Humbled: Part 2

Introduction

Well, good evening!

If you have your Bible, and I hope that you do…open ‘em up with me to Daniel chapter 5. This evening, we’re gonna begin in verse 13. But listen, it’s been a few weeks since we’ve been in Daniel so let me kind of set the stage before we dive into these verses tonight.

At the beginning of Daniel chapter 5, there’s been this transition of power. Through the first four chapters, we saw Nebuchadnezzer who was king of Babylon. And listen, Nebuchadnezzer was an amazing man…he was a man of leadership, character, intelligence…even before coming to know the one true God (as we saw in chapter 4), even before this, there was something about Nebuchadnezzer…there was something worthy and noble about his character. God moved in Nebuchadnezzer’s life. God used Nebuchadnezzer and spoke to Nebuchadnezzer. It seemed, even as a pagan (before Daniel chapter 4), Nebuchadnezzer was still very rational…And then we come to Daniel chapter 5, and understand this is a very different king. This takes place years after Nebuchadnezzer (remember Daniel was a young man with Nebuchadnezzer - he’s probably in his 70’s or 80’s here now)… understand this king, he’s not the very next in succession…he’s most likely Nebuchadnezzer’s grandson or even his great grandson. There’s been a great deal of time pass since Nebuchadnezzer made his degree that God would be exalted and worshiped, right? And what we see here, it’s this wicked and perverse culture all over again.

And listen, not only is there a different king…but it’s an entirely different politically situation, right? When Nebuchadnezzer had ruled, Babylon was the world’s empire…but as we come to Daniel chapter 5, Belshazzar throws this huge party…it’s an orgy really…And listen, he does that all while the Persian army surrounds the city. These Medes and Persians, they’re trying there best to invade the city and take over the empire. And so, what do you do when the enemy’s on your doorstep…when your empire’s on the verge of crumbling? I mean, you throw a party, right? The best party ever!

And listen, not only was their a complete disregard for the danger that faced them outside…but this party had all the wine…and all the prettiest girls…and the most important people…they brought God’s vessels of worship in and disgraced them. They used them as part of their debauchery…At least, that was until a giant hand appeared and started writing on the wall. It kind of interrupted the party. This hand, it wrote on the wall and nobody could understand what it meant…but they did knew this, they knew it wasn’t good!

Belshazzar started shaking…he was trembling…he offered everything for someone to tell him what it meant…but there wasn’t anyone that could. And then in the end, where we left off, he gets this visit from the Queen mother and she remembered Daniel…She said, “You need Daniel! You need to speak to Daniel, he’s a man that knows what’s going on.” And so, they throw this bat signal up, they get Daniel to come in…and that’s where we pick up.

Daniel chapter 5, verse 13…let’s do a little exegesis and then we’ll finish up with some application.

I. Exegesis

A. Belshazzar’s Call

Daniel 5:13–31 (ESV)

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, “You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter.

Finally, they brought in Daniel.

Listen, what I think we’re seeing here…it’s just human nature on full display. When things are going great…when the party’s going full till…when everything’s just full of wine, and women, and song…when God’s mocked…when God’s ignored…then who cares about Daniel, right?

But listen, when the the writing’s on the wall…when the giant hand interrupts the party…then all of a sudden, then you wanna know the message from God. And guys, that’s human nature. It just is!

And listen, this isn’t me trying to condemn anyone…its your nature…its my nature. We tend to ignore God’s message…we tend to ignore God’s messenger until there’s an interruption in the party.

And listen, it doesn’t have to be like that…you can choose to follow God, right here, right now. You don’t have to wait until something terrible happens to call in Daniel…before you listen to God’s message and God’s Word.

But he brings Daniel in and what’s he say? Verse 14, “I’ve heard about you!…I don’t know you…but I’ve heard about you! You’re pretty distance…pretty far removed.” And then, he says, “I heard that the spirit of the gods and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.”

Which if you’re paying attention here…that’s exactly what the Queen mother just said. There’s no relationship between Daniel and Belshazzar…it’s a very different Babylon now. Belshazzar may have heard about Daniel, but there’s no relationship there.

