THE HANDWRITING OF GOD ON THE WALL

THE HANDWRITING OF GOD ON THE WALL

 

Daniel 5:5

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.

 

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

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Warsaw1111212predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, be brought to him for use during the festivities. While they were drinking and praising the gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, a human hand suddenly appeared and began writing on the palace wall. The words written were "mene, mene, tekel, and parsin.  This sight caused great distress and fear in Belshazzar, as his face turned pale. He then summoned his magicians, enchanters, and fortune tellers to interpret the writing on the wall. However, they were unable to provide an explanation. It was only when the queen mother mentioned Daniel, who had been forgotten over time and was now old, that Belshazzar decided to call upon him. Promising Daniel a purple robe and the position of third ruler in the kingdom, Belshazzar requested his interpretation. Instead, Daniel suggested that the reward be given to someone else and proceeded to interpret the writing. He began by recounting historical events, explaining how God had humbled Nebuchadnezzar until he acknowledged that the Most High God reigns over all kingdoms and appoints rulers at His discretion. Daniel then pointed out the sins committed by Belshazzar and warned of God's impending judgment based on the writing on the wall.

Let us now examine the sins committed by King Belshazzar:

 

1. Failure to learn from history (Daniel 5:18-22): Belshazzar's downfall can be attributed to his failure to learn from the way God dealt with Nebuchadnezzar. It is one thing to possess knowledge and another to apply that knowledge in our daily lives. This ability to learn is crucial. Belshazzar was aware of how God had made Nebuchadnezzar understand that He controls the entire world, yet he failed to learn from the history – the   humiliation his predecessor had experienced. In Luke 13:1-5, a similar case is presented, where Jesus warns that those who do not learn from tragedies and turn to God will likewise perish. We may be aware of many historical events and possess knowledge of them, but do we truly learn from them? For instance, if we fail to learn the lesson that lying is a sin and can lead to dire consequences, as seen when Ananias and Sapphira lied to the Holy Spirit and died, we will never turn to God. If we do not learn from the history of God's punishment of Ahab and Jezebel for their unjust actions towards Naboth and his land, we will inevitably face a similar fate. The same applies if we fail to learn from the history of how God rejected Saul for not fully obeying His instructions, or how God arrested and blinded Saul on the road to Damascus when he persecuted God's people, the handwriting will suddenly pop up. The list goes on.

2. Pride and arrogance (Daniel 5:22): King Belshazzar's excessive pride and arrogance blinded him to his own vulnerabilities. Despite his kingdom being under siege and his people suffering, he remained complacent and believed himself untouchable. This hubris ultimately led to his downfall, as the Medes and Persians swiftly overtook Babylon. This reminds us of the dangers of overconfidence and the importance of remaining humble and grounded, even in positions of power.

 Also, Belshazzar's spirit was consumed by pride and arrogance, leading him to defy the God of Israel by using sacred objects taken from Jerusalem. He and his companions drank wine from these objects and worshiped gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Daniel (5:20) explained that this arrogance was the very downfall of Belshazzar's predecessor. When Nebuchadnezzar's heart and mind became filled with arrogance, he was stripped of his royal throne and glory. Daniel reminded Belshazzar that he was fully aware of this history, yet he had not humbled himself. We also display arrogance in various ways, such as abusing women within the church, engaging in ungodly behavior, stealing money and time allocated for God's purposes while thinking that God does not see us. Our arrogance is evident when we disrespect God and His sacred things. For example, a woman was raped within a church, and some men physically abused their partners in God's sanctuary. Deliberately skipping Bible studies and neglecting fellowship with other believers because we believe we know more than our teachers and pastors also reflects our arrogance. Can't you see the warning signs? The writing on the wall, so to speak, is clear: "mene, mene, tekel, and parsin.

In Daniel 5:26-28 we see the effects of Belshazzar’s sin

Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.

Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.

Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

 

There’s a handwriting on the wall, don’t we see it?

Recognizing the "handwriting on the wall" in our own lives is a crucial lesson we often ignore. Just like King Belshazzar in the ancient biblical story, we can become so consumed with our own power, wealth, and success that we fail to see the warning signs right in front of us.

In today's fast-paced world, it's easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We may overlook the subtle signs that something is amiss or ignore the nagging feeling in our gut that tells us we're headed down the wrong path.

 

But just as the words appeared on the wall in the king's banquet hall, there are signs and signals in our own lives that we must pay attention to. These signs may come in the form of strained relationships, declining health, financial struggles, or a general sense of dissatisfaction.

 

It takes humility and self-awareness to acknowledge that there may be a message for us in the "handwriting on the wall." It requires us to pause, reflect, and evaluate our choices, actions, and priorities. Are we living in alignment with our values? Are we neglecting our well-being or the well-being of those around us? Are we chasing after empty pursuits that ultimately lead to our downfall?

 

Recognizing the "handwriting on the wall" is not always easy, but it is necessary if we want to avoid the same fate as King Belshazzar. It requires us to listen to our intuition, seek wise counsel, and make the necessary changes to course-correct our lives.

 

By paying attention to the signs, we can learn valuable lessons from the past and make better choices for our future. Let us not ignore the messages that are trying to guide us towards a more fulfilling and purposeful life. To avoid this kind of handwriting on the wall, let us learn also from the history and turn to God for mercy. And may the merciful God revoke every destructive letter in our lives in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.