Rachel Workman: 5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father[a] had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 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. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 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 the hand as it wrote. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers[b] and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. When I read these verses about this king my first thoughts are why? Why would God even bother with this man? It's hard for us to imagine God's love because we are not capable of loving the same way. He loves us even when we're a sinner similar to King Belshazzar.
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John Burnett:
5 Belshazzar
the king [a]held a great feast for a thousand
of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand. 2 When Belshazzar tasted the wine,
he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar
his [b]father had taken out of the temple
which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his
wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold
vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in
Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from
them. 4 They drank
the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood
and stone.
5 Suddenly
the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on
the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the [c]back of the hand that did the writing. 6 Then the king’s [d]face grew pale and his thoughts
alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began
knocking together. 7 The
king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the [e]Chaldeans and the diviners. The king
spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, “Any man who can read this
inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with
purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and
have authority as [f]third ruler in the
kingdom.” 8 Then
all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription
or make known its interpretation to the king. 9 Then King Belshazzar was
greatly alarmed, his [g]face grew even paler, and
his nobles were perplexed. I can’t say that I remember this
story but a hand writing on the wall would alarm me as well. The
Belshazzar’s concern should be the same concern of everyone who has not put
their trust in Jesus Christ as their Savior because the handwriting is on the
wall and it the consequences are severe and eternal.
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Using goblets that they should not be using and praising gods they should not
be praising! This can only lead to problems...
5 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 the hand as it wrote. 6 His face
turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees
were knocking.
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What a crazy scene this must have been!
7 The king summoned the enchanters,
astrologers[b]
and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this
writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold
chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in
the kingdom.”8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
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Tomorrow’s reading for Daniel 5:10-17
13 So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14 I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15 The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16 Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
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.
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