Belshazzar's Wine Goes Sour - The Book of Daniel - Daniel 5:1-31

Belshazzar's Wine Goes Sour

Daniel 5:1-30

Passages:

• "You were secured in your wickedness; you said 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, 'I am, and there is no one else.' But disaster will happen to you; you will not know how to avert it. And it will fall on you, but you will be unable to ward it off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly" (Is. 47:10-11)

• "What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:9-12)

• "And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who live in you" - (Rom. 8:11)

• "This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed" - 2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

• "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." - John 3:36

Quotes:

• "In his own spiritual bankruptcy he turned to the bankrupt wisdom of the world and found it to be empty too." - Singclair Ferguson

• "No wonder that the wrath of God, when manifested but a little to the soul, overbears human strength". - Jonathan Edwards.

• "Here clearly was an indication that through long years of faithful witness, Daniel's true identity - determined by God, not by kings - was still known. He possessed that quality and qualification required for all leaders among God's people. He had a "good testimony among those who are outside". Singclair Ferguson

Structure:

1. The Wickedness of Belshazzar (v.1-4)

2. The Fear of Belshazzar (v. 5-12)

3. The Judgement over Belshazzar (v.13-30)

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NOTES:

Open with me to Daniel 5.

• Between the two chapters there are approximate 20 years

◦ Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC, then came three other successors and then we get to Nabonidus and his son Belshazzar

Babylon represents the epitome of the human kingdom and it's wealth and glory. Belshazzar is a prime example of this kingdoms ignorance, wickedness, and blasphemy before the ultimate king of heaven and earth, before whom we all live and will give an account.

• NO matter who you are: a Hindu, Muslim, Seek, or Spiritual. Or you live in your own kind of way which works for you and you don't believe in God, or seek him as someone distant, or you go to church and try to be a good person.

• NO matter your origin, age, experience, achievements, and position, we all are accountable before God of heaven and earth!!!

Our Lord is the Sovereign king over all things. We all walk before HIM!

Belshazzar trusted the thick walls of Babylon, and his military power to keep them safe during a siege under Medo-Persian armies. This enemy should have waken Belshazzar up to the reality that he needs God.

Brothers and sisters, how do we live??? Are we faithful to our Lord and King? He is holy is our life holy?

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With all that in mind let us read and make three important observations and implications.

I. The Wickedness of Belshazzar (1-4)

Let us read v. 1-4

• The way this chapter starts is not an accident: there is no introduction, biography of how we got to Belshazzar, or anything of that nature; it simply goes into the last day in the kings palace of Babylon.

• Belshazzar was the son of Nebonidus who was the third successor after Nebuchadnezzar. He probably married Nebuchadnezzar's daughter.

• Belshazzar seems to have been taken pride in his security and greatness of his city.

◦ This is exactly what Isaiah says about the Fall of Babylon in Is. 47:10-11:

⦾ "You were secured in your wickedness; you said 'No one sees me.' Your wisdom and knowledge led you astray. You said to yourself, 'I am, and there is no one else.' But disaster will happen to you; you will not know how to avert it. And it will fall on you, but you will be unable to ward it off. Devastation will happen to you suddenly and unexpectedly"

• Belshazzar's pride leads him to act foolishly.

◦ Rather then figuring out how to protect his city and how to fight his enemy, he parties.

◦ Then he goes beyond his foolishness and satisfaction of his desires, and blasphemes God.

◦ It makes you wonder, why out of all things he asks he asks for these vessels???

◦ In his drunkenness we can see the ultimate rebellion is against GOD

All humanity is in rebellion against God!!!

◦ We read about this in Romans 3:9-12 "What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.”

◦ From the very beginning mankind turned their back on God. They decided to listen to themselves rather than God, serve themselves and the things they create.

◦ Even if people say they don't believe in God, they rebel against Him

The problem is that Sin is not passive or static, it will always lead to downfall.

◦ You may think you are in control and can make it work, but reality, you don't realize your blindness.

◦ In our Pride we don't realize we are powerless to do anything.

◦ O how broken we are!!!

• We may see good mannered people around us, they seemed to do their own thing and don't have anything to do with God. They obey the rules, live as good people.

◦ YET in reality deep inside all people rebel against God.

◦ Things like: Alcohol, troubles in life, uncertainties of the future bring out our true heart.

This passage begs the question to us all: Where am I at?

◦ Am I rebelling against God of heaven and earth?

◦ Am I freed from this self-possession and self-centeredness?

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II. The Fear of Belshazzar (5-12)

Let us read v. 5-12

• Notice the contrast to the feeling of security and partying, until God shows up.

• He shouts out of fear to find anyone who can read and interpret.

◦ Which made the king even more terrified.

◦ Singclair Ferguson points out here: "In his own spiritual bankruptcy he turned to the bankrupt wisdom of the world and found it to be empty too."

◦ Jonathan Edwards says it well,"No wonder that the wrath of God, when manifested but a little to the soul, overbears human strength".

• The king doesn't know what to do, he is a mess. His own security and abilities are nothing against the God of heaven.

◦ The reality is that when the heavenly power shows up, humans cannot stand against it. They either fall on their face or freeze.

