Nebuchadnezzar prays and exult and glorify the King of Heaven
because everything he does is right and all his ways are just.
And those who walk in pride he is able to humble.
Start chapter 5 verse 1.
King Balthazar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles
and drank wine with them.
While Balthazar was drinking his wine,
he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets
that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem
so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines,
might drink from them.
So they brought in the gold goblets
that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem
and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines,
drank from them.
As they drank the wine,
they praised the gods of gold and silver,
of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Suddenly, the finger of a human hand appeared
and wrote on the plaster of the wall near the lampstand in the royal palace.
The king watched the hand as it wrote.
And then moving down to verse 25 over the page.
This is the inscription that was written.
Meany, Meany, Tekel, Parson.
This is what these words mean.
Meany, God has numbered the days of your reign
and brought it to an end.
Tekel, you have been weighed on the scales
and found wanting.
Perseus, your kingdom is divided
and given to the Medes and the Persians.
Then at Balthazar's command,
Daniel was clothed in purple,
a gold chain was placed around his neck
and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler
in the kingdom.
That very night,
Balthazar, king of the Babylonians,
was slain
and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom
at the age of 62.
Thanks.
Thanks, Nick.
Well, we've been looking at the book of Daniel,
which in the context of what Phil has just been sharing
is very relevant in a nation,
an empire like Babylon
with a dictatorial ruler such as Nebuchadnezzar.
Very difficult to live as a Christian,
somebody who followed God,
but yet God used those people
to bring about his purposes in that place.
No king was greater than God.
Kirsty's just handing around sheets there
if you want to take notes this morning.
And we're going to be following along
from chapter five.
As we start into our study this morning,
let's pray
and ask for God's help
as we look at this together.
Amen.
Those who walk in pride,
God is able to humble.
Father, we come before you this morning
in humility
because we are, as we sung earlier,
just a vapor.
We are here a moment.
But you are the God
who reigns from before time begun
and time eternity.
As your creation,
as your people,
we bow before you
and ask that you would speak to us
and you would cause us
to understand what it is
to live before
a mighty king
such as you.
Humble us
and lead us in your ways.
We ask it in Jesus' name.
Amen.
Well, keep your Bibles, please.
Follow along.
Chapter five.
It all happened so quickly.
He suddenly appears on the scene
and then he disappears
from the story.
Look at verse one.
King Belshazzar gave a banquet
for a thousand of his nobles
and drank wine with them.
And then go to the end of the story,
verse 30.
That very night,
Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians,
was slain
and Darius the Mede
took over the kingdom
at the age of 62.
One moment he's drinking
and dancing,
the next
he's defeated
and dead.
A king in his kingdom
has come crashing down.
Now there's about 25 years
between the end of chapter 24
and the beginning of chapter 5.
Sorry, the end of chapter 4
and the beginning of chapter 5.
King Nebuchadnezzar has died.
Babylon is still the mighty empire.
He's still ruling
with an iron fist.
And the succession of kings
from Nebuchadnezzar onwards
has been a bit unstable.
There's been lots of family feuds.
There's been an assassination.
The usual goings-on
when a leader
of such popularity
as Nebuchadnezzar has died.
But now as we get to chapter 25,
we're introduced to Belshazzar.
It's his time to rule.
Time for another great king.
But chapter 5
is not just a lesson
in Babylonian kings.
This is a warning
about the dangers
of pride.
Belshazzar's life
can be summed up
with this proverb
from Proverb chapter 16, verse 5.
The Lord detests
the proud of heart.
Be sure of this.
They will not go unpunished.
A summary of his life.
The Lord detests
all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this.
They will not go unpunished.
So what do we learn
from chapter 5?
Well, three things
we're going to look at together
this morning.
First,
God is dead,
so let's party.
The story begins
with a great party.
Verse 1,
let's read together.
King Belshazzar
gave a great banquet
for a thousand
of his nobles
and drank wine with them.
This is the party
of all parties.
Invite only.
The who's who
of the Babylonian empire.
The movers
and shakers.
The planners
and developers.
The celebrities.
The socialites.
They're all there.
Not forgetting
the king's wives
and the concubines
that he's provided
for the occasion.
And the wine
is flowing.
But the king
wants to do more
than just throw a party.
He wants to show off
to these guests
his great power.
Look at verse 2.
