Can't You See the Writing on the Wall?

Our first full day on the island, Kimberly and I spent driving around and just discovering places. We stumbled upon “The Painted Church” - a historic building - St Benedict’s Catholic Church, that was built by a Belgian Missionary - Father John Velghe.

This priest was only on the island for three years, but in that time he took a church building that was built by the coast line and moved it up into the elevated mountain side by taking it apart and reassembling by hand. The reason, is that the Hawaiians had moved up the mountain to work on the coffee plantations. He then proceeded to paint (he was not an artist) hand frescoes throughout the interior of the church.

What is interesting about this is his choice of frescoes - or subject matter.

Temptation of Christ

Murder of Abel by Cain

Hell

The Handwriting on the Wall with King Belshezzar

Kimberly have seen many of the famous Cathedrals in Europe, and none of them have held the Handwriting on the wall. It was truly an odd subject matter, but paintings in Cathedrals and Stained Glass windows were done so those who could not read could be reminded of the lessons in the stories in Scripture.

Granted, this priest was trying to get a message across. Murder, being tempted, punishment of hell - and the handwriting on the wall - which was a moment of judgment...

We asked the docent if she understood why this choice, but she had no answer, and in fact said she was not even familiar with the Bible Story. God allowed us to begin sharing the story with her, and I even was able to read the Biblical passage and share just why this may have been his subject of teaching. We indeed had a divine appointment with this young lady who had declared she had recently been reading the Bible for her self.

I was impressed in my heart to make this the subject of my message today...

Daniel 5 NLT

1 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines. 3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. 5 Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote, 6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him. 7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!” 8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant. 9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken. 10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened. 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon. 12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” 13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar? 14 I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom. 15 My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it. 16 I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” 17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar. 19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. 20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. 22 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. 23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 24 So God has sent this hand to write this message. 25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. 27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. 28 Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

You see, I believe the Priest was trying to teach the Hawaiians that they could not continue the practice of their native ways and mix it with the mercies and teachings of Christ.

We had just left a place called Pu uhonua O Honounua- where those who were guilty of a crime, even theft and smaller crimes would run to escape being murdered for their crimes — Hawaiian law required death for even small crimes, but if they swam to this place they would find refuge (if they did not drown first - it was considered an act of the gods to allow them to live).

As a pastor, I began realizing the struggle of this priest to bring the Gospel and yet have it being mixed with the culture --- HMMMM, is’nt that what people want to do today?

The Gospel is subject to culture and thus those things that please sinful nature, or demonic influence are honored by abusing those things that belong to God… exactly what was going on in this passage.

I would like to look at this message and passage in light of our lives and society today!

Permit me to take the message on the wall and change its order...

1. Weighed and Measured

The whole of this situation depends on this one thing --- the King had been weighed and came out short in his measure!!!

On the scales of justice it will be determined if our behavior honored or dishonored God!!!

We are not the judge of the whole earth, but the judge will judge all peoples!!!

What was the sin...

Taking the vessels intended to HONOR YAHWEH IN HIS TEMPLE and using them to engage in partying, orgy, and worship of the gods of this world!

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NLT

19 Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

2 Corinthians 4:7 NLT

7 We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselves are like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

1 Thessalonians 4:4 NLT

4 Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor—

Each of these passages is referring to our bodies as vessels - instruments of worship to be used to honor and worship God.

When we take our vessels and use them for ungodly pleasure - sinful indulgence - we are honoring the pagan spiritual deities of this world… the old man and old nature that was controlled by its lusts…

God saved us so that we would use our vessels - yes our bodies - to honor him!

As the Hawaiians were probably struggling to cease practicing their old rituals and ways - are we any different today???

Their practices were part of what they deemed ok and actually normal as a society - and today our society is calling us to accept all kinds of sinful and abominable things as acceptable -

God, however, is calling us to set ourselves apart as HOLY!

Belshazzar thought nothing of using God’s vessels of honor to party and worship their deities of the day --- and he was found measured and coming up short!!!!

Today, the scales of justice are pointing out to our society as a whole has been measured and is coming up short --- but Christian, we are vessels of the KING OF KINGS - may we conduct ourselves in HOLINESS and being set apart only for the worship and celebration of CHRIST!

We must not dishonor these vessels he has given to us with sexual immorality, with drunkeness, with indulgence in the things of this world.

2. Numbered

The Word from the Lord through Daniel was that this King’s days were numbered for his sinful behavior and abuse of the things of God.

You know, so many want America to be restored to its greatness, to be the beacon on the hill again. I believe that God set America in place and its government to be a light in the world, and it has been

Christianity and the Gospel has gone around the world with the greatest impact in recent centuries coming from our nation!

