Sermon – Striving for Excellence While Navigating Change
Scripture – Daniel 5:13-26 “So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, Understanding, and wisdom. My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.
Daniel 5:22-30 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have 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. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. “This is the message that was written: 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.” Then 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. 30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.
Introduction: I was thinking about the story of Rip Van Winkle, a small time farmer who wanders into the Catskill Mountains, where he comes upon a group of dwarfs playing a game similar to bowling. Rip accepts their offer of a drink of liquor and promptly falls asleep. When he awakens, 20 years later, he is an old man with a long white beard; the dwarfs are nowhere in sight. Rip Van Winkle" does have a moral, or lesson. The message of "Rip Van Winkle" is that change is inevitable and necessary. When he went to sleep the sign in town displayed and picture of King George of England, now the sign said, President George Washington. Rip Van Wrinkle had slept through a revolution.
Change is always happening in one way or another in our lives, sometimes in small ways and other times in significant ways. Major life changes, whether planned or unplanned, always impact people’s lives. While life transitions are a natural part of being human, navigating change isn’t always easy. Facing the unknown can sometimes cause feelings of stress, anxiety, fear, worry, or depression, Daniel learned to navigate change in a healthy way that fosters growth and resilience. He remained open, accessible and available to be used again. Being recently retired, no longer a pastor or denominational leader, makes it challenging to remain relevant. Moving from a place of national prominence to a place of limited responsibility and usefulness is challenging for all. Striving for excellence means learning to navigate change in a healthy way.
Babylon had gone through sweeping changes and Daniel’s position was swept away in the process. King Nebuchadnezzar who had favored and promoted Daniel has been replaced by His grandson, Belshazzar. Daniel has been replaced and retired. He is no longer the hand of the king, no longer recognized for his ability. Daniel has spent his adult life in Babylon, he had been in a place of prominence since he was 17 years old. Now he has been pushed into the background. How do you handle being pushed aside? Do you become bitter or better? Do you withdraw or can you still remain available? We talked about the fact that striving for excellence means maintaining your integrity and living upright in a strange land; it means choosing Godly friends who will hold you accountable, pray for you and with you. It means standing on an uncompromising faith. It also means being able to navigate change. The only certain thing in this life is change. Life and business are like the changing seasons. You cannot change the seasons, but you can change yourself. Daniel had learned how to navigate the changing seasons in Babylon. There are Summers and Winters, springs and fall seasons of life. If we are going to strive for excellence, we must learn how to handle the changing seasons of life.
Hidden in the background of Babylonian society, Daniel had become stronger, wiser, and better. Daniel had serve God and the kingdom of Babylon without regret. He took advantage of the spring by being his best and working with excellence. In his season of opportunity, Daniel blessed King Nebuchadnezzar with excellent counsel, promoted his friends to positions of authority, and protected his people from suffering and misery. Now Daniel has learned to accept this season of life without complaint.
One can only imagine the activities in Babylon, as weeks of preparation ended with Belshazzar’s great feast. Belshazzar’s name means the master of treasure. He had become great by inheritance, not by warfare. To celebrate his greatness, he planned a great feast for all the royal families in Babylon. Although, he could not surpass the leadership and skills of his grandfather, he put on a spectacular party. The sacred vessels, King Nebuchadnezzar had set apart and respected as holy unto God, he would use them to enhance the atmosphere of his party. King Belshazzar never expected an offended God to send a hand to his great feast. Nothing could have prepared his guest for the events of that evening. God sent a message to the feast. God showed his message as a part of a man’s handwriting on the wall. Daniel was called from retirement to read the writing which is recorded in Daniel 5:25-28. And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: (MENE) God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. (TEKEL) Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. (PERES) Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” This event should serve as a reminder to all, that God is all knowing, all powerful, everywhere present and can invade any space.
Then suddenly, without warning, in a single night the kingdom of Babylon changed hands. People went to bed under Belshazzar and woke up under King Cyrus. The fingers of a “man’s hand” appear and write on the wall while the feast of Belshazzar continued. This writing appears on A wall “near the lampstands” so the king can clearly see the hand writing the words. This Handwriting on the Wall and its effect can be seen in King Belshazzar’s reaction of absolute fear, he turns pale, and his legs give way. Literally, his knees knocked together and he lost all control. Belshazzar “calls out” for his advisors, but the wise men cannot make anything of the writing. Even though they are educated men, these are scribes and scholars cannot read (or understand) the message. The Queen (possible Belshazzar’s mother) tells him “Don’t look so pale,” basically “show some backbone!” Belshazzar can look no worse, his mother publicly rebuking his cowardice! She recalls what Daniel had done and recommends that he be called in to interpret this writing. She understands that Nebuchadnezzar believed him to be very powerful, and he is summoned. Daniel will be able to untangle the riddle and solve your problems. Daniel is summoned and questioned by the King. The king asks him if he is Daniel, indicating his ignorance of the man. Belshazzar also promises him the same reward as offered to the wise men, a promotion to the third highest in the kingdom, essentially riches and power.
1. Navigating Change Means Being Your Best When Overlooked or Under appreciated. “So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, Understanding, and wisdom. My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems.