While Belshazzar
was drinking his wine,
he gave orders
to bring in the gold
and silver goblets
that Nebuchadnezzar,
his father,
or predecessor,
had taken from
the temple in Jerusalem
so that the king
and his nobles,
his wives,
and his concubines
might drink from them.
Well, what's all that about?
Well, when a king
went and conquered
another nation,
what they would do
is they would take items
that represented
the nation's god
and then place them
before their own god
as a sign of victory.
We're actually told this
in chapter 1.
If you flick back
to chapter 1 of Daniel,
it's the way the book
is introduced to us.
Chapter 1, verse 1.
So, verse 1 says,
In the third year
of the reign of Jehoiakim,
who was king of Judah,
Nebuchadnezzar,
who was king of Babylon,
came to Jerusalem
and besieged it.
So he attacked it.
Verse 2,
when the Lord delivered
Jehoiakim,
king of Judah,
into his hand,
along with some
of the articles
from the temple of God.
These Nebuchadnezzar
carried off
to the temple
of his god
in Babylonia
and put them
in the treasure house
of his god.
You see,
not only is the king
of Judah defeated,
but the temple,
which was the very symbol
of God's presence
and power,
has been pilfered.
The articles,
in this case,
the gold and silver goblets,
have been taken
from the temple,
which represented
or symbolised
God's presence
with his people,
and they've now
become trophies
in the treasure house
of the Babylon's god.
So we can imagine
the headline
in the Babylonian times
after that battle.
Judah's god defeated,
dead,
and buried.
Back to chapter 5.
So when Belshazzar,
in the middle of his party,
orders for the gold
and silver goblets
to be brought,
which came from the temple,
you remember,
he's making a very,
very proud statement.
He's basically saying
to all his guests
that have gathered,
I'm king.
I'm the one in charge.
I'm in power.
God is dead.
So let's party.
Verse 4.
As they drank the wine,
they praised the gods
of gold,
silver,
of bronze,
iron,
wood,
and stone.
Now isn't that
just a little picture
of how the world lives?
worship what you like.
Do whatever satisfies you.
If it brings you pleasure,
enjoy it.
After all,
it's your life.
You're answerable to no one.
You're not bound by any morals.
You do what you like.
After all,
God is dead,
isn't he?
So let's live life
as a party.
But God's not going
to allow people
to carry on
presuming he's dead
or assuming
he has no power.
The consequences
are far too serious.
Look at verse 5.
In the middle
of this party,
suddenly,
the fingers
of a human hand
appeared
and wrote
on the plaster
of the wall
near the lampstand
in the royal palace.
The king watched
as the hand
watched the hand
as it wrote.
His face
turned pale,
and he was so frightened
that his knees
knocked together
and his legs
gave way.
Now the NIV,
the translation
that we're using here
is a little bit
too polite here.
Literally,
it's saying
he pooped his pants.
He's lost control
of his bladder.
The dancing stops.
The music fades.
The laughter
and the singing
are replaced
by this deathly fear
as they watch
this hand
on the wall.
How does he respond?
Well,
in his foolish
ignorance,
verse 7,
the king called out
to the enchanters,
the astrologers,
and the diviners
to be brought
to him.
Remember,
these are the ones
we've seen
all the way
through chapters 1 to 4,
and every time
they failed.
But yet,
he turns to them again.
And he said
to the wise men
of Babylon,
whoever reads the writing
and tells me
what it means,
will be clothed
in purple,
will have a gold chain
placed around his neck,
and he will be made
third highest ruler
in the kingdom.
Then all the king's
wise men came in,
but they could not
read the writing
or tell the king
what it meant.
Isn't it ironic
that the gods
he was just praising
back in verse 4
are now deaf
and dumb
to his cry
for help?
The gods
that supposedly
gave Babylon
their great victories
in battle
and made them
such an enormous
and great empire
are hopeless
and helpless
to do anything?
Verse 9,
So the king,
Belshazzar,
became even
more terrified
and his face
grew more pale.
Another change
of trousers
for the king.
His nobles
were baffled.
The most powerful
king in the world
is paralysed
with fear
and there's nothing
that he can do
about it.
He's hopeless
and he's helpless.
And the question is,
why is he reduced
to such a cowering mess?
Well,
I think the purpose
is
so that he would
cry out to God
something he fails
to do.
And sometimes
that's the case
for us.
