Theme: GOD’S IMPENDING JUDGMENT
Text: Daniel 5
Intro.
A. In chapter 4 of Daniel we learned God had chastened Nebuchadnezzar to make him realized that the Lord, called El Elyon in the passage, is sovereign and the One who holds his life and his future. The punishment however was intended to draw him to God. In like manner, if we start walking away from God’s direction, He is going to inflict upon us His rod of discipline to awaken us and turn back to him. Restoration is always the purpose of God’s discipline.
B. But this morning the message from Daniel 5 would be harsher. In this passage we can see that God had imposed His judgment against Belshazar, the king of Babylon, 20 years after the great Nebuchadnezzar died. He is believed to be a co-ruler in Babylon with his father Nebonides.
The story relates that Belshazar held a great feast in his kingdom. At the height of their revelry, a hand appeared writing something on the wall that everyone present in the party was not able to understand. They were all terrified and the king’s knees knocked together because of fear. He was extremely afraid at the sight. He called in all his magicians and astrologers in the kingdom to read and interpret for him the writing on the wall but no one was able to read it. Belshazar grew pale and became hysterical.
The queen (probably his mother) came in and told him to summon Daniel. So the prophet was promptly called in. He read the inscription on the wall and gave the interpretation. It was a message of judgment. Daniel said to Belshazar: “God has weighed you on His scales and found you wanting. He will put your kingdom to an end and will divide it to Medes and Persia.” On that very night Medes and Persia invaded and captured Babylon and executed Belshazar. The judgment of God had been carried out right away.
C. This story transpired a clear picture of God’s impending judgment not only to individuals but also to the world in general. We should not forget that the book of Daniel, though historical, is also apocalyptic in character.
D. We believe that we are now in the closing page of time. “We are in the end-times” is always heard from the pulpits today. The Christian church in general believes that the coming of Jesus is about to happen. “He’s at the door!”, we say. And the judgment of God is imminent! But how do we know? What will be the general attitude of the people of the world to signal the imminence of God’s judgment? What can we expect of God’s judgment? What must we do being aware of God’s impending judgment to the world? What challenge are we going to take up as God’s people?
T.S. Let’s explore the story and find:
THE SIGNAL OF GOD’S IMPENDING JUDGMENT.
-The inscription on the wall in verse 27 is read “Mene, mene, tekel, upharsin.”
-Tekel means, “You are weighed and is found deficient.” Belshazar was weighed in the scales of God and was found deficient. But what was his deficiency that brings about God’s judgment upon him? In what manner was he deficient? It is in his attitude.
1. He is extremely indifferent to the welfare of other people.
He held a great feast, but this was while his father engaged in fierce battle against the allied forces of Medes and Persia, and perhaps was defeated by the enemy and killed at the time the party was on. There was a great danger outside, but he took the safety of his nation and constituents for granted. No sign of concern. He just doesn’t care.
We are now in an era where respect and genuine concern of other people is almost lost and the value of life is diminishing. People become abusive to others. The poor are being exploited. Human trafficking is rampant. Abortion is prevalent. Children are disrespectful to their parents. Richer nations gorge on their abundance while poorer nations died in starvation. Terrorists kill “innocent” targets without mercy in the name of their god. Well, we can go on to list the symptoms of the prevailing attitude of indifference of this sick world. They are many and inscribe a very alarming message: “God’s judgment is imminent!”
2. He is extremely indifferent to the things of God.
In v.2-4, he gave an order to bring all the gold and silver vessels taken from the temple of Jerusalem by his ancestor Nebuchadnezzar. When these holy vessels of God were brought to him, he desecrated them by drinking wine from them, he, his nobles, his wives and concubines. To satisfy his profanity, they praised the gods of gold & silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. What he did was a direct defiance against the Sovereign God. God’s anger was kindled; His bowl’s full enough. He passed out his judgment to this defiant, blasphemous king.
Today, the spirit of Belshazar’s profanity is alive and active in many people. Christianity is used to advance their lustful interest and fulfill their material obsession. They peddle the Word of God, which brought great wreckage to the testimony and honor of the Church of God. They don’t mind what damage and disgrace they shall bring to the Bride of Christ when their hoax Christianity is exposed. God shall recompense them.
On the other hand, look at the insensitivity of billions of people to spiritual things. Look at how the Person of Christ being attacked, insulted, smeared and blasphemed. Look at how the faithful of Christ being jeered and named conservative, weird, feeble-minded, and fanatic. These people have stripped God the honor of His name. They say, “There is no Personal God –God is just a Principle”. Furthermore, I was stunned to know while reading in the Internet that in many countries teaching about God is barred in public schools and is punishable by law! What a hell is going on in our world today. God must soon pass out His judgment. I think it’s very soon! And these people will realize that mocking God is the gravest error they have ever made. I hope that it would not be too late for them to recognize their foolishness.