Yet, at the same time, our nation has crumbled into an immoral abyss - leading the world in the adoption and exploration of all that is contrary to God’s plan.

All kingdoms rise and fall at the hand of God, all nations, rulers, governors. None are beyond His Sovereignty!

Nebuchadnezzar was not a godly King, but God used him to accomplish his purpose with Israel - specifically Judah for their sins. Nebuchadnezzar was also punished for his pride, something that his predecessor Belshazzar was very familiar with. Yet, Belshazzar still chose to dishonor the God of Israel by abusing the vessels of honor.

How can we think as a nation that we can indulge in the depths of immorality, embracing perverse lifestyles, greed, immorality, and drunkeness/ drug abuse, etc and that we could continue on forever like this...

It was no joke when the handwriting on the wall said - your days are numbered! That night the King was murdered and his Kingdom stolen from him. WHY? because of his foolish choices to dishonor God and indulge himself in his own pleasures abusing the vessels that belong to God.

Nationally, we can expect the same thing, but realize this, God is not holding you responsible for this nation, he is holding you responsible for YOUR CHOICES!!!! YOUR ACTIONS!!!!

We cannot continue to abuse THIS VESSEL God has given us with our own indulgences and think that judgment is not coming! I am thankful for the mercy and grace of Jesus, but HE made us free to live free from the law and our sinful natures which condemn us...

Galatians 5:13 NLT

13 For you have been called to live in freedom, my brothers and sisters. But don’t use your freedom to satisfy your sinful nature. Instead, use your freedom to serve one another in love.

We are seeing the RETURN OF CHRIST soon approaching - the current talk of the Great Reset describes the reign of antichrist and one world monetization, and control. All we are enduring in these perilous times are the preparation of this world and society to be led into the great deceptions ---

Don’t be fooled...

God is not mocked...

What a man sows...

He will reap...

If you are sowing yourself the sins of this world, you will be caught up in the deceptions and reap destruction RATHER THANT BEING caught up in the air and reaping everlasting life...

You cannot use this vessel intended to honor God for sinful purposes and not be found short coming...

I am not talking about earning salvation - — We have received salvation freely from Christ and His mercy, but He desires us to then use these vessels for His honor and glory!

Now is the day of salvation!!!

2 Corinthians 6:2 NLT

2 For God says, “At just the right time, I heard you. On the day of salvation, I helped you.” Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation.

Ephesians 5:16 NLT

16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

We need to be making the most of serving the Lord during these days, the world’s days are numbered, we do not want to be included in that lot...

3. Divided

For Belshazzar his punishment was the loss of his kingdom - the greatest kingdom to have existed - EMPIRE- according to the prophetic dream that Nebuchadnezzar had about the statue - a dream that would now begin the reality - it would be divided by two - the Medes and the Persians, and then further made into 120 provinces. In order for this to occur it would be taken from the Babylonians which meant his destruction.

Interestingly enough, the enemy armies were already outside the walls, in fact it is suspected that Nabonidus - possibly his father or brother - had been killed in battle and this party was his coronation celebration - his prideful arrogance and failure to learn from the mistakes of his father/grandfather - the party was suspected to show confidence in the face of the impending danger - like a thumbs up at the enemy...

Can I say, many a Christian thinks he can thumbs up at the enemy and still do what they want, but it only leads to their destruction by said enemy.

There must be submission to God to avoid punishment.

Our choices, if they disregard the HONOR and RESPECT of God - which his did - he was challenging God through his behavior. Leads to a negative end.

How many of us know the warnings and yet ignore them. Thinking we are not vulnerable to a living God.

Just as every Kingdom is set up and established or falls at God’s hand, so do our lives - are key is to live surrendered to His Sovereign hand and enjoy His blessings through our submission.

Punishment does not have to be our lot ---

Time is running out in this life - God is weighing the heart of every man to see whose side each one chooses to stand with. We don’t stand in word alone, but in surrender, receiving His salvation and living a life submitted to His WORD through our obedience.

Jeremiah 17:10 NLT

10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”

CONCLUSION

So, today, let us be aware...

God has designed us to be HIS VESSELS of HONOR for HIS SPIRIT to dwell in and His glory to fill…

He wants our lives to be separated from this world and its sin so we are set apart for His work

The days are short before the sin of the world brings forth the final Kingdom - the KINGDOM OF GOD - Christ the King,

Will be in the group numbered for destruction?

Will be found with right motive of heart, or sentenced to punishment for dishonoring the vessels God has given us?