◦ The king operates on a physical level only, without realizing that there is a whole spiritual world, which is how Daniel is portrayed the person who has the spirit of the god's in him.

◦ People may speak of God without fear and reference. They may mock him and laugh foolishly at life. Yet, when God shows up, all mouths will close, all knees will shake

• As the king is out of his mind what to do, the queen shows up.

◦ She was probably his mother or grandmother, because it says that all his wives and concubines were with him in the celebration.

◦ This women seems to be very wise based on her answer and that she does not take part in his partying.

◦ It seems that she hints on the contrast between Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar. Pointing out that Nebuchadnezzar did this and that.

◦ She is very familiar with Daniel.

⦾ Daniel is not an ordinary wiseman.

⦾ He has the spirit of the holy god's in him.

⦾ Singclair Ferguson points out: Here clearly was an indication that through long years of faithful witness, Daniel's true identity - determined by God, not by kings - was still known. He possessed that quality and qualification required for all leaders among God's people. He had a "good testimony among those who are outside".

Notice the contrast between Belshazzar who is proud and blind, and his own mother says how foolish he has been in contrast to his ancestor. Then she points out Daniel who is of a different sort of person.

• Man of Earthly kingdom vs. A man of heavenly kingdom, or the people of God

• The people of God are marked by the presence of God!

• "Where do I find my strength?" What makes you firm through trails?  - Not the outside physical things. Not your muscles, not strength, not your energy, not your gadgets not chat GPT, but God himself.

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III. The Judgement over Belshazzar (13-30)

Let us read v. 13-30

First notice how Belshazzar address Daniel, he says "Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brough from Judah?"

Yet Daniel is not swayed by his gifts. He refuses to be bought by money, but he will be faithful at interpreting what is being said on the wall.

• Notice that these words are not favorable. Who would want to tell the king unfavorable news? But Daniel does not care about what the king will do, but rather what he needs to do, and that is interpret it faithfully.

Then Daniel addresses Belshazzar, with a form of a lawsuit against the king.

1. Daniel points out historical background to Belshazzar's sin (18-21)

2. Daniel applies this reality to Belshazzar (22-24)

3. Daniel interprets and pronounces judgement against Belshazzar (25-30)

◦ Mene - means "numbered" - God brought his days to an end. Meaning he will die very soon.

⦾ This tells you that God has the power to take your life away. Because he is the one who holds it. Without him we would not exist.

⦾ Mene is written twice to say that this divine pronouncement is certain.

◦ Tekel - means "weighed" - God found that he was deficient in the scales of God. Meaning on the scales of God the kings wickedness was evident.

◦ Parsin - means "divided" - Which is a plural form of "Peres". The kingdom is divided. Meaning destroyed and crushed to pieces. This kingdom of Babylon will end with the hand of Medes and Persians.

• At this point Belshazzar did what he told he will do and that is give his gifts. But that very night Darius the Mede kills Belshazzar and takes over his kingdom, without any fight.

◦ Xenophon a historian of that era records that the city was taken during the night festival and that the king was slain!

◦ Darius diverted the waters of Euphrates River, and his army was able to enter the city and capture it without any difficulty.

This is a glimpse of God's Judgment against a nation and it's king.

◦ The great judgement of our God is coming to judge this world:

◦ We read in 2 Thessalonians a sobering passage:

⦾ "This will take place at the revelation of the Lord Jesus from heaven with his powerful angels, when he takes vengeance with flaming fire on those who don’t know God and on those who don’t obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will pay the penalty of eternal destruction from the Lord’s presence and from his glorious strength on that day when he comes to be glorified by his saints and to be marveled at by all those who have believed, because our testimony among you was believed" (1:7-10)

⦾ How scary it is to be in the hands of a Sovereign God pouring out his answer on sin and humanity.

◦ "The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36)

• There will come a time when everyone, will stand before God and give an account.

◦ All of us failed to achieve God's standard. We have lied, cheated, stole and more.

◦ All our sins will fill the scale of the Lord. And everything we lived for will be exposed and tested by fire.

• How will you measure up?

◦ Those who have Jesus in their life. Do not fear that day of judgement. Because it does not depend on us if we get in or not. Jesus stands for us there and paid our penalty for sin, so that we may go in.

⦾ My friend if you don't have Jesus you need to be afraid of that judgement day, for it will be fierce.

⦾ It is called the wrath of God. Not because it is evil or angry, but because he hates sin and wickedness more than you do.

⦾ He needs to punish it and no one is off the hook. Justice has to be served.

◦ But there is a way out, Jesus paid the price, if only you come to Him.

• Brothers and Sisters, those who have Christ in our lives, rejoice and praise God for such a Savior.

◦ This should ignite us to walk with Him throughout life and seek his will for all of our lives.

◦ But not only that, our God is a Holy God and he desires us to live in obedience to Him.

⦾ A world that is full of distraction and allure, we might miss that there is a real war going on for our souls.

⦾ We might live comfortably yet we need to be we alert for our enemy.

◦ We need to build convictions and stand firm on the word of God.

◦ Be consistent in God's word, be in closeness to Him, because we need direction from our captain against our enemy.

◦ Be in deep prayer with God, who give you strength.