Daniel 5:13-31 Click here for Bible Verses
Hi GAMErs!
Today’s passage is Daniel 5:13-31. Let’s go!
Daniel 5:13-24 (NIV)
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.
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.
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.
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.
On verses 13-24: Belshazzar knew all about how God had shown up in Nebuchadnezzar’s life. Belshazzar knew how God had taken away Nebuchadnezzar’s authority and drove him into obscurity when Nebuchadnezzar pridefully attributed all his power and glory to himself. Belshazzar also knew how God exalted Nebuchadnezzar to an even higher level when Nebuchadnezzar humbled himself and gave praise to God. Daniel reminds Belshazzar that “though you knew all this” “you have not humbled yourself” (v22).
Some people say that seeing is believing. But when it comes to faith, sometimes people see and still not believe. That’s because faith is a heart issue more than it is a sight issue.
Belshazzar could not plead ignorance about the LORD. Belshazzar had learned, and maybe even seen firsthand, how God had mercy on Nebuchadnezzar, but Belshazzar still decided to ignore God anyway and give praise to lifeless idols instead. Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall, and yet despite all that he knew about what Nebuchadnezzar had experienced with the LORD, Belshazzar’s first instinct was not to consult the LORD but to resort to the wisdom the world had to offer – the astrologers and wise men of Babylon (see 5:7). God holds us accountable to what He has revealed to us about Himself.
Daniel 5:25-28 (NIV)
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.”
On verses 25-28: “Mene, mene, tekel, parsin” were words in Aramaic, a language spoken in Daniel’s home country of Judah. “Mene”, which was probably repeated for emphasis, means “numbered”. “Tekel” means “weighed”. “Parsin” means “divided.” Belshazzar’s officials may have recognized these words as Aramaic words and may have even understood the literal meaning of each word. What they did not understand, however, was the message being communicated by these words. Daniel gives them the meaning of this message.
What can we learn from this? Many people know something about the Bible but they don’t understand it. Belshazzar needed someone like Daniel to explain what this message in Aramaic meant, even though his officials could probably understand Aramaic. Just as Daniel was strategically placed in Belshazzar’s life, I believe God has strategically placed you in the lives of others who don’t know God’s Word, so that you can explain it to them.
Also, like Belshazzar, all of our days are numbered, all of us will be weighed by God and any kingdom we built for ourselves will be taken away. What God will measure when we stand before Him is: what did we do with what God revealed to us, including most importantly Jesus Christ His Son.
Daniel 5:29 (NIV)
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.
I love Daniel’s courage and integrity. Daniel was not afraid to speak the truth to Belshazzar despite the fact that Belshazzar had the power to do whatever he wanted with Daniel and despite the fact that Belshazzar had showered Daniel with praise just before this (v14-16).
In this case, Daniel was greatly rewarded and promoted for speaking the truth (v29), even though that was not Daniel’s aim (v17). That is not always the case. Sometimes those who speak the truth will be misunderstood, vilified, even ostracized and punished.
Likewise, may you be known as someone who speaks the truth in love and with wisdom, trusting God with whatever happens as a result.
Daniel 5:30-31 (NIV)
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.
On verses 30-31: With these two verses Daniel describes one of the most significant turning points in ancient history, which was the fall of the Babylonian empire at the hands of the Medo-Persian empire. Once again, as we saw in Daniel 4, we see here that pride comes before a person’s downfall – thus the need to stay humble before God and never forget who God is.
Also, with all these different kings assuming power and then dying off, never to return, it’s a reminder that the only King who died and rose again is Jesus Christ. He is the King above every king and His is the only kingdom that will last forever.
Jesus, You are the only King to die and rise again, and Yours is the only kingdom that will last forever. Father, I pray that when our lives are weighed before You, we will be able to rest secure knowing that we have the Holy Spirit in us because of our faith in Your Son Jesus. I pray that we would be found faithful to all that You have revealed to us. In Jesus’ name, AMEN!
