"Weighed In The Balance”

“Weighed in the Balance”

February 5, 2017

Daniel 5:1-31

Have you ever been at a party and someone did or said something that changed the entire thing for everyone? Way back when – I might have been the one to say something crude or inappropriate and spoiled it for everyone. I never did anything like this king, tho. King Belshazzar was living it up. His Father had died who had been a great king and so he has taken over and is enjoying his popularity, position and power. Of course he is drinking. That always contributes to unwise decisions and choices. I don’t know what he was thinking – I suspect the enemy of our souls whispered in his ear to do something really ungodly. He does that, you know. That is one reason I am so opposed to alcohol and drugs. It lowers our resistance and makes us susceptible to doing things we normally wouldn’t do. That’s one reason I won’t take even one drink. It opens the door to things I certainly don’t want opened.

Anyway, for whatever reason, King Belshazzar ordered the servants to bring out the holy temple artifacts they had stolen from Israel. I don’t know why. Perhaps because they were made of gold. Maybe it was because they were beautiful. It may have even been to mock God by using His sacred things to worship other gods. Whatever the reason – it was a deadly mistake. It ended up costing him his life. Can you imagine his shock when a human hand appeared out of thin air and began to write on the wall? The Bible says, “His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.”

He was pretty scared – and he didn’t even know what the writing said yet. So he called in all his wise and educated men to read the writing on the wall. No one could understand it. Spiritual things need spiritual insight to understand them. So Daniel come into the picture and solves the puzzle. Belshazzar was killed that very night but not until he made Daniel the third highest ruler in his kingdom.

This story has so much we can learn from it – and as you study it God will give you much insight into it. This morning, though, I want to take one thought from this story and expound on it a little. It is that little phrase on the all. The middle word - Tekel. It means “You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.”

I hope none of us ever hear those words said about us. But one thing it reminds us of is that there is going to be an accounting for each one of us. The words we say; the things we do; the things we don’t do – it will all be weighed on the scales of God’s Justice. God reminds us of that over and over. Listen.

“Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and the day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves.” Malachi 4:1-2

“But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the Day of Judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.” Matthew 12:36-37

“You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me;

every tongue will acknowledge God.’”

So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God.” Romans 14:10-12

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.” 2 Corinthians 5:10

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.”

Revelation 20:11-12

A Day of Judgment is coming and every one of us will stand before Jesus and give an accounting of our actions. We often think it will be an angry old father figure that will be sitting on that throne – delighting in casting people into hell – but it will be Jesus. It will be loving, kind, sacrificial Jesus on the throne. The Bible says,