LESSONS FOR MODER DAY CHRISTIANS FROM THE PAST –
1. AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
A. INDULGENCE – PLEASURE SEEKING WORLD
[2] Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine,
B. INTOXICATION - A NIGHT OF DRINKING
. [3] Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.
C. IRREVERANCE – THEY DRANK FROM THE VESSELS OUT OF THE TEMPLE
D. IMMORALITY – WINE – WOMEN AND SONG
[4] They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
E. IDOLATRY – GODS FOR ALL TASTES
WE NEED TO AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS
2. AKNOWLEDGE THE WRITING ON THE WALL
[5] In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. [6] Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. [7] The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. [8] Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof. [9] Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
AS GOD PEOPLE WE NEED TO SEE THAT THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL FOR THIS OLD WORLD – AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE WITHOUT CHRIST – MAY THIS SPUR US ON TO SEEK THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE ABOVE
THE FINGER OF GOD REMINDS US OF - THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PROBLEM
WHAT ELSE DOES THE FINGER OF GOD TEACH US?
SILENCED THE PRETENDERS
Exodus 8:19 Then the magicians said unto Pharaoh, This is the finger of God: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.
THE SOLEMNESS OF HIS PRECEPTS
Exodus 31:18 And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.
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SOURCE OF HIS POWER
Luke 11:20 But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
STOPPED THE PROFESSORS
John 8:6 This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
1. AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS
2. AKNOWLEDGE THE WRITING ON THE WALL
3. APPRECIATE THE WISDOM OF THE WOMAN
[10] Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed: [11] There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; [12] Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
A GOOD LESSON FOR GODS PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE WISDON OF THE AWOMAN – SHE KNEW WHERE THERE WAS A MAN IN WHOM THE SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GODS DWELL- SHE KNEW THERE WAS A MAN OF GOD – WOULD YOU OR I BE THAT MAN?
LETS APPRECIATE THE WISDOM OF THE WOMAN
1 AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS
2 AKNOWLEDGE THE WRITING ON THE WALL
3 APPRECIATE THE WISDOM OF THE WOMAN
4. ACCEPT THE WORTHLESSNESS OF WEALTH
[13] Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? [14] I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. [15] And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing: [16] And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.
[17] Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
DANIEL KNEW THAT THIS OFFER WAS WORTHLESS – DO WE REALLY ACCPET THE WORTHLESSNESS OF WEALTH
AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS - AKNOWLEDGE THE WRITING ON THE WALL- APPRECIATE THE WISDOM OF THE WOMAN- ACCEPT THE WORTHLESSNESS OF WEALTH
5. - ANNOUNCE THE WORDS OF WARNING
[18] O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: [19] And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. [20] But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: [21] And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. [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.
[30] In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. [31] And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.
DANIEL DELIVERED THE MESSAGE FAITHFULLY
SURELY GREAT LESSONS IN THIS PASSAGE FOR GODS PEOPLE TODAY
AVOID THAT WHICH THE WORLD WORSHIPS –
AKNOWLEDGE THE WRITING ON THE WALL-
APPRECIATE THE WISDOM OF THE WOMAN-
ACCEPT THE WORTHLESSNESS OF WEALTH
ANNOUNCE THE WORDS OF WARNING
