Daniel's Admonition to King Belshazzar - The Most High God's Sovereignty Revealed

The Most High God rules over the kingdoms of the world and appoints anyone he desires to rule over them. (Dan 5:21b NLT) To Download this lesson go to: http://www.purifiedbyfaith.com/Daniel/Daniel.htm https://subsplash.com/charis/media/ms/+b72rmnj

Daniels Admonition to The King (5:17-24) 5:17 Then Daniel answered the king, "You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. 18 O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19 Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled.

Daniels Admonition to The King (5:17-24) 5:20 But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21 He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes.

Daniels Admonition to The King (5:17-24) 5:22 But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24 Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. (NIV)

5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. (ESV) Daniel s words to the king are very pointed and direct. Such a bold response, so plainly stated, undoubtably required great courage on the part of Daniel when facing a king who had the power of life and death over his subjects. But Daniel is not being disrespectful here. By refusing the king s gifts he has set himself apart from the mercenary wise men of Babylon who offer their services for a profit. Leupold, H. C.; Exposition of Daniel (1949); (pp. 229 230)

5:17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. (ESV) Daniel is not someone who uses the revelatory insights that God has given him for personal gain. And Daniel wants to make that clear before offering his interpretative skills in service to the king. As we ll see later (v. 29), Daniel does end up accepting the rewards offered by the king once he has finished interpreting the writing on the wall. Because at that point he has already provided the divine revelation and made it clear that he does not expect to be paid for it ( Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another ). Refusal to accept the king s recognition at that point would have amounted to an insult. Leupold, H. C.; Exposition of Daniel (1949); (pp. 229 230)

5:18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. (ESV) Daniel points out to Belshazzar that it was the Most High God (Yahweh of Judah, not the idols of Babylon) who had given his father Nebuchadnezzar a great kingdom, power, and honor ( kingship and greatness and glory and majesty ). Nations trembled and feared Nebuchadnezzar, for the Babylonian monarch had virtually absolutepower on earth. He put to death, spared, promoted, and humbled anyone he pleased. By this description of Nebuchadnezzar s power, Daniel appears to have been emphasizing the utter folly of Belshazzar s proud actions. The great Nebuchadnezzar had submittedto Yahweh s sovereignty, whereas Belshazzar, who was hardly worthy to be compared with the earlier king, had not. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (p. 162)

5:20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. (ESV) A man like Nebuchadnezzar might seem to have good reason for being proud.1 But even in his case such an attitude of pride received divine correction. 1 Therefore, how much more deserving of punishment was the proud Belshazzar, who did not have near the ground for pride that Nebuchadnezzar would have had. 1 Most of the thoughts expressed here are a repeat of those found in chapter four with some slight variation.1 The mention of wild donkeys is new. They were particularly shy creatures (cf. Job 39:5 8). The king had avoided all contact with mankind as much as they did.1 The expression his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly means he His spirit was hardened so that he actedproudly . 2 1 Leupold, H. C.; Exposition of Daniel (1949); (pp. 231 232) 2 Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (p. 162)

5:22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23a but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. (ESV) Here Daniel delivers a stinging rebuke to the arrogant monarch who sat before him. And you at the beginning of v. 22 is emphatic and expresses a strong contrast between Nebuchadnezzar s actions and those of Belshazzar. Nebuchadnezzar had been proud, but he repented. On the other hand, Belshazzar, his son, had refused to humble himself before God, even though he was aware of all that had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 163 164)

5:22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23a but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. (ESV) How would Belshazzar have been aware of Nebuchadnezzar s humiliation? Certainly the story would have been widely known, but there is reason to believe that Belshazzar may have witnessed these events firsthand. According to extra-biblical Babylonian historical documents, Belshazzar served as chief officer during the administration of King Neriglissar in 560 B.C. This means that the king was old enough to serve in a high position in government only two years after Nebuchadnezzar s death (562 B.C.). Since Belshazzar s father Nabonidus was an official in Nebuchadnezzar s administration, Belshazzar would have lived in Babylon and would have observed personally the last years of the great king s reign. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 163 164)