Life leaves us
hopeless
and helpless.
The gods
that we trust in
fail us.
People that we
depend on
leave us.
Jobs that give us
security
are lost.
Things that gave us
pleasure
are stripped away.
Our health fades.
Our mental abilities
deteriorate.
We're left afraid
and fearful.
And why?
Well,
maybe
it's so that
we will cry out
to an all-powerful,
all-loving
God.
The God
who is not
dead,
but the God
who lives
and reigns
forevermore.
So,
the first thing,
God is dead,
let's party.
Second,
God has spoken,
so listen up.
Living our life
as if God is dead
is serious,
so God speaks
into the situation.
It starts off
with an idea
from the Queen.
Look at verse 10.
The Queen,
hearing the voices
of the King
and his nobles,
came into the
banquet hall.
Oh King,
live forever,
she said.
Don't be alarmed,
don't look so pale.
She's got an answer,
verse 11.
There's a man
in your kingdom
who has the spirit
of the holy gods
in him.
In the time
of your father,
he was found
to have insight
and intelligence
and wisdom
like that
of the gods.
This was their way
of explaining
God's divine
interventions.
King Nebuchadnezzar,
your father,
the king.
Remember Nebuchadnezzar,
that all-powerful,
great,
ruling king?
I say,
appointed him
chief of the magicians,
enchanters,
astrologers,
and diviners.
This man,
Daniel,
whom the king
called Belshazzar,
was found
to have a keen mind
and knowledge
and understanding
and also the ability
to interpret dreams,
explain riddles,
and solve difficult problems.
Call for Daniel.
Go and get Daniel.
He's the one
who can tell you
what the writing means.
You see,
from the very beginning
of Daniel,
we've seen that Daniel
has been God's voice
to the king of Babylon.
God has spoken
through the man
that he has placed
at the very heart
of the kingdom.
And he can speak
straight into
the king's life.
The so-called wise men,
the enchanters,
the astrologers,
they've all consistently
failed.
They've had nothing
to be able to say.
Man-made religion
is always empty.
But Daniel delivered
every single time
with absolute clarity
because God was speaking
through his man
to the king.
The question here is,
is Belshazzar
going to listen
to what Daniel
has to say?
Well,
with some reluctance,
it seems that the king
does call for Daniel.
Verse 13,
So Daniel was brought
before the king
and the king said to him,
Are you Daniel?
One of the exiles
that my father,
the king,
brought from Judah?
I've heard that
the spirit of the gods
is in you
and that you have
insight and intelligence
and outstanding wisdom.
Well,
if he thinks
that Daniel
does have
outstanding wisdom,
why has Daniel
been discharged
from being ruler
over all of Babylon
and demoted
from being chief
of all the wise men,
a position
that King Nebuchadnezzar
has given him?
He's not in that position
any longer
under Belshazzar.
It seems
that Belshazzar
has removed
anyone to do
with God
from his presence.
He's making
a clear statement.
We don't want
any God talk
around here.
We don't want
this religious business
in the palace.
To the king,
Daniel was,
as we read
in verse 13,
just an exile
from Judah.
He's a conquered slave.
He's despised.
He's rejected.
He's a nothing.
He's a nobody.
He's not worth
listening to.
We don't need Daniel.
But Daniel
is God's voice
to the king.
God has something
to say.
And God
intervenes
into the king's
life and brings
Daniel yet again
right to the very
heart of power
so he can speak
to the king.
Verse 17.
Then Daniel
answered the king,
You may keep
your gifts
for yourself
and give your
rewards to someone else.
You're not going
to bribe me
or tempt me
or make me
a little puppet.
Nevertheless,
I will read
the writing
for the king
and I'll tell
him what it means.
God spoke
to Belshazzar
through Daniel
and God
also speaks
to you
and to me.
His word
is crystal clear
but it seems
sometimes
that the world
does not want
to listen
to God.
We have
despised
and rejected
God's voice
to us,
the one we
call Jesus.
The prophet
Isaiah spoke
about Jesus
who was to come.
Listen to these
words from
Isaiah 53.
He was
despised
and rejected
by men,
a man of sorrows
and familiar
with suffering,
like one
from whom
men hide
their faces.
He was despised
and we esteemed
him not.
That's about
Jesus.
You want us
to listen
to Jesus?
That despised,
rejected,
that crucified
loser?
