When God Says Enough
Daniel 5:1-31
Message #7
There’s a saying still used today that comes right out of Daniel Chapter 5. It’s used when you see someone heading down a path that you know ends bad, and sometimes if you try to talk to that person, you might say, “Bro, the writing is on the wall.”
“You and I both know where this is going to end. We both know where this road leads; bro, the writing is on the wall.”
It means the game is up, and if you don’t jump ship, you’re going down with the ship.
“The writing is on the wall.”
Maybe that’s you today. Or maybe it’s someone in your life. You think you’re getting by; you think you’ve got it figured out. You think you’ve beaten the system, and you’re pretty proud! But, “The writing - might be – on the wall.”
This message is for every one of us. But there are some here today, that need to hear the truth. There is a time when God says ENOUGH!
Many years have passed between Daniel Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, and so we need to fill in a few historical blanks to catch up.
Nebuchadnezzar had died about twenty years before these events, having ruled for about forty-five years. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son Evil Merodach. Literally, that was his name, check in 2 Kings 25:27. He was murdered by his brother-in-law, Nergilessar, who took over the throne. But he died four years later and left the kingdom to his infant son, who was removed by a revolution led by the Babylonian priests.
A priest named Nabonidus takes the throne, but he doesn’t really like ruling, so he makes his son co-regent (co-ruler) of Babylon. His son’s name is Belshazzar, who is the main character in Daniel Chapter 5. Belshazzar is actually the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. So, it’s been twenty years and four kings since Nebuchadnezzar died, and Daniel has been faithfully serving the God of Israel, right in the midst of all this worldly craziness, the entire time.
Now, today, the world-ruling Empire of Babylon is going to fall, right here in Daniel Chapter 5. It seems fast, but it’s been at least sixty-five plus years since Nebuchadnezzar carried Daniel and the Jews off to Babylon after destroying Jerusalem. But before we see it fall, let’s try to grasp the magnificence of the first of the great world-ruling empires.
The city of Babylon, the capital of the empire, was incredible, built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who never seemed to get over the bigger and better game. The city may have been close to sixty miles around (perimeter) surrounded by a wall 300 feet high and fifty feet thick. The wall was so thick (wide) two chariots could pass going opposite directions, which they did as they rode in constant guard around the perimeter of the city on top of this great wall. Outside the wall was a 30-foot moat surrounding the entire city which no army could cross before climbing a 300-foot wall. The city (as they say) was invincible.
Over one million people lived inside the walls, feeling so safe that even when there were enemies outside the wall, the inhabitants smugly went about their business knowing that no enemy could ever break through.
And of course, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the hanging garden of Babylon were built inside the city, which was a pyramid garden built for Nebuchadnezzar’s wife. The “wonder” part was how it was watered. The water came from the river Euphrates that literally flowed right through the city. With the water from the river, twenty years of food supplies, and the impenetrable wall, the people of Babylon lived a smug, “We’re all that” lifestyle.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar and three other Kings had all fallen before him, Belshazzar thought he was untouchable.
He was like:
I know how the road ended for all them – but not for me
I know how to play with fire and not get burned
I know how to live this life and not get taken out
I am untouchable.
And Daniel is about to say, “Bro, the writing is on the wall.”
Some things don’t change much. From the hanging gardens of Babylon to the grain fields of Nuevo, there is a time when God says, "Enough!" and that time for this King of Babylon is in Daniel Chapter 5.
Daniel 5:1 (NLT)
1 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
Twenty years and three Kings after Nebuchadnezzar, King Belshazzar was in charge. History paints him as a young, insecure ego-maniac who covered up his inabilities with an exaggerated ability to party. He was proud and full of himself, fat, dumb, and happy, and in charge of the most opulent city in the world. Here’s how cocky this little party King was… At the time of the events here in Daniel Chapter 5, the Medes and Persians were actually outside the walls (at this very time) trying to break into the city. That is smugness and pride, and (if you were around in 1990) this is an M.C. Hammer attitude – You can’t touch this!
