Do you ever hesitate to tell the truth? Sometimes we do because we figure it would cause less of a disturbance if we just kept our mouth shut. Sometimes speaking the truth in love is not so easy to do. For instance, you have a good friend and you see your friend wearing a t-shirt that says religion = hate. Do you say anything to them? Or a co-worker mocks someone for praying before a meal. Do you let it go? Or maybe your employer asks you to do something unethical. What do you do? We have to remember that Jesus taught us that the truth will set us free. Today we're going to use the Book of Daniel once again, chapter 5, to talk about always speaking the truth.
Let me give you a little background to begin with. Last week we talked about King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. He is now out of the picture and a new King Belshazzar is king of Babylon. Even though there is now a new King in Babylon, Daniel remained in a foreign land and was still committed to faithfully serving the God of Israel. Once again, we see a choice involved. Daniel would have to choose where his allegiances were.
Decades before this story, you might remember that I said King Nebuchadnezzar had overtaken Jerusalem and carried some of the sacred vessels from the temple back to Babylon. In our story today, King Belshazzar was having a party and he chose to use these sacred vessels just for every day utensils. They were drinking wine from the sacred cups from the temple. During this party a hand mysteriously appears and starts writing a message on the wall. No one could interpret what the message was or what it meant. Daniel is called in and our story begins.
I think everyone's life is a series of ups and downs. In our story today we see Daniel had his share of ups and downs. He was brought as a captive to Babylon, he was elevated to being the advisor to the king, then when King Belshazzar entered the scene Daniel appears to have been lowered in his position. But despite his change in position, Daniel's integrity still defined him. His integrity echoed throughout the land. He was known as a man used by God. Even though he was no longer a direct advisor of the king, his reputation outlasted his presence.
When you think about it, the same thing should be said for us - that we live lives of such integrity and honor that even when we're gone, our reputation still lasts. The New Testament put it this way. Peter advised:
1 Peter 2:12 – “Conduct yourselves honorably among the Gentiles, so that when they slander you as evildoers, they will observe your good works and will glorify God on the day he visits.”
We see a vision in this verse for the way we are to live in a foreign land no matter what century we're in. We recognize that we kind of live in a hostile territory, Christians in an unbelieving society, but our time and location only serve to provide a greater opportunity to stand out from the crowd.
We asked two weeks ago, how strong is your conviction to God? The question for each of us is, will we stand up for the truth despite any consequences? Thinking about integrity, regardless of where you are today, you have an opportunity to live well. To love completely. To act with kindness and integrity. Where is that opportunity for you? How might you being a person that is known for your integrity be an example to those who aren't yet believers?
Daniel 5:17 – “Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him.”
Just as Daniel had done before, he was ready to trust God to give him the wisdom and knowledge to know only what God could know. The King was so anxious to know the interpretation of this mysterious handwriting on the wall that he was ready to reward Daniel in all kinds of ways. In exchange for the interpretation, Daniel would have wealth, power, and prestige. Daniel didn't want any of it. He had too much integrity to start using the gift that God had given him for his own personal profit. He would tell the truth, not because he would be rewarded for doing so, but because he was faithful to God's call.
Daniel was no stranger to delivering difficult news. If you read chapters 3 and 4 of Daniel, you'll find that some years earlier, he told Nebuchadnezzar that because of his arrogance, his kingdom would be taken away. That happened and Belshazzar saw it happen. But he didn't learn from it. His actions of using these sacred vessels from the temple as commonplace tableware was proof of how arrogant he was. Daniel was bound by his integrity to tell him just that—the truth.
Jesus warned us about the nature of personal reward when we use the gifts that God has given us. He said:
Matthew 6:1 – “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven.”
In other words, be humble with the gifts that God has given you and use them in such a way that it always brings glory to God not to yourself.
Like Daniel, we have all kinds of opportunities to do the right thing. And again, like Daniel, there's potential for us to receive an earthly reward for doing so. While Daniel's reward would come in the form of robes, chains, and even a new job, our reward might be things like praise, adoration, and personal glory. In either case we should be careful not to chase after the things of the world rather than to trust in God's rewards.
God always sees what happens. He knows what we've done or not done. He recognizes the sacrifices and acts of faith done in secret. And God will make good on a better reward than we can expect on this side of heaven. I have seen it so many times in the past years since I have been a pastor. Someone wants to sing special music for a service not to bring glory to God but simply to be in the spotlight so people will see them, so people will compliment them, so people will pat them on the back. God says, “If that's the way you are that will be your reward and that is all.” So Daniel speaks boldly and tells the king the truth.
Daniel 5:22-23 – But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens.
*******The vessels from his house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life.”
Do you see what the core issue was for Belshazzar? Was it that he used the sacred articles from God's temple in a common fashion? Yes, but that action only showed a greater issue - A heart of pride. Just like Nebuchadnezzar before him, Belshazzar failed to recognize his place in light of the integrity of the God of Israel.
Pride wasn't only the root of Belshazzar’s sin. It was pride that caused Nebuchadnezzar to say, “This great city of Babylon I have built to exhibit my vast power and for my majestic glory.” It was pride that caused Nebuchadnezzar to build a gigantic golden statue to be worshiped. But let's not stop there.
