FAITH FOR EXILES: LIVING IN BABYLON
THE WRITING ON THE WALL
DANIEL 5:1-31
INTRODUCTION WITH READING THE PASSAGE
I would like to begin this morning by reading Daniel 5. It is quite a lot of verses, so I don’t want you to get distracted or bored or lost, but let’s focus well as we read these verses. The passage might seem a little far-fetched or maybe like science fiction, but what we find in this passage is quite important, historical, and supernaturally from God.
READ DANIEL 5:1-31 (ESV)
King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God 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, iron, wood, and stone. 5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. 7 The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. 10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, “O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. 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, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, 12 because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.”
13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. 14 I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. 16 But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. 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. Nevertheless, 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 kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of His house have been brought in 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, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. 24 “Then from His presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
TRANSITION / SERIES REMINDER
After reading that passage, we are going to answer three basic questions this morning.
#1 What do we find in this passage?
#2 How does this relate to our culture?
#3 How should we respond?
Before we do that, a few reminders! Today, we continue a 5-week sermon series (3 of 5) that focuses our attention on a basic truth that not all of us want to admit and that is that we no longer live in a Christian nation. We live in a land where God is not the priority in politics, marriage, values, sexuality, entertainment, education, family, worldview. Just about everything in our culture is designed to pull us away from God. We do not live in a nation rooted in Biblical values, but rather we live in ‘Babylon.’ ‘Babylon’ was a real place in the Bible, but in the Bible, it also became a symbol for a culture or a society that marches away from God and away from His way of living. We live in ‘Babylon.’
In this 5-week series, we are focusing on the life of believers in God who were forced to live in Babylon and draw important life principles for us. We have looked into the life of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Esther so far. We continue to look at Daniel’s life today. In future weeks we will hear and see from them and Ezra and Jeremiah as well.
We already discovered in the first week (1 of 5) that Babylon is pressing us with clutter and complexity and a fast-paced life and the only way to be a resilient disciple of Jesus is to prioritize intimacy with Him. Our priority must be our relationship with Jesus above all else.
We discovered last week (week 2 of 5) that in a society that draws us away from God regularly, we must have a mindset that we stand our ground with God and be assured He is right because He is always faithful and we need to be effective and faithful right where we are at. God will be faithful to Himself and we must trust in Him and in His way.
With those small reminders, again, today we are going to answer three basic questions this morning about Daniel 5.
#1 What do we find in this passage?
#2 How does this relate to our culture?
#3 How should we respond?
WHAT DO WE FIND IN THIS PASSAGE?
We find in this passage a Babylonian King named Belshazzar who is absolutely full of himself. He throws a party for himself and his closest 1000 friends. During this party, he decides to break out the best items in his treasury to use and these items happen to be from the Temple in Jerusalem. These items were dedicated to God Almighty. He knows this. He knows his father captured them and he knows where they are from and he proceeds to profane them on purpose because he wanted to highlight himself. If he had a camera, imagine the types of selfies he would have taken with wine and items from the temple and his closest 1000 friends. Belshazzar wanted to be known as a great king and decided that throwing lavish parties and entertainment and showing off was the way to accomplish this.
God noticed. God always notices. Supernaturally God writes on the wall of the palace and everyone sees it. God joins the party and does a little Pictionary action on the wall to get the king’s attention. Does He get the king’s attention? He does. I love how verse 6 says ‘his knees knocked together.’ The king is visibly shaken and calls in all his wise men to decode it. They can’t decode it. That makes him even more upset and even more unhinged.
He thought he could figure out the message on his own with his own resources, but he could not. His queen is a bit wiser than he and she remembers about a guy named Daniel who interpreted dreams for the last king. Daniel was a big deal for his father Nebuchadnezzar. In verse 13, Daniel is brought in and he reminds the king about things he already knows. He boldly reminds the king that the party and using the items from the Jewish temple was very much flipping God Almighty the bird and he would pay for it. I know it sounds crude or rude for me to describe it in that way, but I want you to understand what Belshazzar was knowingly doing.
Verses 21-22 are telling. The king’s father was disciplined by God, ‘until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom He will. 22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this…” Belshazzar decided to follow his culture and go his own way away from God and harden his own heart. He would pay for it. There is no humbleness before God Almighty in this king and only a hard heart and a desire to go his own way. He is absolutely full of himself.