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3. He is extremely self-indulgent.
Belshazar is a playboy type, hedonistic person. His goal and end of life is pleasure to the body. His god is his stomach. He indulged in wild entertainment –wine, women, party and even making worship out of mockery and jesting. Little did he know that his days were already numbered.
Is this not the prevalent attitude of the world today? There is so much physical merriment in the world today –wild entertainment. Hedonism got its sway in the minds and hearts of the general public. “If it feels good, do it” is the lustful spirit of today’s generation. Doesn’t it a clear signal of the impending judgment of God?
THE CHARACTERISTIC OF GOD’S IMPENDING JUDGMENT.
1. It is swift.
Daniel said to Belshazar: “God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.” Well to Belshazar, what Daniel had said was impossible to happen. The city itself was considered impregnable. The wall surrounding it was 300 feet high and 80 feet wide. If one were to ride around the city outside the wall, he would travel 96 kilometers. The wall had 250 guard towers and rooms for soldiers to sleep. It had 100 gates, all armored with brass. If an enemy managed to climb over the wall, he would have to cross half a kilometer of bare land before he could reach the city. There was enough food warehoused for a 20-year siege and farmland within the wall to raise more if needed. The Euphrates River flowed under the wall to provide water. Belshazar felt very secure inside his fortified city. But on that very night God imposed his judgment upon him. His enemies were able to enter the city via the dried up riverbed of Euphrates without difficulty, killed him and divided his kingdom.
There’s no delay to God’s judgment. When it is divinely determined, it will certainly come in absolute swiftness.
2. It is exact.
Daniel said: “God has weighed you on his scales and found you deficient.” There’s no mistaking in the balances of God. God weighs accurately. I wonder if God disclosed our number in His scales now, what would our number be. Would it be up or down?
If God imposes His judgment, there would be no mistaking of it.
3. It is ruthless.
Daniel said: “Your kingdom will be divided and given over to Medes and Persia.” Ruthless judgment awaits those who obstinately profane the glorious name of God.
A group of friends, drunk, went to pick up a friend, the mother accompanied her to the car and was so worried about the drunkenness of her friends and she said to the daughter –holding her hand, who was already seated in the car: “MY DAUGHTER, GO WITH GOD AND MAY HE PROTECT YOU”.
She responded: “ONLY IF GOD TRAVELS IN THE BOOT, COZ INSIDE HERE IT’S ALREADY FULL”.
Hours later, news came by that they had been involved in a fatal accident, everyone had died, the car could not be recognized what type of car it had been, but surprisingly the boot was intact.
The police said there was no way the boot could have remained intact. And to their surprise, inside the boot was a crate of eggs, and none was broken.
The word of God says in Gal.6: 7, “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
THE CHALLENGE OF GOD’S IMPENDING JUDGMENT.
-Daniel alone knew the real fate of Belshazar and his kingdom. He saw God’s hand ready to pass out His judgment to the king. The writing on the wall was God’s message of judgment –and Daniel understood it.
Like Daniel, believers know the condition and fate of the world better than unbelievers. God’s people have better knowledge about God’s judgment. And as we look around, we understood that the judgment of God is imminent. What are we going to do? What is the challenge? Like Daniel -
1. Stand up and never compromise to corruption.
Daniel was probably 80 years old this time. He served in the kingdom for 60 approximate years. All through these years Daniel remained the spiritual figure of the kingdom and his integrity being a man of God was still intact; he remained unflinchingly devoted to God. When nobody was able to interpret the dream, the queen told the king to summon Daniel the prophet of God, meaning he was still known of his wisdom and faith.
Daniel appeared before the king and was offered with great honor and wealth, but he refused. Daniel doesn’t want to peddle the Word of God and water down his message. He stood unyielding.
This is the kind of Christianity that the world needs –Christianity that is known of spiritual wisdom and great faith! In these last days, we must stand out in our devotion to God. We must stand unyielding to the compromises around!
2. Speak the truth without fear.
The message was not wonderful –it was a message of judgment. But Daniel was not afraid to proclaim the message of God even before the most powerful man in the kingdom. He stood and proclaimed the message straight to the hearing of Belshazar.
We need to have this kind of church in these last days –a fearless church to proclaim the message of God. We must be a Gospel-proclaiming church. We have the message. We know the truth. We know the coming judgment of God. Now that we see the signs of God’s imminent judgment, we should be more courageous and zealous to advance the Gospel of Jesus, individually and as a church. There’s nothing more urgent than proclaiming the message of God’s judgment. There’s nothing more important than proclaiming the Gospel of Salvation. And there’s nothing more glorious than telling the lost world about the Savior.
