Dan 5:13-30 · Read 6 min · think and write 15 min
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand” (Dan 5:1). While he drank, he “commanded that the golden and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem be brought to him” (Dan 5:2) — Lesson 1 read how these vessels were carried from Jerusalem to Babylon (Dan 1:2).
“In the same hour, the fingers of a man’s hand came out and wrote near the lamp stand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace” (Dan 5:5). The king’s wise men “could not read the writing, and couldn’t make known to the king the interpretation” (Dan 5:8). The queen came in and said, “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods” (Dan 5:11); “Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation” (Dan 5:12).
13Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?
14I have heard of you, that the spirit of the gods is in you and that light, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you.
15Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known to me its interpretation; but they could not show the interpretation of the thing.
16But I have heard of you, that you can give interpretations and dissolve doubts. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel answered before the king, “Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18“To you, king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty.
19Because of the greatness that he gave him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. He killed whom he wanted to, and he kept alive whom he wanted to. He raised up whom he wanted to, and he put down whom he wanted to.
20But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
21He was driven from the sons of men, and his heart was made like the animals’, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of the sky, until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will.
22“You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
23but have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which don’t see, or hear, or know; and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways.
24Then the part of the hand was sent from before him, and this writing was inscribed.
25“This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.’
26“This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end.
27TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting.
28PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain.
Of the children of the captivity. The king asked him, “Are you that Daniel of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Judah?” (v. 13). The king said that if he could read the writing, “you shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold around your neck, and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” (v. 16).
Let your gifts be to yourself. “Then Daniel answered before the king, ‘Let your gifts be to yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation’” (v. 17).
Nebuchadnezzar your father. Lesson 3 read Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. Daniel said to Belshazzar: “But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him” (v. 20), “until he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and that he sets up over it whomever he will” (v. 21).
Not humbled your heart. “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this” (v. 22); “and you have not glorified the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways” (v. 23).
The writing on the wall. “This is the writing that was inscribed: ‘MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN’” (v. 25). “MENE: God has counted your kingdom, and brought it to an end” (v. 26); “TEKEL: you are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting” (v. 27); “PERES: your kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians” (v. 28).
That night. “Then Belshazzar commanded, and they clothed Daniel with purple, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom” (v. 29). “In that night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was slain” (v. 30).
Afterwards. “Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old” (Dan 5:31). The next lesson reads what happened after “It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom one hundred twenty local governors” (Dan 6:1).
The book of Ezra records that later, when King Cyrus of Persia let the exiles return to build the house of God in Jerusalem, “Also Cyrus the king brought out the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar had brought out of Jerusalem, and had put in the house of his gods” (Ezra 1:7).
Readers can see this: in this chapter Daniel says to Belshazzar, “they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines, have drunk wine from them” (v. 23).
Perhaps someone wants to trade a favour for words you would rather not say: a position, some money, a debt of kindness. Or perhaps you are the one who is used to hearing pleasant words, and seldom hears the truth.
This lesson does not say that every reward is to be refused; nor does it say that speaking the truth always turns out well. What it shows you is this: he said, “Let your gifts be to yourself”, and “Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king” (v. 17); he reminded the king, “You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this” (v. 22); and he spoke of “the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways” (v. 23).
This week: Each morning this week, read the end of v. 23: “the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways”, and thank God once for your breath and your ways that day.
Scripture: World English Bible.