The ‘writing on the wall’ (this is where that phrase comes from) literally is a warning from God Almighty to King Belshazzar. Daniel told the king the message from God and it was a message that would be carried out that very night:
MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
King Belshazzar dies that very night. History tells us (the Babylonian Chronicles and the Cyrus Cylinder) that Babylon was taken ‘without battle’ and all indications were that the Persians marched in with little effort and took over because the Babylonians were in full party mode and no one was paying attention.
TRANSITION
So, we have read from Daniel 5 and we have a good grasp on the passage. We know the basics. The next question is: How does this relate to our culture? I happen to think Belshazzar us a prime example of Babylonian culture and illustrates our own culture well.
HOW DOES THIS RELATE TO OUR CULTURE?
ILLUSTRATION… FAITH FOR EXILES (Kinnaman & Matlock, pages 24-27) [adapted]
I want to share with you a little bit about our culture and how it relates to Daniel 5.
If literal Babylon were around today, the internet would absolutely be used in the same way our culture is wrapped in the internet. The internet and all of our devices inform us and connect us, but also distract and entertain. Whatever comes across computer screens or phones or tablets has our attention for hours on end and becomes our filter for lives and informs our worldview.
* Disney defines what a family does or does not look like.
* Facebook, which is fake most of the time, tells us how our lives are going compared to others.
* Memes, that aren’t even true, inform our beliefs about politics.
* Youtube videos provide a grid by which we test what is real.
* Media and news reports tell us what is true and what is false and we just accept it.
* We Google the answer to deep questions and assume what we are given is correct.
Our screens demand our attention and mold how we view the world and make us focus only on ourselves and focus us on distraction and entertainment. I noticed even I do this. Braeden was gone last weekend and got back into town Tuesday night. Wednesday morning, he and I went to breakfast. On our way, I asked him about his trip and we chatted… all the while I rudely and mindlessly played a game on my phone. Why? Why could I not stop being distracted and looking at my screen to focus on him and the explanation of his weekend? It is our culture.
Belshazzar was absolutely distracted and dedicated to entertainment so much that not only did he willfully and knowingly misuse God’s items from the Temple, but he lost his whole kingdom in one night. All for entertainment and distractions.
We also live in a culture that rejects moral and religious underpinnings of life and leads many to find answers in ourselves. Everything is about us and customized to us. Liberty mutual says you can customize car insurance so you only pay for what you need. A gym is called ‘Youfit.’ Selfies exist. Instagram exists to promote self. Phrases like ‘you do you’ and ‘love who you want’ are seen as good and correct and wise. Burger King says ‘Have it your way.’ Our view of ‘self’ is at the center and individuality is prized over all else. There is a me-sized world out there and there is a me-first set of expectations for much of life.
Belshazzar absolutely shows this in his actions. He was completely focused on himself and rejected the lessons his father had learned and Truth he already knew.
This Babylonian cultural thinking has invaded the church when it comes to being distracted and making trustworthy consistent commitments. Commitments are different in Babylon where we live and commitments are based on if it fits into my schedule and doesn’t inconvenience me. Christians, even those who are committed, are busier than ever and the current national statistic is once a month in a worship service is consistent attendance. That’s sad.
It is not uncommon for people to attend different groups at different churches and for loyalty and commitment to one church to be non-existent. Spreading out your activity at multiple churches means you are not committed to one place which is a lack of commitment.
It is not uncommon for people not to show up even when they say they will; be there and are scheduled. Many are Christian consumers who want to go to church to be fed and entertained, but not be asked to serve or to give money.
Youth group used to serve as a main social outlet for teens, but now is replaced by sports and social media.
The number of hours of personally connecting and fellowshipping and studying the Bible for discipleship has dropped considerably because of distractions and other priorities and an attitude shift.
Babylon has invaded the Church.
This Babylonian cultural thinking has invaded the church when it comes to individuality and me-sized focus. There are many people who think that ‘solo discipleship’ is a real and possible thing which is why we skip out on Bible study groups or corporate worship or corporate times of prayer. We don’t need that stuff. We can do it ourselves or watch a video and it is all the same. That’s not true, but it is what we think… because of our culture.
If you can do it all on your own, it isn’t Christianity.
If you can do it all on your own, it isn’t Church.
