn’t weigh the Hanging Gardens (considered to be one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World). God did not weigh the king’s treasury.
God weighed Belshazzar himself.
Just as Belshazzar of old many people today in things without interstice value; and when God’s weighs in, they are left wanting… Lacking.
Jesus said In Matthew 6:19-21 “19 Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: 20 But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
Mateo 6:19-21 “19 No os acumuléis tesoros en la tierra, donde la polilla y la herrumbre destruyen, y donde ladrones penetran y roban; 20 sino acumulaos tesoros en el cielo, donde ni la polilla ni la herrumbre destruyen, y donde ladrones no penetran ni roban; 21 porque donde esté tu tesoro, allí estará también tu corazón.”
On God’s scales it’s not the stuff He is inserted in; He is weighing your attitude, your gratitude, your obedience and your faith.
When you’ve been weighed and found lacking, it’s similar to going to the ATM machine and finding insufficient funds to make your withdrawal. You can take it out of the bank if you haven’t put it in.
Some may say that will never happen to me because God knows my heart. He sure does, and that my friend is the point.
Take time today to take inventory of your life. What is the weight of the intangibles that God places value on in your life? What do they add up to?
Which way will the scale tip with your essence on one side and the shed blood of Christ on the other? Will you be found lacking today?
Take some time today to look at your life through God’s eyes; and when doing so remember these words:
Revelation 3:15-18 “15 I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. 16 So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
17 Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.”
Apocalipsis 3:15-18 “15 ‘Yo conozco tus obras, que ni eres frío ni caliente. ¡Ojalá fueras frío o caliente! 16 ‘Así, puesto que eres tibio, y no frío ni caliente, te vomitaré de mi boca. 17 ‘Porque dices: “Soy rico, me he enriquecido y de nada tengo necesidad”; y no sabes que eres un miserable y digno de lástima, y pobre, ciego y desnudo, 18 te aconsejo que de mí compres oro refinado por fuego para que te hagas rico, y vestiduras blancas para que te vistas y no se manifieste la vergüenza de tu desnudez, y colirio para ungir tus ojos para que puedas ver.”
Balance is important (balancing the scale of life/eternal life).
The story is told in the Midrash - Vayikra Rabba 36:4 of a rabbi who carried two slips of paper in his pockets. In his left pocket was written the verse from Genesis 18:27: "I am but dust and ashes." In his right pocket he carried another slip of paper that said, "For my sake the world was created."
Let’s consider some things that will add some weight to your side of the scale:
Faith. “For without faith, it is impossible to please God.”
Belief. “He that cometh to God must believe that He is…”
Salvation: “Except a man is born of the water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into…”
Jesus Name: “Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name…”
Holiness: “Holiness without which no man shall see the Lord.”
Truth: “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.”
God’s Spirit: “Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the
Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” -Romans 8:9
Romanos 8:9 “Sin embargo, vosotros no estáis en la carne sino en el Espíritu, si en verdad el Espíritu de Dios habita en vosotros. Pero si alguno no tiene el Espíritu de Cristo, el tal no es de El.”
Let’s sift it all down to one word: TRUTH!
Jesus said, “Ye shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free.”
And the truth is, how much you weigh is important when standing on God’s Scales.
When Considering Your Weight today, why not come down and place all that you are on the scale(ALTAR).
God Bless You!
