Chapter 8
Good Monday Morning to this new week!
Daniel reads the words “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN” and interprets them.
Meanwhile the Persian Empire had invaded Babylon. Today it would be like Iran invading Iraq. Geographically, ancient Babylon was Iraq and ancient Persia was Iran. And Nabonidus had left his excavations to try to lead the Babylonian armies against Persia, but he was being defeated. Back to the story; The king and everyone else was intoxicated, and the banquet had become a drunken orgy. What was happening in this room was X-rated. It was vile. In his intoxicated state, the king’s inhibitions were lowered and he impulsively decided to commit an act of sacrilege against the God of Israel. Nebuchadnezzar had taken holy vessels from Jerusalem fifty years before, and they had remained in the royal museum or treasury. In his drunkenness and arrogance, Belshazzar made sacrilege against the holiness of God. 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. As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. 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. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers 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.”Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled. The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. Don’t be alarmed. Don’t look so pale! There is a man in your kingdom who had the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, king Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”So Daniel was brought before the king; 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. You, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. Daniel was blunt. But he was also calm and confident. That is, he is simply telling the truth and letting his words do the work. He isn’t out of control. He isn’t frantic. He is calm, but he is as blunt as an anvil. Daniel continues; The Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms of earth and sets over them anyone He wishes.
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN
Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
In short; Numbered, weighed, and broken in two. History repeats itself? The expression “the writing on the wall” is often used metaphorically today to convey the idea that there are clear signs or indications that something is about to happen or that a situation is not favorable and yet …
Summing up these reflections on division, the writing on the wall, and their consequential impact, the undeniable truth emerges—the writing on the wall leads us to one of the most captivating aspects of our God, Jehovah: His profound understanding of grace.
I draw my conclusion, resonating with the sentiments expressed in Lamentations 3:22-23.
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
The kindness of LORD JEHOVAH that does not fail and his mercies that do not end
Wishing you a good start to this new week!
Philemon