God knew exactly how things were about to play out. But Belshazzar, he thought he was untouchable.
Daniel 5:2 (NLT)
2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem . . .
Notice the word “predecessor.” Your version may say, “father.” If it does, it should have a footnote attached to explain the reference here is to ancestor or forefather. In Aramaic, there is no word for ancestor or forefather, so “father” is used, referring to forefather or predecessor. So let’s look at Daniel 5:2 again.
Daniel 5:2 (NLT)
2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
Belshazzar wanted to “strut his stuff” in front of his nobles, wives, and concubines, and what better way to show that “you’re the man” than to desecrate that which belongs to the God of the Jews. This was the typical “my gods are better than your God” thing the Babylonians did. But Belshazzar was about to cross a line. In defiance, he was about to taunt the God of Heaven with God’s own holy vessels.
Daniel 5:3-4 (NLT)
3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
What’s being described here is Belshazzar using the holy vessels from the Temple of God to toast the idol gods of Babylon. And in his drunken stupidity, everyone knew what he was saying.
Belshazzar was making it clear…
Who is this so-called God of the Hebrews-?
He is nothing to me – I’m in charge here-
I call the shots, and I’m greater than this so-called GOD
And as the wine flowed and the erotic dancing continued, everyone shouted – “Yeah, you’re the man, you’re the party animal!”
You’re an idiot, that’s what you are, and God’s about to say… "Enough!"
But, wait a minute. Don’t get too far away from this story because this story is about you and me and our ability to defy God and ridicule him by our own actions and our own pride.
We think we’re all that when we’re calling the shots and we’re riding high at the party. But there is never a moment when God is not in charge, and there is a time when God says – Enough!
Daniel 5:5-6 (NLT)
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,
6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
Now that’s what I call immediate detox. This joker got sober quick, fast, and in a hurry!! I love how God would say, “Hey, let’s have a hand appear, and write on the wall, that ought to get their attention.” It worked. This King, who wanted everyone to think he was the man, was probably wetting himself about now. His face turned pale with fright, his knees were shaking, and his legs gave way – from King of the world to a terrified baby in the fetal position.
When are we going to learn not to mess with God?
And so Belshazzar does the only thing he knows to do.
Daniel 5:7-8 (NLT)
7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”
Third highest because he was co-ruler with his daddy, so the next highest position was number three.
8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.
Do you think God is trying to make a point with the world’s wise men? Every time these guys are brought into the picture, they are clueless. Because 1 Corinthians 1:20 tells us:
1 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)
20 . . . God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
So the world’s wisdom fails! (Again) for the third time in Daniel,
Daniel 5:9 (NLT)
9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken (Now everybody’s scared to death).
But on God’s behalf, in comes the Queen Mother.
Daniel 5:10-12 (NLT)
10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.
11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.
12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
The current King did not even know Daniel, because the standard procedure of every new King was to remove all the previous King’s men and bring in his own. So Daniel was away doing something else until the Queen Mother (probably Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter) came in to speak on God’s behalf.
Daniel 5:13-16 (NLT)
13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?
14 I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom.
15 My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it.
16 I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
This is the same offer the King made to the world’s wise men, but notice Daniel’s response carefully.
Daniel 5:17-21 (NLT)
17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.
I’ll tell you in a second why I think Daniel said this.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.
19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. (Meaning - he WAS the Man)
20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.
It’s a different King, same lesson; the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world.
Daniel 5:22-23 (NLT)
22 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.
23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
That is Daniel bringing the heat! I know the church wants to hear “feel-good sermons,” and I know even a church in Nuevo could grow with those kinds of sermons. But along with the good news of God’s free gift of salvation comes the bad news for those who reject the good news. And that bad news is eventually, God says, “Enough!” And when he does, the handwriting is on the wall. But wait a minute. Is Daniel talking about life in Babylon or life in Nuevo?
Daniel says – in your pride, you have defied the Lord of heaven. You have taken what belongs to the Lord, and you’ve used it to worship the idols of your world, and you have refused to honor the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny.