TRANSITION
So, we have read from Daniel 5 and we have a good grasp on the basics of the passage. We see how this culture of Babylon is reflected in our own culture and even how this culture has impacted and infiltrated the Church. Our final question this morning is: How should we respond?
HOW SHOULD WE RESPOND?
You and I should have in us the desire to be a resilient disciple of Jesus Christ that is able to navigate our culture and maintain a healthy relationship with God no matter what comes our way. We should want to teach our children and our grandchildren the same thing. Our culture is a virus that infects every part of our lives and wants to distract us and draw us away from God. I hope you see that a Christian identity in a rarely engaged church community is not enough to remain faithful. Distractions are strong. The pull of self is natural. Entertainment and the influence of tech screens are powerful.
The writing on the wall tells us that you and I must understand that what our culture offers is not lasting. The culture of the United States that is drifting more and more quickly away from Christian values does not produce a soul surrendered to Jesus Christ. Our Christian faith and commitment to the Church and our time spent in the Bible has been weighed and is found wanting. When we find our commitment and loyalty to Christ divided, we fall. Its all ‘writing on the wall.’
How should we respond?
First, we need to acknowledge and realize that this war and this tug on our souls is real and it impacts us personally. We do not need to be distracted. This virus of our culture is real and it is drawing us, our children, our grandchildren, and our brothers and sisters in Christ in significant ways away from a vibrant life-giving relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not fake news that we no longer live in a Christian society and our society actively works against faith. This is truth and we must face it and be actively aware and not distracted.
The Apostle Paul encourages us:
READ Colossians 3:2 (ESV)
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
And the Apostle Peter encourages us:
READ 1 Peter 2:11 (ESV)
Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.
We do not need to be distracted, but be actively aware.
Secondly, we need to make sure that we are living our lives for the approval of the Almighty God and not for ourselves or the people around us. On the surface, saying something like that sounds dismissive and close minded, but I do not mean it in that way. We must live our lives, mold our values, view our world, and pattern our families not after self or the world or other people’s families or what we see on a screen, but rather pattern ourselves after what God has designed. We live to please Him. We live for His approval. A resilient disciple of Jesus Christ has a focus on being the servant of Jesus and allowing the demands of self and our own heart and culture to pass by.
READ Galatians 1:10 (ESV)
For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.
We need to live and make decisions and spend our time for God’s approval.
Thirdly and certainly not least, we must invest ourselves in our faith community. That is part of being a servant of Christ. Church is not just a Sunday only thing. It isn’t. Studying the Bible is not 5 minutes a day with a cute story attached. Worship is not only three songs on a Sunday morning. Prayer is not just something before meals and when we are in trouble or before be buy a lotto ticket. We must take our commitment to Jesus Christ and being His disciple seriously and we need to return our commitment to Him to a normal acceptable level… a level acceptable to Him! This truth is for everyone no matter your age or generation or gender or where you are at in your Christian journey.
The Apostle Paul commands us:
READ Titus 2:1-6 (ESV)
But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.
This is the complete reason we have shifted to the discipleship groups on Sunday nights as a permanent fixture in our church fellowship and why each and every one of us needs to be involved. We have intergenerational groups focused on Scripture and praying for one another. Older are teaching the younger. The younger are sharpening the older. You are missing out on deepening your relationship with God if you skip out. Your student is missing out if you allow them to skip Sunday nights. It’s important. There is no good reason to miss. You should be there. If you signed up to be a part and have not come, I challenge you to start. I challenge you to make discipleship groups part of your weekly spiritual routine. If you have to wait, the next season of the discipleship groups start in August.
SUMMARY
I hope you are beginning to see how our culture and our society are drawing us away from an abiding relationship with Jesus. If you do not yet see it, I have 2 more weeks to share with you! For today, if you miss anything else, please take up the challenge to invest yourself in our church community and purposely invest in your relationship with Jesus Christ.
PRAYER
INVITATION
Our passage today centered on King Belshazzar who I hope you can see was lost when it came to God, but he had definitely heard about God. He knew what his father went through. He was aware of God Almighty. Maybe that is the spot you are in today. If you are here and you are lost when it comes to God and you know a little bit about God, but you aren’t sure what you know about Jesus and you want to be sure, please come forward and I would love to chat with you.
