THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL
DANIEL 5: 1-5
INTRODUCTION: WITH EACH FLEETING TICK OF THE CLOCK, THE INNEVITABLE RETURN OF OUR LORD AND SAVIOR DRAWS NEAR. FOR SOME THIS DAY WILL BE A DAY OF REJOICING. HOWEVER, FOR OTHERS IT WILL BE A DAY OF SORROW. THE IMMENENT RETURN OF CHRIST WILL BE SUDDEN AND WITHOUT WARNING. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL BUT THE END IS NOT YET. AND ALTHOUGH THE WRITING MAY BE ON THE WALL, MANY ARE NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WRITING OR THE WALL. JESUS STATES IN MATT. 24:6, “AND YE SHALL HEAR OF WARS AND RUMOURS OF WARS: SEE THAT YE BE NOT TROUBLED: FOR ALL THESE THINGS MUST COME TO PASS, BUT THE END IS NOT YET.”
THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL. THERE SHALL BE FAMINES, AND PESTILENCES, AND EARTHQUAKES IN DIVERS PLACES, THESE ARE THE BEGINNING OF SORROWS; BUT AS STATED PREVIOUSLY THE WRITING GOES UNNOTICED. EVEN IN THE CHURCH, WE SPEND TOO MUCH TIME PROMOTING OUR OWN AGENDA INSTEAD OF GOD’S KINGDOM, AND GOD IS NOT PLEASED WHEN HE IS LEFT OUT OF THE WORSHIP SERVICE, AND WHEN GOD IS LEFT OUT OF WORSHIP, WORSHIP EVOLVES INTO WOEFULNESS. SO MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTERS, IT WOULD BEHOOVE ALL OF US TO PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THE WRITING ON THE WALL.
I. TEXT
KING BELSHAZZAR WAS THROWING A LAVISH PARTY; EVERYBODY THAT WAS ANYBODY WAS THERE. THE TEXT REVEALS THAT A THOUSAND OF HIS LORDS WERE THERE; DIGNITARIES, PRINCES, AND A HOST OF OTHER FOLK. THE KING MADE TIME TO PARTY BUT DID NOT MAKE TIME FOR GOD. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, FOR SOME LIFE IS ONE BIG PARTY, THEY ARE NOT INTERESTED IN THEIR SALVATION. WE NEED TO TELL THEM THAT THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL, FOR MARK 8:36 TEACHES, “FOR WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT A MAN, IF HE SHALL GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL.”
KING BELSHAZZAR SPENT HIS TIME GETTING DRUNK AND ACTING FOOLISH. THERE ARE TOO MANY PEOPLE WHO SPEND THEIR TIME GETTING INTOXICATED, AND INEBRIATED WITH THE WAYS OF THE WORLD, WHILE NOT ADHERING TO THE WRITING THAT’S ON THE WALL; PROVERBS 12:15 TEACHES US THAT THE WAY OF A FOOL IS RIGHT IN HIS OWN EYES.” GOD CONTINUOUSLY SENDS THE MESSEGE, BUT THE FOOL HAS SAID IN HIS HEART, THERE IS NO GOD.
AS THE KING’S PARTY PROGRESSED, THEY BROUGHT IN THE GOLDEN VESSELS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN OUT OF THE LORD’S HOUSE; THE GOLDEN GOBLETS ORIGINALLY IN SOLOMONS TEMPLE, UNUSED FOR SOME 47 YEARS. HERE WE HAVE UNHOLY PEOPLE USING THE HOLY THINGS OF GOD. THAT, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS IS AN INSULT TO GOD. WHEN THE PROFANE DRINK FROM THE PROFOUND, THE AFTER TASTE IS OFTEN BITTER. IT WAS A MOCKERY TO GOD. ALLOW ME TO MOCK TIME MOMENTARILY AND TELL YOU THAT UNHOLY FOLK HAVE NO BUSINESS UTILIZING THE HOLY THINGS OF GOD. UNSAVED FOLK, WHO DON’T GO TO CHURCH, AIN’T THINKING BOUT GOD OR THE CHURCH; HAVE NO BUSINESS GETTING MARRIED IN THE CHURCH.
