Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

Introduction

One of the most interesting stories in the Bible is that described in – Belshazzar’s feast.

Let’s take a moment to paint the scene and then, following, we will look a little deeper at some of the details.

Belshazzar was not the supreme king of Babylon.

Nabonidus, his father, was king.

Belshazzar was second ruler in the kingdom.

Nabonidus, over the course of his rule, had distanced himself from Babylon and had also experienced quite a bit of defeat.

In the vacuum of leadership, Belshazzar had found a certain level of control, and likely had more recently taken full control of the city of Babylon.

Puffed up by the pride of his newly-gotten power, Belshazzar makes a great banquet.

The palace is a blaze of light.

The long tables are set for more than a thousand guests.

They are brilliant and dazzling with plates and cups and tankards of silver and gold, many-jewelled, reflecting back the light from countless candelabra.

Reclining at the tables are the guests, with fingers and arms ringed and jewelled.

The air is heavy with perfume and tremulous with the music of harp and dulcimer and sackbut.

Between the tables the oriental women weave through the contortions and distortions of the Asiatic dance.[1]

At some point in the midst of this electrifying event, Belshazzar directs his chief steward to bring in the vessels that had been taken from the temple in Jerusalem.

“Belshazzar commands that the cups be filled with Babylonian wine, and passed from lip to lip—while he and his guests sing the praises of the gods of gold and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.”

All of a sudden, in the midst of all the joviality, there appears the fingers of a man writing on the wall.

All eyes are turned to this mysterious message.

“Suddenly a hush like death falls upon the banqueting hall. . . .

Terror freezes Belshazzar to the very soul.”

“Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together” ( ESV).

Belshazzar pulls himself together and “called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers.

The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” ( ESV).

At the point of this chapter, Daniel had been in Babylon for about 60 years and is around 80 years old.

About 25 years have passed since chapter 4, fifty since chapter 3. Belshazzar is the co-regent of Babylon, along with His father, Nabonidus.

The Medo-Persian army is outside of Babylon.

Belshazzar and his thousands of guest are partying.

As we study this chapter we will find many truths.

Let’s remember throughout this study that without the work of God in our lives we would act just like the two kings of Babylon spoken of in Daniel.

We are of course not as powerful as these men and have less with which to be proud.

With that in mind, we should be all the more humble with the little that we have.

If God can humble the most powerful men in the world, how much more those of us of “little consequence”?

Background Information

Nebuchadnezzar (605-562)

Nebuchadnezzar

605-562

605-562

Amel-Marduk (562-560) Son of Nebuchadnezzar, Executed by Neriglissar

Amel-Marduk, Son of Nebuchadnezzar, Executed by Neriglissar

562-560

Neriglissa (560-556) Son in law of Nebuchadnezzar

Neriglissar, Son in law of Nebuchadnezzar

560-556

Labashi-Marduk (Few months) Son of Neri.

& grandson of Neb., Executed by Nabonidus’ officers

Labashi-Marduk, Son of Neri.

& grandson of Neb., Executed by Nabonidus’ officers

Few months

Nabonidus (556-539) Babylonian noble who married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter.

In 553 he conquered and began to repair Tema, an oasis in the Arabian desert.

He was probably in this area and away from Babylon for nearly 14 years of his 17 year reign.

It appears that he did not worship the gods of Babylon but instead his own gods.

This provided a number of problems with the people in Babylon and their feasts and festivals that required the king present.

In his absence he left Belshazzar to rule in Babylon as coregent.

He returned to Babylon in the spring of 539 just before Babylon’s fall

Nabonidus

Babylonian noble who married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter.

In 553 he conquered and began to repair Tema, an oasis in the Arabian desert.

He was probably in this area and away from Babylon for nearly 14 years of his 17 year reign.

It appears that he did not worship the gods of Babylon but instead his own gods.

This provided a number of problems with the people in Babylon and their feasts and festivals that required the king present.

In his absence he left Belshazzar to rule in Babylon as coregent.

He returned to Babylon in the spring of 539 just before Babylon’s fall

Belshazzar (?549-539) Son of Nabo & grandson of Neb, Co-reigned with Nabonidus

Belshazzar, Son of Nabo & grandson of Neb, Co-reigned with Nabonidus

?

549-539

The Handwriting Explained

The inability of the wise men.

Once again we see the inability of the wise men to accomplish the task of interpretation.

Even though Belshazzar offers ruling power to the one who interprets, no one is able.

The queen reminds Belshazzar of Daniel.

This queen is probably Amytis, the widow of Nebuchadnezzar.

It is possible that this queen was Nitocris, Nabonidus’ wife and Belshazzar’s mother, but it is more likely that she would have been with Nabonidus and not at this event.

Daniel is summoned to this feast.

It is likely that Belshazzar was aware of Daniel, but had disregarded him over the last 20 or so years.

This is probably due to a number of factors, but it is possible that Daniel was viewed as a rival due to the power that he had in the past and the potential of him having held the throne for Nebuchadnezzar during his insanity.

Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin.

Mene: God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.

Repetition shows emphasis.

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.

Peres: Your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.

The Handwriting Fulfilled

Daniel tells us, “that very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.

And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old” ().

While Belshazzar was slain that same night, it appears that no one else died in this defeat.

According to ancient historians the city was taken without firing a shot and the only recorded casualty was Belshazzar.

According to historians Cyrus planned the siege of Babylon for some length of time.

Cyrus began a campaign of propaganda in 547 BC in which he told people “Marduk has called me to Babylon.”

The following quote speaks of Marduk guiding Cyrus to defeat Babylon because of Nabonidus’ insults to Marduk.

“He (Nabonidus) interrupted in a fiendish way the regular offerings . . . he established within the sacred cities.

The worship of Marduk, the king of the gods, he changed into abomination, daily he used to do evil against his city . . .

He tormented its inhabitants with corvee-work without relief, he ruined them all.

Upon their complaints the lord of the gods became terribly angry . . .

Marduk . . .

scanned and looked through all the countries, searching for a righteous ruler willing to lead him (Marduk) in the annual procession.

He pronounced the name of Cyrus, king of Anshan, declared him to be the ruler of the world . . .

ordered him to march against his city Babylon . . .

going at his side like a real friend.”

[2]

For nearly 14 years Nabonidus had neglected the yearly festivals in honor of Marduk.

It was only at the very end that Nabonidus returned to Babylon and participated in the events.

He as well gathered all the gods from the surrounding towns into Babylon so as to provide more strength and protection for Babylon.

In September, Ugbaru (who was Nebuchadnezzar’s general and died three weeks after Babylon’s defeat) defeated Nabonidus’ army at Opis.

In October the Medo-Persian army conquered Sippar.