Daniel: A Man of Prayer and ActionSample

After Nebuchadnezzar came King Nabonidus followed by Nebuchadnezzar’s son, King Belshazzar. One day, King Belshazzar decided to throw a lavish party. He requested that the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar had stolen from the temple in Jerusalem be brought to the party so that “the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines could drink from them.” In so doing, he dishonored the God of Heaven and earth. As the royalty partied on, they added sin upon sin as they praised gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and WROTE on the plaster of the wall near the lampstand in the palace. Filled with great fear, the king turned pale, his legs grew weak, and his knees began knocking.

Faced with this divine message, the king did not cry out to God but rather called immediately for his enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Instead of offering his repentance to God, the king offered gifts to whomever could explain what was written on the wall.

Once again, divine actions could not be interpreted by ungodly actors. Both the writing on the wall and King Nebuchadnezzar’s dreams were directed toward pagan rulers, but they could only be interpreted by someone who was filled with the Holy Spirit. This truth was even recognized by the queen, who informed the King: “There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him.”

When Daniel was brought before the king, he began by reminding King Belshazzar about his father’s life. Daniel recounted how King Nebuchadnezzar had great power and glory, but his pride led to his downfall. God humbled him by stripping away his prestigious position and making him spend seven years as an animal. Only when Nebuchadnezzar finally humbled himself was he returned to his former position.

Daniel tells Belshazzar that unlike his father, he had yet to humble himself. Belshazzar set himself against the Lord of Heaven by worshipping created materials rather than the Creator. Daniel tells the king: “You did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.”

Then Daniel reads out the inscription “Mene Mene, Tekel Parsin.” The translation is thus: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and is given to the Medes and Persians. That very night, Belshazzar was killed, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom.

God still weighs our deeds and our hearts. And, without Jesus, we will always be found wanting. Worshiping stone and wood may not be your go-to sin right now, but I invite you to consider what you do worship.

Look at your bank balance, your calendar, your social media feeds. Are you honoring God with all that you steward or is He right now saying “Tekel” to you? Have you “been set on the scales and found wanting?” (Daniel 5:27).

Christians aren’t perfect. We are saved sinners. The Bible tells us that there are none righteous, no not one. Our only hope is to claim the free gift of salvation available in Jesus Christ. May you find the courage to face your own sins and be comforted in knowing that: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).