BECAUSE THE KING MOCKED GOD, AND WORSHIPPED THE IDOL gods MARDUK, BEL, NEBO, AND ISHTAR, GOD DISPLAYED HIS POWER BY SENDING THE KING A MESSAGE IN THE FORM OF A HAND THAT WROTE ON A WALL. NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED IN THE YEAR 2001. WE STILL HAVE FOLK WHO MOCK GOD BY THEIR LIFESTYLES. UNBEKNOWN TO THE KING WAS THAT THIS WAS TO BE HIS LAST NIGHT ON EARTH. AND MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, YOU CANNOT TAKE GOD FOR GRANTED, AND THINK THAT GOD WILL NOT RESPOND. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL.
II. THE MESSAGE
THE KING COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THE MESSAGE. THE KING BECAME FEARFUL, SO MUCH SO THAT HIS KNEES BEGAN TO SHAKE AND KNOCK AGAINST EACH OTHER. MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS, A DAY IS COMING WHEN A WHOLE LOT OF KNEES ARE GOING TO SHAKE AT THE PRESENCE OF GOD.
WHEN IT WAS DETERMINED THAT NONE OF THE KINGS WISE MEN COULD INTERPRET THE MESSAGE, THEY SENT FOR DANIEL GOD’S PROPHET. IT IS A DANGEROUS THING TO HAVE UNHOLY FOLK TRYING TO INTERPRET A HOLY MESSAGE. GOD IS STILL USING AND CALLING PREACHERS TO INTERPRET HIS MESSAGE.
WHAT WAS THE MESSAGE? THE MESSAGE WAS, THAT THE KINGS DAYS WERE NUMBERED, AND THAT HE HAS BEEN WEIGHED IN THE BALANCE BY GOD AND FOUND GUILTY, AND THAT HIS KINGDOM WOULD BE DIVIDED. AT THIS POINT, IT WAS TOO LATE FOR REPENTANCE. GOD HAD PASSED JUDGMENT ON THE KING. WELL, GOD HAS PASSED JUDGMENT ON THOSE WHO REFUSE TO REPENT AND ACCEPT CHRIST AS SAVIOR, JOHN 3:18 TEACHES, “THAT HE THAT BELIEVETH NOT IS CONDEMNED ALREADY, BECAUSE HE HATH NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF THE ONLY BEGOTTEN SON OF GOD.”
MY BROTHERS AND MY SISTER, AS CHRISTIANS WE NEED TO PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE WRITING ON THE WALL. THE MESSAGE SAYS THAT WE SHOULD LOVE EACH OTHER AS CHRIST LOVES US. WE NEED TO FORGIVE OTHERS AS CHRIST FORGIVES US. WE NEED TO BE MORE UNDERSTANDING OF OTHERS, AS CHRIST IS UNDERSTANDING TOWARDS US. WE NEED TO BE LONGSUFFERING WITH OTHERS AS CHRIST IS LONG SUFFERING TOWARDS US. WE NEED TO EXALT EACH OTHER. WE NEED TO STRENGTHEN EACH OTHER.
THEN AND ONLY THEN, CAN WE TEACH TRANSGRESSORS THE WAYS OF THE LORD. WE MUST TELL THEM THAT THE WRITING IS STILL ON THE WALL, THAT THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE. WE MUST TELL THEM THAT THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL AND THEY MUST GET THEIR HOUSES IN ORDER. WE MUST TELL THEM THAT THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL, THAT GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON SO THAT WHOSOEVER BELIEVETH IN HIM SHOULD NOT PERISH, BUT THEY SHALL HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE. WE MUST TELL THEM THAT AFTER WHILE BY AND BY, THE LORD IS GOING TO COME BACK. IN TIME THERE IS GRACE AND SECOND CHANCES, BUT IN ETERNITY THERE IS JUDGMENT AND NO MORE CHANCES.
