“The Writing on the Wall”...the Wayfarer 10/1/13

“The Writing on the Wall”
10/1/13

“And this is the writing that was written,

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.”

(Daniel 5:25)

Today, we go back to the prophets, once again, seeking guidance for our own times and our own responsibilities during these times.

A phrase that is common to most of my congregation and readers… and one that has endured through many years, passed from generation to generation is, “The writing is on the wall!”

I have heard it used over and over again to indicate a foregone conclusion of events, from sports, to the effects that will take place because of some new law that has been passed.

It is a phrase that holds much truth in many, and in fact most, of those instances, and I feel, even more so when viewed in the context it was initiated by God himself, and interpreted to King Belshazzar by the prophet Daniel.

Before comparison to today’s world and situation may be given, we must first go to the scripture, not only for the interpretation of the opening words, but also for the reason behind their issuance:

“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

Belshazzar, while 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.

They drank wine and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron of wood, and of stone.”

(Daniel 5:1-4)

Take note of the absolute arrogance of this king, and his actions taken purely to prove that arrogance! He intentionally abased the vessels that had been reserved to the worship of the ONE TRUE GOD.

Take note that he further abased these vessels by having his princes, wives and concubines participate in their use.

Adding insult to injury, He proceeded to worship gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone gods, gods that indicated only the affluence and wealth of those having them!

“In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote.

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.

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 shew 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.”

(Daniel 5:5-8)

As was, and still is, often the case, this arrogant leader, when confronted by something he could not grasp, went to his advisors for interpretation of what had been written, clinging to those he already knew to be of a like mind, and not likely to give him information which would, in any way, destroy his self-image!

At least these charlatans, unlike so many today, had sense enough to admit their ignorance and inability to counsel him!

“Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.

Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;

Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.”

(Daniel 5:9-12)

Having exhausted the assets that he thought he had on hand, the king was even more troubled.

He knew that the writing was important, and that it portended something of significance to him, but still had no idea what that something might be!

The queen’s memory of the rule of his father was far better than his own, possibly because he was too busy being the heir apparent, and debauching himself to pay attention to what went on in the days of his father’s rule, to learn from the mistakes already made.

“Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?

I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:

And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed in scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation,

O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty and glory, and honor:

And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.

And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;

But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:”

(Daniel 5:13-23)

Daniel began, as should any servant of God when offered a bribe for the gifts given him, to tell the king that he could keep all those earthly riches, but that he would interpret for the Lord God, and give him the interpretation.

Daniel then goes on to tell this powerful ruler exactly what was wrong with his kingdom and about his abuse of power, reminding him of his father’s failure, and eventual fate, determined by that same God.

He takes time to remind him that he, Belshazzar, should have paid attention to the facts of what caused his father’s fall, but that he had instead ignored that cause!

He goes on to delineate the fact that without God, this king, or any other has nothing, not even the breath they take!

“Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.

This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene: God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balance and art found wanting.

PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.

And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.”

(Daniel 5:24-31)

Daniel was good to his word, and interpreted the writing on the wall!

He knew the dangers of doing so, but did so anyway. Surprisingly, Belshazzar was also good to his word, and did as he had promised, albeit too late to help himself, and avoid the wrath of God.

“OK, preacher… what has this, already fulfilled, prophesy to do with us, our time, and why should we care about what happened to that long ago king?”

In answer to this, I take you once again to the 15th verse of the 3^rd chapter of Ecclesiastes!

“That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.”

We live in a world that, like the Babylonians, forgets the lessons learned over our history.

Our “leadership” is engrossed in the worship of the same items that were being worshipped by them. Gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, and their derivatives still hold the utmost importance to them, and a vast majority of the people they profess to serve, while all the time they go about robbing those very people!

They have again forgotten that their “majesty”, and any power that comes with it, is given them by God, and may be taken at will by that same God.

Just as Belshazzar mocked and denigrated God by using the holy vessels reserved for worship, we find our, “leadership”, denigrating and deriding that God.

This holds true to just about every nation in existence on this planet at this time.

It becomes evident in the persecutions of Jews and Christians all over this ball of dirt.

It becomes apparent in speeches given about those who cling to God and guns in our own nation, one once respected by all, as the champion of the teachings left us by Jesus, and the commandments given by God.

Wherever these things occur, the one commandment to love one another, which proclaimed the equality of all men, given by Jesus himself, is violated.

To the “Leadership” and to all mankind, I proclaim:

“MENE, MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN”

God has numbered all kingdoms, and finished them!

You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting!

There is but one recourse to attain forgiveness and salvation from the assured wrath of God to come, and though I know that most will ignore it , it is simply the message given by my Savior:

“REPENT, FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!”

I close with the same love with which I always close, that of my Savior, Jesus, for each and every being willing to accept the terms of that message. I close also with trepidation for all who hear and refuse to comprehend that message, as did that ancient king, I wrote about today.

2 Timothy 1:12 ¹²For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.

I remain, as I always have and must, a simple sinner, saved by grace through faith in that Savior, and although unworthy, a willing soldier in His service, praying for those weighed in the balance.

AMEN and AMEN
the Wayfarer