5:22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, 23a but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. (ESV) And yet, even though Belshazzar had seen what happened to Nebuchadnezzar with his own eyes ( you knew all this ), he still refused to humble himself before the Most High God. This made Belshazzar s blasphemy against Israel s God even more inexcusable. Instead of glorifying Yahweh, he purposely defiedhim ( you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven ) by desecrating holy vessels taken from the temple and using them to praise his idols. By committing this act of sacrilege, Belshazzar was, in effect, issuing a challengeto the Lord of heaven. In spite of his knowledge of Yahweh and Yahweh s power as demonstrated by what he did to Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar had deliberately chosen to worship the idols of Babylon using sacred vessels taken from Yahweh s temple. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 163 164)

5:23b And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. 24 Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. (ESV) Here Daniel uses blunt language, describing these Babylonian gods as mere objects of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know . These words illustrate the folly of any religion or philosophy which is not founded upon belief in the true God. For all idols whether they be idols of wood or stone, or idolatrous human philosophies are the creation of men s minds that can neither see nor hear nor know anything. Belshazzar worshipped this pantheon of lifeless idols, but refused to honor the living God, in whose hand is [his] breath [i.e. life] ) and who determines all his ways (his life s course). Daniel concludes his sermon by telling Belshazzar that it was because of his blasphemous, defiant actions that the hand was sent from the living God. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 163 164)

The Handwriting Explained (5:25-28) 5:25 This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN 26 This is what these words mean: MENE: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. 28 PERES: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (NIV)

5:25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." (ESV) Daniel now reveals what was written by the hand on the wall four brief words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. MENE means numbered TEKEL means weighed PARSIN means divided MENE was written twice to stress the certainty of divine fulfillment. So, the literalmeaning of the message is: Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided. The king, no doubt, would have recognized these Aramaic words, but their significance was a mystery to him. Daniel now explains what they mean. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 166)

5:25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." (ESV) The inscription was an announcement of the divine evaluation of Belshazzar s reign and a pronouncement of imminent judgment. MENE signifies that Belshazzar s evil rule (and his life) would soon be over (in other words, his days are numbered ). The term translated wanting means lacking, deficient. Belshazzar was lacking, deficient in moral worth. God s righteous standards were placed on one side of the scales and the king s wicked life on the other. Belshazzar did not measure up to God s standard of righteousness, and the proud king had never repented of his sins and humbled himself before God and asked for forgiveness. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 166)

5:25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians." (ESV) Verse 28 reads PERES, your kingdom is divided PERES is the singular form of PARSIN (vs. 25), which means divided Belshazzar s kingdom was to be divided broken into pieces and destroyed. The text then states that Belshazzar s kingdom would be given to the Medes and Persians . The word PERES has the same consonants (only the consonants were written in ancient Aramaic and Hebrew scripts) as the Aramaic word translated Persians and was likely intended as a play on words, hinting that the division of the kingdom would be brought about by the Persian armies. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 166)

Daniels Exaltation and the Fall of Babylon (5:29-31) 5:29 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. 30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31 and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. (NIV)