Is it possible for us, in our pride, to defy the Lord of Heaven? Is it possible for us to take what belongs to God and use it to worship the idols of our own world? Is it possible for us to refuse to honor the God who gives us the very breath of life and controls our destiny? Yes! It is possible!! I am not saying you have; I’m saying be aware, because it is possible, and at some point, God says, “Enough!” And if we continue in that defiance of God, long enough, refusing to repent and ask God for forgiveness… what is the end of that road? What is the writing on that wall for our own lives?
Well, here is the message to King Belshazzar. It’s the writing on the wall, for the end of his road. God has had enough of this prideful King and his party animal antics. So Daniel continues God’s message to the king.
Daniel 5:24-28 (NLT)
24 So God has sent this hand to write this message.
25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
26 This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
28 Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin.
God has numbered your days.
You have been weighed and found wanting and
Your world is coming to an end.
The end of the line was here for King Belshazzar and for the Babylonian Empire.
But still, Belshazzar tried to give Daniel what he’d promised.
Daniel 5:29 (NLT)
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
The only problem with all these rewards is they all hinged on Belshazzar still being King, which is why Daniel knew they were worthless because he wasn’t going to be King for very long.
Daniel 5:30-31 (NLT)
30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.
31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Baam! God says, “Enough!” The writing on the wall signals the end of the road for another prideful, self-centered, know-it-all King.
There’s a famous poem that says, “The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.”
God is so patient, so merciful, and so full of grace. But in the end, God is holy, and God is just. And when God said, “Enough!” the writing was on the wall, and Belshazzar’s end came immediately!
Now there are some wonderful prophetic truths about this transition of Kingdoms that I’m going to wait until next message to get into. There’s something more important we need to deal with today.
This story is heavy enough when we’re talking about a self-centered party King in 500 B.C. But how can I have the audacity to apply this to us? How can I imply that we could suffer the same fate as King Belshazzar?
This is very critical.
The consequences of rejecting God are just as guaranteed as God’s promise of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
God’s free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus is a guaranteed promise from God.
If you will come to Christ in repentance and faith
He will forgive your sins
Cleanse you of unrighteousness and
Give you new life in Jesus Christ
And that’s what I’m going to ask you to do in just a minute.
But, first know, just as God’s salvation is sure and guaranteed through faith in Jesus Christ… so is the eventual end of the line for those who continually reject the God who gives them the breath of life and controls their destiny.
Both of these promises are just as guaranteed. The good news is, you decide! You can choose to continue in your rejection of God, continue defying him, and taunting him to his face by your lifestyle, OR, you can recognize the writing on the wall before it’s too late. You can repent today, and God will accept you. God will receive you, and he will totally and completely forgive you by you repenting and turning from your pride and your sin and surrendering your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord.
Would you do that now? The writing is on the wall. The end of the road will eventually come, and when God says, “Enough!” and your days are up, there will be no more chances for repentance.
“You and I both know where this is going to end. We both know where this road leads; bro, the writing is on the wall.”
It means the game is up, and if you don’t jump ship, you’re going down with the ship.
“The writing is on the wall.”
Maybe that’s you today. Or maybe it’s someone in your life. You think you’re getting by; you think you’ve got it figured out. You think you’ve beaten the system, and you’re pretty proud! But, “The writing - might be – on the wall.”
This message is for every one of us. But there are some here today, that need to hear the truth. There is a time when God says ENOUGH!
Many years have passed between Daniel Chapter 4 and Chapter 5, and so we need to fill in a few historical blanks to catch up.
Nebuchadnezzar had died about twenty years before these events, having ruled for about forty-five years. Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by his son Evil Merodach. Literally, that was his name, check in 2 Kings 25:27. He was murdered by his brother-in-law, Nergilessar, who took over the throne. But he died four years later and left the kingdom to his infant son, who was removed by a revolution led by the Babylonian priests.