Daniel was not the first choice. He had been overlooked and underappreciated. Daniel responds to the King with respect and pleasantness. Though, He is less respectful with King Belshazzar than he had been with King Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel tells Belshazzar to keep his gifts and reward. Then promises to read the writing on the wall. Daniel begins by describing Nebuchadnezzar’s reign and the glory of Babylon. Daniel describes the mercy of God that was extended to Nebuchadnezzar, the favor given and the warning he received. Daniel implies that King Belshazzar had ignored the warning and failed to learn the lessons left on record in Babylon. The writing on the wall is a message from an offended God.
2. Navigating Change Means Speaking for God Even When the message is unpopular.
“But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! So God has sent this hand to write this message. “This is the message that was written: 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.”
Speaking God’s message should be our first priority. Many of us like to be celebrated, favored, and liked by everyone. I desire to give messages that are encouraging and uplifting, yet we are called to speak God’s message. Daniel willing to point out that King had dishonored God who gave him life and controls his destiny. God sent this message to him personally, publicly, and in the sight of all his nobles and lords. Just as the king publicly display his arrogance and disrespect publicly, God is displaying His judgment and reprimand publicly. The Handwriting on the Wall consisted of four words, all monetary weights. Daniel tells Belshazzar that the hand was “sent out” by God (it was not God’s hand). The sending of the hand is another element of the imperial rule of God in this chapter. A king would not go himself and inscribe a message on a wall, he would send someone to do it for him. So to the sovereign Lord sent an ambassador to place an inscription on the wall of Belshazzar’s palace. Daniel does not call upon God to help him read the inscription because it is not a mystery – Daniel is simply doing his job as a royal scribe reading the inscription for the king.
Daniel interpreted the handwriting on the wall: Mene, mene, meaning that God has numbered Belshazzar’s days, the noun mene is taken as a verb, “to count, number.” Tekel, God has weighed Belshazzar in the balance and found him wanting, he does not measure up to God’s standard. The root of the word shekel means “to weigh.” (U)Parsin, literally split up or divided, meaning that the kingdom will be split between the Medes and the Persians.
3. Navigating Change Means Trusting your Future To God.
Daniel 5:29-30 “Then 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. That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.”
Daniel could not know how this king would respond. The message was not positive nor encouraging. Belshazzar could had responded in anger or even violently. Daniel was trusting God with his future. AS it turned out, King Belshazzar did not live out the night. The Persians capture the city that night and Belshazzar is killed. In Daniel 5:30 we there are no details, simply the statement the king was dead and Persia was in control. Historians record that the city of Babylon was captured without much resistance while the inhabitants were celebrating a festival.
In Isaiah 21:9, the prophets announced with joy “Babylon is Fallen” and the vision in Daniel 2 made clear the empire would not last long after the death of the “head of gold” Nebuchadnezzar. In Daniel 5, we see Daniel’s prophecies being fulfilled in a spectacular manner. On a theological level, the book of Daniel is clear God established Babylon as an empire and when God was ready, He replaced Babylon with Persia. Daniel 2;21 says, “It is He (God) who changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and establishes kings. He gives wisdom to the wise And [greater] knowledge to those who have understanding!”
For later reader living under the Greek or Roman empires, this message provides hope for a coming Kingdom of God to replace the kingdoms of man. As we look back through history, we see each kingdom rise and fall according to the prophesy of Daniel. Yet Daniel predicts the rise of God’s eternal kingdom. This too shalI come into being.
Final thoughts on “Daniel 5 – What was the Meaning of the Handwriting on the Wall?” The Handwriting on the wall is a phenomenon that many cannot explain. It’s something that only God can really explain to us. All we can do as Christians is speculate who’s hand it is because the Bible doesn’t explicitly say who’s it was. I believe serves at a reminder that God is the present in the affair of men and He’s still in charge. Many earthly kingdoms may rise and fall yet God’s kingdom will last forever. The kingdoms of this world may seem powerful and fearless but in reality they are a lot like king Belshazzar and when faced with real power like God they will begin to shake at the knees and realize their wrong doings. For Belshazzar, it was too late.
God calls us to excellence, even in a strange land. Our journey to spiritual excellence will be through a strange land of change. As we striving for excellence in how we live and respond requires us as believer to navigate the changing seasons of life. 1. Navigating Change Means Being Your Best When Overlooked or Under appreciated. 2. Navigating Change Means Speaking for God Even When the message is unpopular. 3. Navigating Change Means Trusting your Future To God. Learn to plant good seeds in the Spring, Guard and Protect your crops in the Summer; enjoy your harvest in fall without complaining. Use your winters to recover. Daniel learn to navigate the season of his life and ministry. He ended up becoming stronger, wiser and better. “Then 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.” Daniel moved up higher even though the kingdom of Babylon was on its way down, so can we. Daniel’s future was in the hand of God, so is ours! Amen.
Some leaders have disappeared from the scene. In the season, when older people are overlooked, we must realize navigating change means being Your best even when you are overlooked or under appreciated. If we maintain the right attitude and keep growing, we will always be relevant. Secondly, navigating change mean speaking for God even when the message is not positive or popular. As leaders of God, their first allegiance should be to God. Compromising to be accepted or favored is not an option. God’s standards are clear and His word is unchanging. Finally, leaders of excellence means trusting your future to God. When your life is in God’s hands, He knows what’s best in every season of life. Whether in the foreground or the background; whether in the spotlight or behind the stage, Whether your talent is overlooked or celebrated, our life is in God’s hands. He knows what’s best for us and will take care of us. Maintain the right attitude, be ready to serve, and be willing to do your best.