5:29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. (ESV) Daniel had interpreted the writing and was given the rewards promised by the king. He did not refuse the gifts since it could no longer be argued that they somehow influenced his message, since he had already given it. Besides that, the gifts were of little value at this point. What good is a proclamation (to the people in the room, not throughout the empire) that he was to be the third ruler in an empire that would collapse in only a few hours? There is no record of Belshazzar ever acknowledging the greatness and power of Israel s God, but by conferring the promised gifts upon Yahweh s representative, Daniel, it indicates that he at least believed Daniel s interpretation of the message on the wall. This in itself was an indirectrecognition of Yahweh s reality and power. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 166)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) With only a few words the writer of Daniel reported one of the most significant events in world history: the fall of the Babylonian Empire and the beginning of the Medo-Persian Empire. That night the city fell and with it the last remnants of Babylonian dominance. Belshazzar was executed only a few hours later. Daniel furnishes very little information about the actual fall of Babylon, but a number of extra-biblical historical sources supplement the biblical account. The Greek historians, Herodotus (fifth century B.C.) and Xenophon (ca. 434 355 B.C.), supply exceptionally helpful details in this regard. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 169)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) The walls surrounding the city of Babylon were formidable. The outer walls were approximately twenty-five feet in width and rose to a height of at least forty feet. These fortifications were too difficult to penetrate, and so according to Herodotus and Xenophon, the Medo-Persian army diverted water from the Euphrates River (which ran under the walls of Babylon) into a marsh. With the level of the water lowered, the soldiers were able to wade the river under the walls and enter the city. Xenophon added that the city was invaded while the Babylonians were feasting in a time of drunken revelry, and Herodotus confirms this as well. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 169)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) As a matter of fact, Xenophon cited the festival as the reason the Persians chose to attack Babylon on that particular night. He further mentioned that Gobryas, a commander under Cyrus, led his soldiers into the palace, where they found the king holding a dagger, with the intent to take his own life. According to Xenophon, the king and his attendants were overpowered, and the invaders then executed the wicked king . All the peoples who had been taken into captivity by the Babylonians received Cyrus with joy because he allowed them to return to their homelands (cf. the Cyrus Cylinder and Ezra 1:1 4). This description of the events harmonizes well with the peaceful transition to Persian rule that is suggested in the Book of Daniel. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 164 169)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) Next we read, Darius the Mede , who was sixty-two years of age, became ruler of Babylon . He is said to have received the kingdom meaning either: God bestowed the kingdom on him He was given the kingdom by a superior, maybe Cyrus. The identification of Darius the Mede has been the subject of much debate. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 171 177)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) Liberal scholars generally consider Darius the Mede to be literary fiction. They believe that certain historical facts concerning Persian history were misconstrued by the author of Daniel. At this time, no extra-biblical text has yet been discovered that identifies Darius the Mede by that name. But to assume that Darius the Mede did not exist, and so to dismiss the evidence provided by this book, is high-handed and unwise. Especially when we remember that at one time that name Belshazzar was not found in any extra-biblical documents, and therefore liberal scholars at the time declared him to be a fictional character. Later they were proven wrong. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 171 177)

5:30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old. (ESV) Manyscholars have identified Darius as Gubaru, the governor of Babylon mentioned in the Nabonidus Chronicle and other ancient texts. And there is a great deal of historical data to support that idea. A number of otherscholars believe that Darius is another title for Cyrus, the first ruler of the Medo-Persian Empire. And there is a strong historical case that can be made for this possibility as well. Given the extrabiblical historical information that we have available at this time, either of the above views is possible: Darius the Mede may have been Gubaru, the governor of Babylon who was appointed by Cyrus, or he may have been the great King Cyrus himself. Hopefully, further historical data will be forthcoming that will clarify the matter. Miller, Stephen R., Daniel, vol. 18, The New American Commentary (pp. 171 177)

Class Discussion Time Last week at the end of our section, we saw that the king (Belshazzar) offered to give valuable gifts and bestow great honor upon Daniel if Daniel could successfully interpret the writing written on the wall by a mysterious hand. Today we read in our opening verse (verse 17) that Daniel responded to the king s generous offer by speaking in a very pointed and direct way saying, You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else . Daniel then goes on to rebuke the king for what he has done. In giving this response, do you think Daniel is being a little disrespectful or perhaps ungrateful to the king? Why or why not? Carrying this a step farther, are there circumstances where it would be appropriate for us to speak to those in authority over us in this way? Explain your answer.

Class Discussion Time After telling the king You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else , Daniel complies with the king s request to interpret the writing on the wall. The king then presents Daniel with the gifts and honors that he had offered earlier and Daniel accepts them. Do you think it was it inappropriate for Daniel to accept these gifts and honors, given what he had said at the outset? Why do you think he accepted them?

Class Discussion Time Proverbs 21:11 says, When a scoffer is punished, the simple becomes wise; when a wise man is instructed, he gains knowledge. In reflecting on Daniel s rebuke of Belshazzar in Daniel 5:18-22, do you see how Belshazzar violated the principle taught in this Proverb? The Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this (Dan 5:18-22) In your own words, what is the principle expressed by this Proverb and how did Belshazzar violate it?

Class Discussion Time In verse 27 we see that God had weighed Belshazzar s life against the divine standard of what God requires and he was found wanting The point of this text is that Belshazzar was an evil ruler (especially in contrast to his father Nebuchadnezzar) and Daniel was explaining to him why God was about to bring down judgment on him. But if you think about it more deeply, do you see in this statement to Belshazzar a hint of the need we all have for the Gospel? And if so, do you find it humbling and a good reminder of your own condition before God saved you from the coming judgment?