Rembrant
pictured the "handwriting on the wall" this way. Elegant, clear and
to-the-point. I especially like the expression of the lady on the
left!!! And the rest of the story is...
Daniel, Chapter 5
1
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and
drank wine before the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, while he tasted the wine,
commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar
his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the
king and his lords, his wives and his concubines, might drink from them.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the
temple of God’s house which was at Jerusalem; and the king and his
lords, his wives and his concubines, drank from them. 4 They drank wine,
and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of
wood, and of stone. 5 In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came
out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the
king’s palace. The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6 Then
the king’s face was changed in him, and his thoughts troubled him; and
the joints of his thighs were loosened, and his knees struck one against
another. 7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the
Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke and said to the wise men
of Babylon, Whoever shall read this writing, and show me its
interpretation, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold
about his neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. 8 Then came
in all the king’s wise men; but they could not read the writing, nor
make known to the king the interpretation. 9 Then was king Belshazzar
greatly troubled, and his face was changed in him, and his lords were
perplexed. 10 The queen by reason of the words of the king and his lords
came into the banquet house: the queen spoke and said, O king, live
forever; don’t let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your face be
changed. 11 There is a man in your kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the
holy gods; and in the days of your father light and understanding and
wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and the king
Nebuchadnezzar your father, the king, your father, made him master of
the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; 12 because an
excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of
dreams, and showing of dark sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were
found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let
Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. 13 Then was
Daniel brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel,
Are you that Daniel, who are of the children of the captivity of Judah,
whom the king my father brought out of Judah? 14 I have heard of you,
that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding
and excellent wisdom are found in you. 15 Now the wise men, the
enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this
writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not
show the interpretation of the thing. 16 But I have heard of you, that
you can give interpretations, and dissolve doubts; now if you can read
the writing, and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be
clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about your neck, and shall
be the third ruler in the kingdom. 17 Then Daniel answered before the
king, Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another;
nevertheless I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him
the interpretation. 18 You, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar
your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty: 19 and
because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and
languages trembled and feared before him: whom he would he killed, and
whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he raised up, and whom he
would he put down. 20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit
was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly
throne, and they took his glory from him: 21 and he was driven from the
sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling
was with the wild donkeys; he was fed with grass like oxen, and his body
was wet with the dew of the sky; until he knew that the Most High God
rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he
will. 22 You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart,
though you knew all this, 23 but have lifted up yourself against the
Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before
you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk
wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of
brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, nor hear, nor know; and
the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you
have not glorified. 24 Then was the part of the hand sent from before
him, and this writing was inscribed. 25 This is the writing that was
inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of
the thing: MENE; God has numbered your kingdom, and brought it to an
end; 27 TEKEL; you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
28 PERES; your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and
put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning
him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 In that
night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain. 31 Darius the Mede
received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Belshazzar
should have glorified God because of all that he had seen, but didn't.
He paid the price for his actions; and what a price it was!!! But,
there is something else here as well- an allegory. What I mean is; The
Bible is telling us that WE should give God GLORY because of the
knowledge given to us from the Bible. Unlike Belshazzar, we still have
time to make things right. Now, this applies to each of us; and
collectively as a nation as well. The United States of America was
founded to give its people freedoms. They are consistently being taken
away!!! Tuesday, we have a chance to begin to do that at the ballot
box. Do it!!!