You can't
expect us
to take seriously
what Jesus
has to say,
can you?
He's
outdated.
He's
old-fashioned.
Times have
moved on.
We don't
need
Jesus
anymore.
And so
the world
in its
arrogant
sophistication
has demoted
Jesus
to the ranks
of myth
and lies,
just as
Belshazzar
had demoted
Daniel
to a nobody
and a nothing.
God's not
worth listening
to anymore.
We don't
want this
God talk
around here.
We don't
want you
talking about
God in
your school
or in
your college.
Keep your
religion to
yourself.
You've come
here to
work.
Don't bring
religion into
the conversation.
What's he
got to do
with it?
Jesus.
But let's
give Jesus
the last
word on
this.
As Jesus
faced his
own trial
before Pilate,
another king,
listen to
what Jesus
had to say
in John
18
verse 37.
This is
Pilate
speaking to
Jesus.
He says,
you are
a king
then,
said Pilate.
Jesus
answered,
you are
right in
saying I
am a
king.
In
fact,
for this
reason I
was born
and for
this I
came into
the world
to testify
to the
truth.
Everyone
on the
side of
truth
listens
to me.
Everyone
on the
side of
truth
listens
to
Jesus.
Jesus
is God's
king.
He is
God's
voice.
Do not
close your
ear to
what he
has to
say.
Listen
to him.
So God
has spoken.
Listen
up.
God,
thirdly,
will judge.
Be
humble.
the sad
reality
is
because
Belshazzar
had
silenced
Daniel
and
pushed
him
away,
he's
actually
removed
God's
voice
from
his
ears.
The
very
word
that
could
save
Belshazzar's
life,
he's
rejected
it.
So all
that is
left for
Belshazzar
to hear
and listen
to is
a word
of
judgment.
There are
four things
we need
to listen
to if
we want
to avoid
the same
fate.
I haven't
got them,
so listen
up.
Here we
go.
Know
your place
before
God.
Know
your place
before
God.
Verse
18.
This is
Daniel
speaking to
Belshazzar.
O
King,
the
Most
High
God
gave
your
father
Nebuchadnezzar
sovereignty
and greatness
and glory
and splendor.
Because
of the
high
position
God
gave
him,
all
the
peoples
and
nations
and men
of every
language
dreaded
and feared
him.
Did
you see
what it
says
there?
God
gave
Nebuchadnezzar
his position
and power
and God
could take
it from
him
as he
pleased.
And it's
no different
for us
in our
lives.
All that
we have,
our work,
our families,
our joys,
our pleasures,
everything we
love and
enjoy comes
from God
who's given
it to us.
In fact,
look at the
end of
verse 23.
This is
the God
who holds
in his
hand
our life
and all
our ways.
From the
moment we
are born
to the
second we
die,
everything
in our
life is
ruled and
controlled by
God.
So lesson
number one,
know your
place before
God.
Lesson
two,
be careful
of arrogant
pride.
Be careful
of arrogant
pride.
King
Nebuchadnezzar
had become
proud of
his position.
Look at
verse 20.
But when
his heart
became arrogant
and hardened
with pride,
he was
disposed
from his
royal throne
and stripped
of his
glory.
He was
driven away
from people
and given
the mind
of an
animal.
The point
is simple.
God
will humble
the arrogant
God.
And he
will humble
us
unless we
acknowledge
that he
is the
most high
God,
the one
who rules
over our
life,
who rules
over every
king and
over every
nation.
Remember the
testimony of
King Nebuchadnezzar?
The first
verse in our
reading this
morning
comes at the
end of chapter
4 verse
37.
And those
who walk
in pride
he is able
to humble.
So,
number two,
be careful
of arrogant
pride.
Number three,
learn humility
before it's
too late.
Learn humility
before it's
too late.
Here's the
tragedy of
this story.
Verse 22.
This is a
great tragedy.
Verse 22.
But you,
his son,
O Belshazzar,
have not
humbled
yourself,
though you
knew all
of this.
Though you
knew all
of this.
Belshazzar
was not
without excuse.
He knew
all about
Nebuchadnezzar.
He had
heard how
God had
humbled him
and how
God had
restored him.
He had
heard the
stories of
what God
had done.
He knew
all of
this.
But,
verse 23,
instead you
have set
yourself up
against the
Lord of
heaven.
