When The Party Is Over (2 Of 2)

We mentioned in a previous message that party was noted in the scriptures for several reasons, such as...

(1) Belshazzar, the KING, personally gave it.

(2) There were so many who attended it.

(3) Most of the “elite” folks of that day and time attended it.

Most of all, it was noted because Belshazzar, who knew better, became drunk and took the Jew’s sacred temple vessels and used them for some of the party service. His grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken them from the temple when he had captured the ransacked Jerusalem years before.

Look at Daniel 5:2-3 tells us, “Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 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.”

His subjects obeyed Belshazzar, who like his grandfather, had the power to take a man’s life at the snap of a finger (5:19). There was not a man present at that party who would oppose his decision to misuse those sacred vessels. No man would, but the God of heaven did! While Belshazzar and his drunken friends were drinking from those vessels, enjoying great REVELRY, something very strange happened.

We have already looked at THE REVELRY. Now let us look at...

II. THE REVELATION.

Look at Daniel 5:4-5. We read, “They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. (Then notice) IN THE SAME HOUR CAME FORTH FINGERS OF A MAN’S HAND, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.”

There had been lots of drinking and laughing at that big party, but when the “...fingers of a man’s hand...” appeared out of nowhere and wrote on the wall THE PARTY WAS OVER.

Notice that the Bible says that in the same hour that Belshazzar did his evil act, the fingers of a man’s hand began to write on the plaster of the wall! Never in the history of mankind has a drunken man become sober as fast as he did! Belshazzar knew he had crossed the line of God’s loving grace and kindness.

Look at verse 6. We read, “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.”

What a great contrast we can see at that party. At the beginning of the party everyone was laughing and hollering, but when those fingers appeared and wrote on the wall, that was the end of that party. They all knew there was nothing to laugh about!

Before the party, every man there would have given anything to have been able to have been in Belshazzar’s shoes. But, after that supernatural writing, no man there wanted to be in his shoes.

What made the difference?

Look at the changes that had taken place in Belshazzar.

-His smile had turned to an expression of horror. That is,

-His “countenance” had changed.

-His thoughts “troubled” him.

-He was overcome with fear.

The king, who once stood proud, was no longer feeling secure. How HELPLESS he must have felt; probably for the first time in his life! All a king had to do was snap his finger and everyone in his presence would stand in readiness to assist him any way he requested. Belshazzar had gotten himself into a situation that NO PERSON COULD HELP HIM OUT OF!

A. His friends could not help him,

Look at verses 7-9. We read, “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 show 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. 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. Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.”

One of the first things we do when we find ourselves in trouble is turn to our friends for help. Belshazzar’s friends were the most powerful men on earth at that time, but there was not one thing they could do to help him.

B. His wife could not help him.