A priest named Nabonidus takes the throne, but he doesn’t really like ruling, so he makes his son co-regent (co-ruler) of Babylon. His son’s name is Belshazzar, who is the main character in Daniel Chapter 5. Belshazzar is actually the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. So, it’s been twenty years and four kings since Nebuchadnezzar died, and Daniel has been faithfully serving the God of Israel, right in the midst of all this worldly craziness, the entire time.
Now, today, the world-ruling Empire of Babylon is going to fall, right here in Daniel Chapter 5. It seems fast, but it’s been at least sixty-five plus years since Nebuchadnezzar carried Daniel and the Jews off to Babylon after destroying Jerusalem. But before we see it fall, let’s try to grasp the magnificence of the first of the great world-ruling empires.
The city of Babylon, the capital of the empire, was incredible, built by King Nebuchadnezzar, who never seemed to get over the bigger and better game. The city may have been close to sixty miles around (perimeter) surrounded by a wall 300 feet high and fifty feet thick. The wall was so thick (wide) two chariots could pass going opposite directions, which they did as they rode in constant guard around the perimeter of the city on top of this great wall. Outside the wall was a 30-foot moat surrounding the entire city which no army could cross before climbing a 300-foot wall. The city (as they say) was invincible.
Over one million people lived inside the walls, feeling so safe that even when there were enemies outside the wall, the inhabitants smugly went about their business knowing that no enemy could ever break through.
And of course, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, the hanging garden of Babylon were built inside the city, which was a pyramid garden built for Nebuchadnezzar’s wife. The “wonder” part was how it was watered. The water came from the river Euphrates that literally flowed right through the city. With the water from the river, twenty years of food supplies, and the impenetrable wall, the people of Babylon lived a smug, “We’re all that” lifestyle.
Even though Nebuchadnezzar and three other Kings had all fallen before him, Belshazzar thought he was untouchable.
He was like:
I know how the road ended for all them – but not for me
I know how to play with fire and not get burned
I know how to live this life and not get taken out
I am untouchable.
And Daniel is about to say, “Bro, the writing is on the wall.”
Some things don’t change much. From the hanging gardens of Babylon to the grain fields of Nuevo, there is a time when God says, "Enough!" and that time for this King of Babylon is in Daniel Chapter 5.
Daniel 5:1 (NLT)
1 Many years later King Belshazzar gave a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles, and he drank wine with them.
Twenty years and three Kings after Nebuchadnezzar, King Belshazzar was in charge. History paints him as a young, insecure ego-maniac who covered up his inabilities with an exaggerated ability to party. He was proud and full of himself, fat, dumb, and happy, and in charge of the most opulent city in the world. Here’s how cocky this little party King was… At the time of the events here in Daniel Chapter 5, the Medes and Persians were actually outside the walls (at this very time) trying to break into the city. That is smugness and pride, and (if you were around in 1990) this is an M.C. Hammer attitude – You can’t touch this!
God knew exactly how things were about to play out. But Belshazzar, he thought he was untouchable.
Daniel 5:2 (NLT)
2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem . . .
Notice the word “predecessor.” Your version may say, “father.” If it does, it should have a footnote attached to explain the reference here is to ancestor or forefather. In Aramaic, there is no word for ancestor or forefather, so “father” is used, referring to forefather or predecessor. So let’s look at Daniel 5:2 again.
Daniel 5:2 (NLT)
2 While Belshazzar was drinking the wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver cups that his predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to drink from them with his nobles, his wives, and his concubines.
Belshazzar wanted to “strut his stuff” in front of his nobles, wives, and concubines, and what better way to show that “you’re the man” than to desecrate that which belongs to the God of the Jews. This was the typical “my gods are better than your God” thing the Babylonians did. But Belshazzar was about to cross a line. In defiance, he was about to taunt the God of Heaven with God’s own holy vessels.
Daniel 5:3-4 (NLT)
3 So they brought these gold cups taken from the Temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
4 While they drank from them they praised their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
What’s being described here is Belshazzar using the holy vessels from the Temple of God to toast the idol gods of Babylon. And in his drunken stupidity, everyone knew what he was saying.
