We move on from Nebuchadnezzar for now as Babylonian history continues.
After Nebuchadnezzar there was a lot of palace intrigue, such as assassinations and shared rule. The king who finally saw the end of the massive and powerful empire is named Belshazzar, and is often noted to be Nebuchadnezzar's grandson. Belshazzar is only named in this book and there was no historical record of him, causing this man to be evidence that the Bible couldn't be trusted as history. And then suddenly, they found the name of the last king of Babylon, Nabonidus, retired and left his son in charge—Bel-shar-usus. Imagine that. Taking the absence of evidence as evidence is a common mistake. Nothing science, history, math, home ec, or PE can discover that will prove God wrong. He made it all and won't be disrespected by those who think they are the smartest people in the room.
And Belshazzar, however you spell his name, is not a good dude.
Here's how Daniel opens the story:
Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. Daniel 5:1–4
This sounds bad in any light, but the context behind it makes it even more depraved.
- Verse 1: There was a reason for the feast. Like the last king of Judah in Daniel Chapter 1, this king was sitting in a capital city surrounded by an enemy. This time, the Medes were at the gate and Belshazzar was the one under siege. And just like Judah, sadly, the Babylonians ignored the God of the universe and turned toward false gods for hope. This feast was a giant, high class orgy meant to please the gods so they would save them. This is the kind of thing that happened in pagan temples for centuries, but Belshazzar is trying it at a whole, new level. He invited a thousand participants.
- Verses 2 and 3 tell us how Belshazzar intended on pleasing the gods. He thought he would show Babylonian god's supremacy by bringing in the booty from a defeated god, so he sent for the holy implements that were carried to Babylon when the Temple in Jerusalem was sacked and looted. He thought that if he used these implements, their god would find favor with them.
- Note: Ancient cultures didn't have the term grandfather, the term "father" means any male that came before. It's likely that Belshazzar's mother was Nebuchadnezzar's daughter.
- Did I mention the whole thing was a giant orgy? So it wasn't some dainty, wine sipping party; but full on debauchery.
- And verse 4 caps it off reiterating that they worshiped their god while trying to insult The God.
This is a horrific and brazenly insulting choice after God had taken time with grandpa Nebuchadnezzar to show him who God really was. But the intervening palace intrigue seems to have erased all institutional knowledge of who the Lord really was.
They were reaching out to god, but there call was interrupted by The God:
Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. Daniel 5:5
Verse 6 records the king's response. As you might imagine, already in a heightened state of fear fro the Medes at the gate, Belshazzar's face goes pale and he is alarmed. And like a Scooby Doo cartoon, "his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together." And then he did what all the kings did back then, bring in the Charlatans—conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. He promises great benefits to the one who can read the inscription and interpretation, including royal clothing, jewelery, and authority as the third most powerful man in the land. Third because his dad, Nabonidus was first, and Belshazzar was second.
I assume you know the results of these "wise men"? No one could read or interpret it. This made for an even paler and more alarmed Belshazzar, and his nobles were perplexed. I guess they were confused why the orgy was broken up.
The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.
11 There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners.
12 This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation.” Daniel 5:10–12
- Queen probably meant grandma, Belshazzar's mother or one of his father's wives. She was probably Nebuchadnezzar's daughter, as mentioned above. Why do I think this?
- She was not in the orgy party of a 1000 guests. Remember verse 4 above: "his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them." But she wasn't there. So she likely had fear of the debauchery and did not attend until she was informed of a problem.
- Just like today, sometimes older people are discounted and we assume our modern information is all that's needed.
- She calls him Daniel. She knows the "new" name given by Nebuchadnezzar; but she calls him by his Hebrew name, so she must have gotten to know him well enough to use his real name.
- She knew all of his skills and talents when everyone else forgot him. He wasn't even included when all of the con artists were called. She framed the information in a way Belshazzar would accept; but she was listing what she'd seen God do through Daniel.