If we go all the way back to the Garden of Eden, we see it was pride that caused Adam and Eve to think that they knew better than God how to orchestrate their lives. Pride, in a sense, is the original human sin. And pride, in a sense, is the core of our sinful patterns today.
Pride wants to take the place of God as the rightful ruler over our lives. In our pride, we constantly make choices to obey our own desires rather than trusting in God's ways. If this is true, then the opposite has to also be true - humility is the root of all kinds of goodness.
-The humble heart doesn't trust itself.
-The humble heart admits that God knows better.
-The humble heart is willing to accept correction and discipline when it comes.
So much sin can be avoided, and so many sinful patterns could be cut off at the root if we would acknowledge our tendency toward pride and instead choose the way of being humble in God.
Now take a moment and assess your own heart. Where are you committed to having your own way? It makes us think. If you chose the way of humility, would that change your commitment?
Daniel 5:24-28 – “Therefore, he sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.
25 “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the message:
********‘Mene’ means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 ‘Tekel’ means that you have been weighed on the balance and found deficient. 28 ‘Peres’ means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
So, Daniel tells the truth. The message from God was definitely not good news for the king. Judgment was coming, and it was coming for him. But a lot like Belshazzar, we're living in a world that's also headed for judgment - a world that in its own pride refuses to acknowledge any authority except itself.
But for the Christian, the reality of God's judgment is actually good news. Let me tell you why.
-God's judgment gives us confidence in His promises. The reality of God's judgment tells us that God is committed to His promises. Some of these promises are more comfortable for us to think about than judgment, but for God, it's an all or nothing proposition. That's the beauty of God's consistency in His character. The reality of God judging us should make us even more confident that all His promises are true.
Do you accept that all of God's promises are true? Okay, I encourage you now to begin reading the book of Revelation. It's filled with God's promises. It's all true. It's all prophecy that has not occurred yet, but it will. It is coming. And it should cause you to want to accept Christ as the only way to heaven as soon as you possibly can.
-another reason that the reality of God's judgment is good news for the Christian is that it frees us from the need to take matters into our own hands. God will judge justly. That means He will demand an account for every wrong, every mistreatment, and every act of injustice. If God's judgment is real, we can live in freedom from our constant wanting for revenge. Vengeance is mine saith the Lord. Not yours.
And yet another reason that the reality of God's judgment is good news for the Christian is that it encourages us that God is paying attention. Sometimes we might think that God isn't paying attention. After all, look around. The righteous suffer. The unrighteous prosper. We might wonder where God is and if He's even aware of what's going on. Well, He is. And we need to be careful not to mistake God's patience for apathy. Don't think that God doesn't care.
The judgment of God is good news for Christians. But it's not just something we should think about. The reality of what's coming should compel us to move forward in specific ways right now. Just like Daniel was compelled to tell the truth, we also should tell the truth in light of sin and God's matchless offer of His grace.
Daniel 5:30-31 – “That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, 31 and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.”
And just like God said, judgment came. Then it was pronounced. Then it was executed swiftly. Belshazzar was killed and his kingdom was stripped away. But just for a moment, imagine a different end to this story. What if, upon hearing of the impending judgment that was coming, Belshazzar chose humility? What if he repented and cried out for mercy? Would God have saved him? Yes He would have.
We have seen a case like this before. Take the city of Nineveh, for example. Here was a city that was known for their wickedness. They were so wicked that God's prophet, Jonah, was hesitant to preach a message of judgment to them. As we read that story in the book of Jonah, we find out that the wickedness of the Ninevites wasn't the only reason Jonah didn't want to preach there. He didn't want to go because of what he knew was true about God. Jonah hated the Ninevites and could care less if God save them. But Jonah eventually preached the message of judgment and the people of Nineveh repented. Then Jonah complains to God and says,
Jonah 4:1-2 – “Jonah was greatly displeased and became furious. 2 He prayed to the Lord, “Please, Lord, isn’t this what I said while I was still in my own country? That’s why I fled toward Tarshish in the first place. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger, abounding in faithful love, and one who relents from sending disaster.”
Jonah knew God would forgive them for their wickedness. God is so gracious. He is so compassionate, so slow to anger, and so abounding in love that a message of judgment includes an opportunity to turn. To repent. To trust in God for forgiveness. Despite how wicked the people of Nineveh were, once they repented, God gave them the opportunity to turn to Him. And he saved them all. We should be so thankful that God gives us that opportunity. Because there's no such thing as a lost cause. You are not a lost cause no matter how bad you think you are.
So our lesson in all of this is that we should never shy away from sharing the good news that a person can find forgiveness of sin in Jesus because we consider that person to be out of reach of God's grace. They're not. God's grace is boundless. You might look at someone and say there's no reason to share Jesus with them. They are too far gone. No one is ever too far gone in God's eyes.
Is there someone in your life that you've thought to be too far gone? Instead of writing them off, why not make a choice and choose to pray for an opportunity to share the gospel with this person, even if you've already done so several times.
Share the truth. It may make some situations a little uncomfortable, but in the end, God's glory will win out.
If you consider yourself to be too far gone to ever be called a child of God, I know that you are not a lost cause. And I also know that God is giving you the opportunity right now to come and ask Jesus to be the Lord of your life. Again, it's a choice. It's your choice.