Belshazzar was making it clear…
Who is this so-called God of the Hebrews-?
He is nothing to me – I’m in charge here-
I call the shots, and I’m greater than this so-called GOD
And as the wine flowed and the erotic dancing continued, everyone shouted – “Yeah, you’re the man, you’re the party animal!”
You’re an idiot, that’s what you are, and God’s about to say… "Enough!"
But, wait a minute. Don’t get too far away from this story because this story is about you and me and our ability to defy God and ridicule him by our own actions and our own pride.
We think we’re all that when we’re calling the shots and we’re riding high at the party. But there is never a moment when God is not in charge, and there is a time when God says – Enough!
Daniel 5:5-6 (NLT)
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,
6 and his face turned pale with fright. His knees knocked together in fear and his legs gave way beneath him.
Now that’s what I call immediate detox. This joker got sober quick, fast, and in a hurry!! I love how God would say, “Hey, let’s have a hand appear, and write on the wall, that ought to get their attention.” It worked. This King, who wanted everyone to think he was the man, was probably wetting himself about now. His face turned pale with fright, his knees were shaking, and his legs gave way – from King of the world to a terrified baby in the fetal position.
When are we going to learn not to mess with God?
And so Belshazzar does the only thing he knows to do.
Daniel 5:7-8 (NLT)
7 The king shouted for the enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers to be brought before him. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me what it means will be dressed in purple robes of royal honor and will have a gold chain placed around his neck. He will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom!”
Third highest because he was co-ruler with his daddy, so the next highest position was number three.
8 But when all the king’s wise men had come in, none of them could read the writing or tell him what it meant.
Do you think God is trying to make a point with the world’s wise men? Every time these guys are brought into the picture, they are clueless. Because 1 Corinthians 1:20 tells us:
1 Corinthians 1:20 (NLT)
20 . . . God has made the wisdom of this world look foolish.
So the world’s wisdom fails! (Again) for the third time in Daniel,
Daniel 5:9 (NLT)
9 So the king grew even more alarmed, and his face turned pale. His nobles, too, were shaken (Now everybody’s scared to death).
But on God’s behalf, in comes the Queen Mother.
Daniel 5:10-12 (NLT)
10 But when the queen mother heard what was happening, she hurried to the banquet hall. She said to Belshazzar, “Long live the king! Don’t be so pale and frightened.
11 There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.
12 This man Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has exceptional ability and is filled with divine knowledge and understanding. He can interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
The current King did not even know Daniel, because the standard procedure of every new King was to remove all the previous King’s men and bring in his own. So Daniel was away doing something else until the Queen Mother (probably Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter) came in to speak on God’s behalf.
Daniel 5:13-16 (NLT)
13 So Daniel was brought in before the king. The king asked him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles brought from Judah by my predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar?
14 I have heard that you have the spirit of the gods within you and that you are filled with insight, understanding, and wisdom.
15 My wise men and enchanters have tried to read the words on the wall and tell me their meaning, but they cannot do it.
16 I am told that you can give interpretations and solve difficult problems. If you can read these words and tell me their meaning, you will be clothed in purple robes of royal honor, and you will have a gold chain placed around your neck. You will become the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
This is the same offer the King made to the world’s wise men, but notice Daniel’s response carefully.
Daniel 5:17-21 (NLT)
17 Daniel answered the king, “Keep your gifts or give them to someone else, but I will tell you what the writing means.
I’ll tell you in a second why I think Daniel said this.
18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, majesty, glory, and honor to your predecessor, Nebuchadnezzar.
19 He made him so great that people of all races and nations and languages trembled before him in fear. He killed those he wanted to kill and spared those he wanted to spare. He honored those he wanted to honor and disgraced those he wanted to disgrace. (Meaning - he WAS the Man)
20 But when his heart and mind were puffed up with arrogance, he was brought down from his royal throne and stripped of his glory.
