The Writing on the Wall
King Belshazzar gave a party where he invited a thousand of his friends. At the party there was large amount of wine being drunk. Belshazzar gave an order for the gold and silver vessels to be brought which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. These vessels were sacred and were not to be misused for any unholy purposes.
Belshazzar and his friends started to drink out of these vessels and praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, wood and stone. Then a hand appeared writing on the wall. There was great fear amongst the people in the party. Belshazzar himself began to tremble in fear. His legs became weak. The party came to an abrupt end!
There was nobody in the party who could understand the meaning of the words on the wall. Belshazzar ordered his wisest men to be brought before him and he said to them, “Whoever can read the writing on the wall and what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chained placed around his neck. And he will be made third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
But they could not interpret the meaning of the words. Belshazzar became even paler. The Queen (possible Belshazzar’s mother) arrived and told Belshazzar not to look so pale. She knew that Daniel would be able to interpret the meaning of the writing on the wall.
Danial is summoned. Belshazzar offers Daniel the same reward he offered his advisors. He would be will be clothed in purple and have a gold chained placed around his neck and promoted to third highest in the Kingdom. Daniel said to Belshazzar, “I am not interested in your gifts but I will interpret what is written on the wall.” The writing on the wall was mene,mene, tekel, upharsin.
Daniel said to Belshazzar, “You have been put on the scales and have been wanting before God. You have not pleased God. The days of your reign have been numbered.” Daniel was clothed in purple. He had a gold chain placed around his neck and he was promoted to the third highest person in the Kingdom. That very night Belshazzar was killed. His reign came to an abrupt end!
Belshazzar had mocked God and God drew the line. He had been put on the scales and had been found wanting before God. Even when he had been told by Daniel that God was displeased with him. Belshazzar did not show any remorse or take any action.
It is important for us all to understand that we are all accountable to God. Belshazzar ignored God’s holiness by using the vessels that were sacred and were not to be misused for any unholy purposes.
Today we do need a sense of God’s holiness in our own lives, our homes and our communities. The Writing on the Wall has been there for every generation and it is there for our generation today. The corona virus has brought our world to a standstill and this is the time for us all to turn to God. The challenge for all of us is are we going to ignore God as Belshazzar did or are we going to seek his God and his holiness? (The story of Writing on the Wall is found in the book of Daniel in the Bible).
Prayer
Dear Heavenly Father
I come into your
Holy presence now.
You are Holy
I ask for your mercy
I have sinned against you
Forgive me
And receive me.
I ask this in Jesus name.
Amen.
By harbajan (servant of Jesus)
25/09/2020.