And then verse 16:

Daniel 5:16 (ESV)

But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

And so, Belshazzar, he repeats himself here, “I heard about you! If you tell me what all this means…I’ll cloth you with purple (or I’ll make you really really important) and I’ll make you the third ruler in my kingdom!” Guys, pay attention, Belshazzar, he’s nervous here. And listen, what’s funny here…Belshazzar wants to seem like he’s the one in charge, right? “Like, you do this and I’ll give you all this stuff!…I know it might seem like I’m a little freaked out right now but I’m in charge…I call the shots…I’m the king!”

But look at Daniel, his response…verse 17. He calmly says, “I NEED NOTHING!”

Daniel 5:17 (ESV)

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.

Guys, there’s something very powerful about Daniel right here. For a man that trusted God…Daniel needed nothing from the king. There’s just something very powerful about a man who’s faith is so strong that he doesn’t care about the riches or the luxuries of the world.

Guys, see the contrast here…Belshazzar, was such a perverse man…sinful man…partying while his kingdom’s surrounded…just no care in the world. His thinking’s irrational…There’s something very different about a man that’s offered everything and yet needs nothing!

And listen, here’s something I noticed when I read the text. When Daniel gave bad news to Nebuchadnezzar, in the previous chapters, it was almost like he approached it in a very different light…Like, “I’m sorry, but here’s what that means!” We get to verse 17 and Daniel’s like, “Yea, I don’t need anything but I’ll deliver this to you.” Almost like there’s no respect for this king…like he’s getting what’s deserved.

B. Daniel’s Explanation

And listen, this is why Daniel doesn’t respect him…he says in verse 18, before he interprets the message on the wall. He gives him a little piece of his mind. Verse 18:

Daniel 5:18–23 (ESV)

O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.

Daniel’s saying, “You’re nothing like your ancestor…you’re nothing like King Nebuchadnezzar…God gave him a kingdom…God gave him signs and messages and when he saw God, he was humbled! You’re nothing like him, Belshazzar!…And when his heart was made hard…when he became prideful, God knew how to bring him low. And listen, Nebuchadnezzar, actually had a reason to be prideful…I mean he worked to make his kingdom what it was. Belshazzar, he just inherited all of it. Regardless, Nebuchadnezzar was prideful, and what was the lesson for Nebuchadnezzar? Verse 21: “…until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.”

This was Daniel’s message to Belshazzar, “You should’ve learned from the lesson God gave you through Nebuchadnezzar…You should’ve learned…but you were just too prideful! You were too consumed in yourself and in your sin to see it! You refused to humble your heart even when you knew how God works.” Daniel was harsh here because Belshazzar should’ve known this.

And so for that reason, Daniel says, “God sent the hand to write this message.” Verse 24:

Daniel 5:24–28 (ESV)

“Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

And so, it’s this simple…MENE (which was used twice), it means numbered…TEKEL, it means weighed…PARSIN, it means divided…God’s message, it was, “Numbered, numbered, weighed, divided.” Meaning God had Belshazzar’s number…and guys, it fell short. In fact, because He’s a gracious God…He counted him twice (MENE…MENE), He repeated it twice. He counted him twice and both times, he came up short. God had fairly and properly weighed Belshazzar…And so, God divided Belshazzar’s kingdom…He took it from him and He divided it among the Medes and the Persians.

That’s a heavy message, right? Verse 27, it literally says, “Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances and he had been found wanting.”

And so, how’s Belshazzar respond to all this?

C. Belshazzer’s Response

Verse 29:

Daniel 5:29–31 (ESV)

Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.

Daniel just gave Belshazzar this grim message and what’s he do? He just continues to live His life in the same way. He gives Daniel all the things Daniel said he didn’t want and He makes no changes. Guys, we see time and time again…when someone humbles their heart before the Lord, what’s He do? He gives ‘em grace. We just saw that with Nebuchadnezzar…we see it with Nineveh in the book of Jonah…we it with the people of Israel in the wilderness, right? We see it with us, in our sin.

Not only had Belshazzar witnessed how God works through Nebuchadnezzar…but Daniel just told him again…And guys, he did nothing to humble himself. He did nothing to turn himself to the Lord. And guys, that’s the application for us tonight…that’s what sin does in our life. It blinds our thinking…it blinds our morals…it blinds us religiously…and guys, it blinds us historically.

II. Application

A. Sin Blinds Our Thinking

B. Sin Blinds Our Morals

C. Sin Blinds Us Religiously

D. Sin Blinds Us Historically