Daniel 5.14-Belshazzar Relates To Daniel What He Heard About Him From The Queen
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Thursday December 13, 2012
Daniel: Daniel 5:14-Belshazzar Relates To Daniel What He Heard About Him From The Queen
Lesson # 155
Please turn in your Bibles to Daniel 5:1.
Daniel 5:1 King Belshazzar threw an enormous banquet for a thousand of his nobles. He even drank wine excessively directly in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar issued an order while under the influence of the wine causing the gold and silver articles to be brought in which Nebuchadnezzar, his great-grandfather caused to be confiscated from the temple, which was in Jerusalem, in order that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 3 Therefore, the gold and silver articles were brought in, which were confiscated from the temple, which was God’s house, which was in Jerusalem so that the king, his nobles as well as his wives and in addition his concubines could drink with them. 4 They drank wine while they praised gods composed of gold as well as silver, bronze, iron, wood and in addition stone. 5 During this time, the fingers of a human hand appeared while writing on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, directly in front of the lampstand so that the king observed the palm of the hand which was writing. 6 Then the king, his countenance was changed for him. Also, his thoughts caused him to be terrified so that his hip joints gave way resulting in his knees knocking together, one against the other. 7 The king authoritatively shouted out an order for the purpose of causing the necromancers, astrologers as well as diviners to be brought in. He declared to the city of Babylon’s wise men, “Any person who can read aloud as well as can make known its interpretation to me will be clothed with a purple robe as well as a golden chain around his neck. Indeed, they will rule as third in the kingdom.” 8 Therefore, each and every one of the king’s wise men came in but they were totally unable to read or cause the interpretation to be made known to the king. 9 Thus causing the king to be extremely terrified so that his countenance was changed on him as well as causing his nobles to be perplexed. 10 The queen entered the banquet hall because of the king’s words as well as his nobles. The queen responded and said, “O king, live forever! Please, by no means let your thoughts cause you to be terrified so that they by no means cause your countenance to be changed! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who possesses God’s Holy Spirit in him. Specifically, during the days of your great-grandfather, illumination, discernment as well as wisdom in accordance with God’s wisdom were observed in him. Indeed, King Nebuchadnezzar, your great-grandfather, your great-grandfather the king, promoted him to be commander over the occult priests, necromancers, astrologers and diviners 12 because in him, in Daniel whom the king assigned him the name Belteshazzar, was found an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, discernment interpreting dreams, explaining riddles as well as solving difficult problems. Please summon Daniel right now in order to cause the interpretation to be known.” 13 Consequently, Daniel was ordered to enter the king’s presence. The king asked a question and said to Daniel, “Are you Daniel, who is one of the deported people from Judah whom my great-grandfather the king ordered to be brought from Judah?” (My translation)
Daniel 5:14 “Now I have heard about you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you.” (NASB95)
“A spirit of the gods” is composed of the feminine singular construct form of the noun rûaḥ (רוּחַ) (roo´-akh), “a spirit of” which is followed by the masculine plural noun ʾělāh (אֱלָהּ) (el-aw´), “gods.”
This expression should be translated “God’s Holy Spirit” rather than “a spirit of the holy gods” since Belshazzar is using his mother the queen’s description of Daniel who was using Nebuchadnezzar’s description of Daniel.
She is simply using Nebuchadnezzar’s understanding of this expression as a believer in Yahweh when describing Daniel to Belshazzar.
The queen was evidently a non-believer and thus we would not expect her to be using this expression.
However, she is simply employing Nebuchadnezzar’s language to describe Daniel for her son Belshazzar.
Therefore, as was the case in Daniel 4:8-9, 18 and 5:11, the noun rûaḥ here in Daniel 5:14 means “Spirit” referring to the third member of the Trinity.
Also the proper noun ʾělāh means “God” referring to the deity of the Spirit.
Belshazzar omits the adjective qǎd∙dîš means “holy” which his mother the queen used in describing God’s character because her father Nebuchadnezzar used this word to describe God.
This adjective describes the Spirit’s character and nature as set apart and morally pure in the sense that He is to be distinguished from the heathen gods in that He is the true God and they are not.
Belshazzar omits this word in describing the Spirit of God because he was more than likely convicted since he was not morally pure and living in rebellion against God.
So this expression in Daniel 5:14 denotes that Belshazzar is describing Daniel to Belshazzar as possessing God’s Spirit in him.
He is not saying that Daniel possesses the spirit of the holy gods but rather that he possesses God’s Holy Spirit since he is quoting his mother who was using the exact same language of Nebuchadnezzar who was a believer when he used this expression to describe Daniel in Daniel 4:8-9 and 18.
“And that illumination, insight and extraordinary wisdom have been found in you” presents the result of God’s Spirit indwelling Daniel.
“Illumination” is the feminine singular noun nǎ∙hî∙rû (נַהִירוּ) (neh-hee-roo´), which describes Daniel as possessing spiritual or intellectual enlightenment.
“Insight” is the feminine singular noun śāḵ∙leṯā∙nû (שָׂכְלְתָנוּ) (sok-leth-aw-noo´), which describes Daniel as having the power of judgment and perceptive insight as demonstrated in the use of knowledge rather than knowing by experience.
“Extraordinary wisdom” is composed of the feminine singular noun ḥā∙ḵemā(h) (חָכְמָה) (khok-maw´), “wisdom” which is modified by the feminine singular form of the noun yǎt∙tîr (יַתִּיר) (yat-teer´), “extraordinary.”
These two words describe Daniel as having extraordinary wisdom in the sense that it was exceptional and unusual in that it deviated from the average person.
Daniel 5:14 “Likewise I heard concerning you that God’s Spirit is in you so that illumination, discernment as well as extraordinary wisdom were observed in you.” (Author’s translation)
In Daniel 5:14, Belshazzar begins to relate to Daniel descriptions of Daniel, which he received from his mother the queen, which was to flatter Daniel because he desperately needs him to read and interpret the mysterious inscription.
First of all, the king relates to Daniel that he heard that God’s Spirit was in him.
Then, Belshazzar says that the result of God’s Spirit indwelling Daniel was that illumination, discernment and wisdom were observed in him and specifically observed by Nebuchadnezzar.
The king uses “extraordinary” to describe Daniel’s wisdom whereas his mother the queen used this adjective to describe Daniel’s spirit.
Of course, during his reign Belshazzar never utilized this extraordinary wisdom of Daniel or sought out his illumination and discernment because he was arrogant and proud.
Undoubtedly his mother must have suggested using Daniel in the past since she suggests to Belshazzar he seek out Daniel’s help to solve the mysterious inscription.
Belshazzar had no need for Daniel’s abilities during his reign and neither did his father Nabonidus or Evil-Merodach because they were ungodly men who did not value spiritual abilities and neither did they have a capacity to understand and appreciate spiritual realities.
The only time Belshazzar had any need for Daniel is this crisis involving the inscription. Otherwise, Daniel was no longer needed.
Prior to being summoned by Belshazzar, Daniel spent many years out of the public limelight.
The kings of Babylon had no use for him in direct contrast to the reign of Nebuchadnezzar.
He bided his time and continued to grow in his relationship with God.
He waited patiently for an opportunity to serve the king of Babylon and now that moment had finally come.
God would use Daniel to communicate to Belshazzar a message of judgment.
It wasn’t until Belshazzar was faced with a crisis did he have a need for a spiritual person.
Sadly, this is true of many people in the world today in our day and age.