Then Daniel was brought before the king. Belshazzar questions Daniel if he's the one brought by Nebuchadnezzar. Apparently, he'd never met Daniel in person in his whole life. That just seems so crazy to me. He tells Daniel that he's heard about Daniel's powers and explains that the wise men couldn't read the mysterious inscription. Then the king promises Daniel the royal robe, jewelry, and authority as a reward if he can solve the mystery.
Daniel tells him that he will solve the problem, but doesn't want anything for it. Here's how he starts the interpretation:
O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father. Daniel 5:18
I include this because Daniel is telling us that whatever happened at Belshazzar's party started with Nebuchadnezzar.
Here's what Nebuchadnezzar did with what God gave him:
Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled. Daniel 5:19
Nebuchadnezzar was king of the world, for all intents and purposes. Then Daniel recounts how Neb became proud and God stripped him of his throne and sent to live like a beast until he recognized the Most High. Then Daniel ties that story to the current situation with this:
Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this, but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and all your ways, you have not glorified. Daniel 22–23
Daniel confirms that Belshazzar KNEW BETTER. It's not that the events somehow slipped through the memory hole of time. Belshazzar KNEW. And still he brought out the holy vessels and instruments, profaned them, and then praised gods made of early materials who had no ability to save. Meanwhile, the actual God of all of the earth, is not glorified among them.
That's a pretty damning review of the situation.
This is the place where we should all pause and ask if any of these charges can be read against us. Are there any truths we know, from our own life or from those before us, that we disregard and choose to live under falsehoods. Anything we praise and worship, knowing there is a God in heaven who actually deserves that.
Sadly, I can think of at least one big area of my life I try to live out as if truth doesn't matter. I'll do what I want and hopecast that my version is more true than truth. It's not working out well for me. Jesus forgives, but wisdom does not. She is a harsh taskmaster and takes her toll over time.
Make peace with reality, people. Face truth head on and align your thoughts, words, and deeds to truth.
Speaking of time, Belshazzar's is almost up.
Verse 24 tells us that the hand was sent from God to write the inscription in response to Belshazzar's choices.
“Now this is the inscription that was written out: ‘MENĒ, MENĒ, TEKĒL, UPHARSIN.’
This is the interpretation of the message:
‘MENĒ’—God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
‘TEKĒL’—you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
‘PERĒS’—your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.” Daniel 5: 25–28
Footnote from the Ryrie Study Bible: UPHARSIN becomes PERĒS because U means and and PERĒS is the singular of PHARSIN.
If I were to guess what happened after Daniel's interpretation, the king would be livid and might even lash out. We don't really know what the king thought, because he doesn't really matter. That's part of what God was communicating to him. You don't matter. The only response we learn is that Daniel did get the royal robes, jewelry, and authority in the kingdom.
And then the whole story ends on this bombshell:
That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two. Daniel 5:30–31
It's always very interesting to me what details God chooses to include. I would love to have read a full chapter about the last two verses and not much about Belshazzar at all. but God knows we are all inclined to act like Belshazzar and need that lesson.
Maybe God allowed the events of that night to unfold, not just as a lesson about bad choices, but as a means to get Daniel back into prominence, so that when Darius walks in the door, Daniel is on the scene and ready to serve the Lord in the new kingdom.
Ancient historian tells us that the Medes and Persians overthrew the biggest kingdom in the world by diverting the Euphrates River, which ran under the city walls. Now they jut walked right under the walls in the river bed and easily took control because they found the whole city in a drunken orgy and unable to resist.
It's another time the Lord's will was done by parting waters: Red Sea, Jordan River, and now the Euphrates. I think there is something there. I know water is often key in the Bible. I'll have to think about that.
The common, pop-culture phrase, "You have been weighed and measured and found wanting" comes from this story.
And we have all been weighed and measured and found wanting. That's key to the gospel. We all have to hear how bad our choices have been, accept that we have been found wanting, and then we have to accept the salvation that came from His blood and water.
Amen.
MENĒ TEKĒL UPHARSIN