You had
the goblets
from the
temple brought
to you,
and you
and your
nobles,
your wives,
and your
concubines
drank wine
from them.
you praised
the gods
of silver,
of gold,
of bronze,
iron,
wood,
and stone,
which cannot
see or
hear or
understand.
But you
did not
honour the
God who
holds in
his hand
your life
and all
your ways.
God is
so gracious
to us.
The very
fact that
we are
here this
morning means
that we
have heard
the voice
of God
through his
word and
none of us
here today
are without
excuse.
Do not
refuse to
be humble
or honour
God.
Learn
humility
before it
is too
late.
And then
last,
we will
all stand
before God
as judge.
We will
all stand
before God
as judge.
Belshazzar's
fate,
well it was
revealed to
him in the
writing on
the wall,
verse 25.
This is the
inscription that
was written.
Meenie,
meenie,
tekel,
parson.
This is
what the
words mean.
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 given
to the
Medes
and Persians.
And then
it seems
as if
Belshazzar
has made
some last
desperate
attempt to
gain approval
with Daniel
and some
kind of
acceptance
with God.
This is
desperate,
desperate
measures.
Verse 29.
Then at
Belshazzar's
command,
Daniel was
clothed in
purple,
a gold
chain was
placed around
his neck,
and he was
proclaimed the
third highest
ruler in the
kingdom.
Maybe in
his thinking,
if I do
this for
Daniel,
maybe this
isn't going
to happen
to me.
But it's
too late.
It's
too
late.
God's
judgment
has
already
been
spoken.
His
word
can't
be
reversed.
Verse 30.
That
very
night,
that
very
night,
Belshazzar,
king of the
Babylonians,
was slain
and Darius
the Mede
took over
the kingdom
at the
age of
62.
The
Babylonian
empire
was wiped
away,
never to be
back again.
in power.
One
moment,
drinking and
dancing.
A few
hours later,
defeated
and dead.
A king
and his
kingdom
came crashing
down.
You know
what, as we
finish,
we're all
going to
face God's
judgment one
day.
Every one
of us here,
myself
included.
And we
will have
to give
an account
for our
life.
But you
know what?
We can
do it
with absolute
confidence
and assurance.
Flick with
me, if you
like, to
Hebrews
chapter 9.
These are the
words we
started with
at the very
beginning this
morning.
Hebrews
chapter 9.
9.
What's the
page number?
1206.
Hebrews
chapter 9.
Verse 27.
Read these
words with
me.
Just follow
along.
Hebrews 9
verse 27.
Just as
man is
destined to
die once
and after
that to
face the
judgment.
That's the
reality.
It will
all happen
one day.
What are we
going to say?
What will be
our answer?
But here's the
confidence that
comes in verse
28.
Just as we
die once,
so Christ
was sacrificed
once to
take away the
sins of
many people,
people like
you and
me.
And he
will appear
a second
time, not
to bear
sin, but
to bring
salvation to
those who
are waiting
for him or
those who
are trusting
in him.
One day
the party
of our
life is
going to
be interrupted
just as
abruptly as
it was for
Belshazzar.
One day
our life
will come
to a
close.
We will
breathe our
last.
The days
of our
life will
end.
We will
stand before
God.
We will
be weighed
on the
scales of
justice.
But don't
leave it
till it's
too late.
God is
graciously
patient,
longing and
waiting for
all to turn
to him.
If on the
other hand
you are
trusting and
you are
assured of
meeting God
and you're
looking forward
to his
salvation to
come,
don't leave
it till
it's too
late
before you
share this
message with
those who
are walking
in pride
today and
do not
know of the
salvation that
is to be
found in
Christ.
Do not
leave it
till it is
too late
with your
colleagues at
work,
your friends,
your family.
The writing
is on the
wall.
Do not
ignore what
God has
said.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Our Father
God, we
thank you
that you
are a
living God.
We thank
you that
you are a
speaking God.
We thank
you that you
are a
judging God.
Thank you
that in your
judgments you
will put
everything right.
And we
thank you
that because
of Jesus
we can
stand before
you with
confidence,
assurance,
unashamed
because Christ
has forgiven
us.
Please help
us to
walk humbly
before you.
Help us to
do that well
this week
as we seek
to share
the good
news of
Christ
with others.
we ask
for your
help to
do this.
In
Jesus'
name.
Amen.