21 He was driven from human society. He was given the mind of a wild animal, and he lived among the wild donkeys. He ate grass like a cow, and he was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them.
It’s a different King, same lesson; the Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world.
Daniel 5:22-23 (NLT)
22 “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.
23 For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!
That is Daniel bringing the heat! I know the church wants to hear “feel-good sermons,” and I know even a church in Nuevo could grow with those kinds of sermons. But along with the good news of God’s free gift of salvation comes the bad news for those who reject the good news. And that bad news is eventually, God says, “Enough!” And when he does, the handwriting is on the wall. But wait a minute. Is Daniel talking about life in Babylon or life in Nuevo?
Daniel says – in your pride, you have defied the Lord of heaven. You have taken what belongs to the Lord, and you’ve used it to worship the idols of your world, and you have refused to honor the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny.
Is it possible for us, in our pride, to defy the Lord of Heaven? Is it possible for us to take what belongs to God and use it to worship the idols of our own world? Is it possible for us to refuse to honor the God who gives us the very breath of life and controls our destiny? Yes! It is possible!! I am not saying you have; I’m saying be aware, because it is possible, and at some point, God says, “Enough!” And if we continue in that defiance of God, long enough, refusing to repent and ask God for forgiveness… what is the end of that road? What is the writing on that wall for our own lives?
Well, here is the message to King Belshazzar. It’s the writing on the wall, for the end of his road. God has had enough of this prideful King and his party animal antics. So Daniel continues God’s message to the king.
Daniel 5:24-28 (NLT)
24 So God has sent this hand to write this message.
25 “This is the message that was written: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
26 This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end.
27 Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up.
28 Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parsin.
God has numbered your days.
You have been weighed and found wanting and
Your world is coming to an end.
The end of the line was here for King Belshazzar and for the Babylonian Empire.
But still, Belshazzar tried to give Daniel what he’d promised.
Daniel 5:29 (NLT)
29 Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was dressed in purple robes, a gold chain was hung around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
The only problem with all these rewards is they all hinged on Belshazzar still being King, which is why Daniel knew they were worthless because he wasn’t going to be King for very long.
Daniel 5:30-31 (NLT)
30 That very night Belshazzar, the Babylonian king, was killed.
31 And Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.
Baam! God says, “Enough!” The writing on the wall signals the end of the road for another prideful, self-centered, know-it-all King.
There’s a famous poem that says, “The mills of God grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine.”
God is so patient, so merciful, and so full of grace. But in the end, God is holy, and God is just. And when God said, “Enough!” the writing was on the wall, and Belshazzar’s end came immediately!
Now there are some wonderful prophetic truths about this transition of Kingdoms that I’m going to wait until next message to get into. There’s something more important we need to deal with today.
This story is heavy enough when we’re talking about a self-centered party King in 500 B.C. But how can I have the audacity to apply this to us? How can I imply that we could suffer the same fate as King Belshazzar?
This is very critical.
The consequences of rejecting God are just as guaranteed as God’s promise of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
God’s free gift of eternal life through faith in Jesus is a guaranteed promise from God.
If you will come to Christ in repentance and faith
He will forgive your sins
Cleanse you of unrighteousness and
Give you new life in Jesus Christ
And that’s what I’m going to ask you to do in just a minute.
But, first know, just as God’s salvation is sure and guaranteed through faith in Jesus Christ… so is the eventual end of the line for those who continually reject the God who gives them the breath of life and controls their destiny.
Both of these promises are just as guaranteed. The good news is, you decide! You can choose to continue in your rejection of God, continue defying him, and taunting him to his face by your lifestyle, OR, you can recognize the writing on the wall before it’s too late. You can repent today, and God will accept you. God will receive you, and he will totally and completely forgive you by you repenting and turning from your pride and your sin and surrendering your life to Jesus Christ as your Lord.
Would you do that now? The writing is on the wall. The end of the road will eventually come, and when God says, “Enough!” and your days are up, there will be no more chances for repentance.