Unbelievers Need Every Christian To... Series

Introduction

Last week as we began chapter 5 of Daniel, we were introduced to Belshazzar, King Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson, who along with his father assumed the throne as co-kings of Babylonian.

This means that sometime has passed from the end of Chapter 4 to Chapter 5 and some major things have happened in that period of time. First, King Nebuchadnezzar has died. Daniel is now about 82 years old and is no longer working in the government of Babylon. He is a retired man.

Belshazzar, the new co-king, is a party animal. As Chapter 5 begins, he is throwing a party for thousands of his closest friends in the banquet hall of the palace. During the event, he comes up with the dumb idea that the wine would taste better in the gold and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar took from the temple, God’s temple, when he captured Israel. He had his servants fetch them and those in attendance began drinking from them.

The Bible says in that same hour, a hand appeared (no body connected to it, just a hand), and the hand began writing on the wall. That will sober you up quickly, and Belshazzar, the party animal, with not a care in the world a few minutes ago is now troubled with his thoughts. I think his thoughts were telling him; boy, did I mess up! Let me make sure you understand this: God can change a person’s situation in a moment’s notice. He can change any bodies situation no matter how low your status in life or no matter how high your status in life. In a moment’s notice, God got Belshazzar’s attention.

So, he got to find out what the hand wrote, so he calls in the wise men of Babylon to tell him, but they could not read the writing nor give the interpretation.

Enter the queen mother, Nebuchadnezzar's wife into the banquet hall probably hearing the disturbance. And in her conversation with her grandson, she teaches us, who are Christian, what every unbeliever needs from us.

Let us begin by reading our Scripture.

Scripture

Daniel 5:10–13(NKJV)

10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.” 13 Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?

Point #1

Unbelievers need every Christian to live out their Christian life openly, publicly, and unashamedly.

Daniel 5:11 (NKJV)

11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God.

The queen mother would not have know that about Daniel if he chose to live his Christian life privately.

Right from the very beginning of the book of Daniel, Daniel lived his life openly, publicly, and unashamedly. When the king wanted to change Daniel’s diet, he insisted that he be allowed to continue the diet of His God. He made His faith known publicly right from the start.

When the king was troubled by his first dream, Daniel went before the king with the dream and interpretation. When Daniel entered the presence of the king, Daniel did not go right into the dream and its interpretation. Instead, Daniel began by telling Nebuchadnezzar about the God that he served and how He is the God of Heaven that reveals secrets. Daniel was living his faith publicly and unashamedly.

In Chapter 4, King Nebuchadnezzar says that the Spirit of God is in Daniel three times. Nebuchadnezzar could see that in Daniel only if he lived out his faith openly.

And now by reputation, Nebuchadnezzar’s wife tells her grandson that there is a man in your kingdom in whom the Spirit of the Holy God resides.

Listen closely, if we do not live out our faith openly, then unbelievers do not know anyone who knows God. And this Book of Daniel shows us that unbelievers need to know someone who knows God. There are going to times in an unbeliever's life that the problem is too big to handle, and that will drive them to seek out a man or woman of God. But if none of us live out the Christian life publicly, where does the unbeliever go?