When the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall and told King Belshazzar not to be pale and frightened. There was a man in the kingdom that had the Spirit of God in him and that during King Nebuchadnezzar's time, was found to have insight, understanding and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar had made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune tellers of Babylon. This man Daniel: also known as Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means. Daniel 5:10-12
What we do over the years matters: good and bad. People will remember it. If you have spent years putting good out, not only will you be remembered for it, but later people will bring your name before important people.
Daniel is brought before the king. Belshazzar speaks of what he's been told of Daniel and tells him about the words on the wall and what will happen if he is able to read and interpret them. Daniel 5:13-16
Daniel didn't want the gifts but was willing to tell Belshazzar what the writing meant. Before he did that, Daniel spoke of the reign of King Nebuchadnezzar. He spoke of his greatness and how because of his arrogance was brought down and stripped of his glory. He also spoke of Nebuchadnezzar's season of madness which brought him to the place where he acknowledged God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. Daniel 5:17-21
Belshazzar knew of the story of his father, but unlike Nebuchadnezzar never humbled himself. He proudly defied the Lord of Heaven and had the cups from his temple brought before him. Belshazzar, his nobles his wives, and concubines had been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. He didn't honor the God who gave him the breath of life and controls his destiny. Daniel 5:22-23
Sadly, a lot of people will hear of the failures of another person and ignore it. They don't think it will happen to them. But Belshazzar is going to find out that he should have taken Nebuchadnezzar's story seriously.
Daniel tells Belshazzar that God sent the hand to write the message: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is what these words mean. Mene means 'numbered'. God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means 'weighed'. You have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means 'divided'. Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
At Belshazzar's command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Belshazzar was killed that very night and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62. Daniel 5:24-31
Here are some additional lessons from the story of Belshazzar to remember.
1. Never allow arrogance to deceive you into thinking you can dishonor God and get away with it. There's a chance Belshazzar had been dishonoring God for many years given the idols he had with him.
2. Take seriously the stories of others to ensure you don't make the same mistakes as them. Belshazzar knew of the rise, fall, and restoration of Nebuchadnezzar but didn't think it could happen to him.
3. The judgment of God sometimes hits much faster and harder than we can imagine. Even if Belshazzar had decided in that moment to change his way, his judgment was already set.
4. Be a person of honor with EVERYONE you come across because one day, your goodness and wisdom will be remembered by someone who can take you to the next level.
