The
new Babylonian ruler was King Belshazzar. He was seen here partying with a
bunch of revellers. And the vessels that he used for this merry session were “the
golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the
temple” (vs 2). This they did, mocking the God of Israel, while praising
their Babylonian deities.
Midway
through this blasphemous drunken partying, a magical human hand appeared and
wrote something on the wall. Belshazzar was so frightened that his face turned
pale and his knees started shaking. He summoned his wise men to tell him what
the writing meant but they were unable to decode the message. His queen
remembered Daniel.
Daniel
appeared before the king and began by telling Belshazzar that "the Most
High God" gave his father, Nebuchadnezzar, power and made his kingdom
great. But his father’s heart was lifted up with pride and God punished him by
making him live in the wild with the animals for seven years and forcing
Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge God. Yet, Belshazzar failed to learn the same
lesson and was as proud as his father. Plus, he defiled the sacred Temple
vessels by using them as drinking cups to honour his gods. Finally, having made
his point, Daniel turned to interpret the writing on the wall. It's a set of
Hebrew words for different weight measurement: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
Mene, says Daniel, means
that God has numbered the days of Belshazzar's kingdom and is now bringing it
to an end. Tekel means Belshazzar is being weighed in the balance and is
found wanting; he has personally failed the test of measuring up as a worthy
and humble ruler. And Peres means that his kingdom will fall and be
divided by the Medes and the Persians.
What
a shame: “TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting”
(vs 27). Are you ready to be weighed in God's balance? Suppose when you step
into the church and you see a balance. Are you ready to step into the balance
and be weighed? Are you ready to be weighed by the word of God? Is your heart
set upon God? Have you any idol in your heart? Do you love God above father or
mother, the wife of your bosom, your children, home or land, wealth or
pleasure? Can you say with confidence you have loved God with all your heart,
soul, mind, and strength? (Mark 12:30). Do you love your neighbour as yourself?
Is there any hatred in your heart? Have you been walking in the commandments of
God? Have you been attending all worship and bible classes? Are you present for
the mid-week bible class? Are you living as a true Christian?
God
told Belshazzar that his kingdom had been numbered by God, that it had been
weighed in the balances and found wanting, and therefore, it was going to be
given to the Medes and the Persians.
I
wonder how many churches and Christians had been weighed in God's balances and
found wanting. In Revelations chapter 2 and 3, we see five out of seven
churches were weighed by the Lord Jesus Christ and were found wanting. As God
took Belshazzar's kingdom and his life away from him that same night, God will
take away the candlesticks of those churches that are found wanting too.
We
have been warned; there is no salvation for anyone who when weighed in God’s
balance and is found wanting that can be saved. Jesus will say to these people:
“I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew
7:23).
Belshazzar
had ignored God completely throughout his rule. He had heard and probably even
seen the things which had happened to his father, Nebuchadnezzar. He had no
excuse for ignoring God.
The
time will come when every person who has ever lived will stand in judgment
before God to be weighed. The Christians will be judged by the kind of life
they lived as Christians (2 Corinthians 5:10). The unsaved will be judged in
that they had a chance to be saved and refused to do so (2 Thessalonians
1:7-9).
Jimmy Lau
Psa
119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
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