The Writing on the Wall

The phrase, “the powers that be,” referring to leaders, is from the Bible: “…The powers that be are ordained of God.” (Romans 13:1) So is “the apple of your eye,” someone special to you. God said of Israel, “…he that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his [God’s] eye.” (Zechariah 2:8) So is “by the skin of your teeth,” a narrow escape: “My bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth.” (Job 19:20) So is “the writing on the wall,” an indicator of trouble to come.

   Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar had learned the hard way of God’s sovereignty, even over him. He had humbled himself and turned to God. Yet his son Belshazzar was a wicked king. One day Belshazzar had golden and silver vessels, taken by his father from the temple at Jerusalem, to be brought out at a party.

   Then he took the golden vessels and he, “…and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them.” (Daniel 5:3) As they insulted God by drinking liquor from vessels dedicated to God’s service, they “…praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.” (Daniel 5:4)

   Then something frightening happened: “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace:” (Daniel 5:5) The king saw the part of the hand that wrote. He did not understand the words, but he became so scared that “…the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” (Daniel 5:6)

   He called for the astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers to read and interpret the writing. They could not, and he was even more troubled. Then the queen reminded him of a man who had served under his father and who was known for “…an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts,” (Daniel 5:12) That man was Daniel. Belshazzar called for him and offered him riches and power if he would read and interpret the writing.

   Daniel didn’t want the king’s riches and power. He was God’s servant, not a mercenary. He reminded Belshazzar how God had given his father Nebuchadnezzar a huge kingdom, majesty, glory, and honour. “But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride,” (Daniel 5:20) God took his kingdom and glory from him, and he lived like an animal until he repented before God.

   Daniel told Belshazzar that he knew what God had done in his father’s life, yet he “...hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven;” (Daniel 5:23) He defiled the vessels dedicated to God’s house by drinking liquor out of them: he, his lords, wives, and concubines, “…and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:” (Daniel 5:23)Daniel then read the writing on the wall: “...MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” (Daniel 5:25) It was bad news for Belshazzar.

   Daniel then interpreted the writing: “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:26-28)Belshazzar did give Daniel riches and honour, but the Bible says nothing about Belshazzar repenting and turning to God, as his father Nebuchadnezzar had done. He was killed that night.