Daniel 5 - 2.9.26
SCRIPTURE: DANIEL 5:5 - 6
“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.”
OBSERVATION:
In this chapter, we see King Belshazzar, who was the son of King Nebuchadnezzar, is having a party. He decides to bring out the gold and silver goblets that were stolen from the temple of God in Jerusalem. Everyone at the party had a chance to drink from these special goblets – the king, nobles, his wives, and concubines – in an act of outright defiance of what belongs to God. While drinking, they praising the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Imagine being there and suddenly seeing human fingers on a hand, suspended in the air, and then writing on the wall. The King had just praised other gods yet the God of Heaven is showing his mighty power.
You might have heard a common use of the phrase “the writing on the wall.” This exact scripture is what gave rise to the use of this phrase. Many people use this to reference a situation or something that’s very obvious but someone can’t seem to understand the unpleasant answer. In the instance of this scripture, King Belshazzar is more consumed with finding an answer to what was written than to understand what was really going on.
Daniel recounts how King Nebuchadnezzar repented and followed the Lord. King Belshazzar personally witnessed his dad’s conversion yet his own pride keeps him from seeing what needs to be done: his repentance and to follow God. Daniel then interprets the writing on the wall but King Belshazzar doesn’t hear the answer: his days are numbered. Even with all he experienced, witnessed with his own eyes, being reminded of his dad’s repentance, the King doesn’t repent or see the error of his ways. The “writing on the wall” is evident!!
APPLICATION:
We don’t need a hand writing on the wall for us to see the truth. God’s word has everything we need to know. There is one thing that will keep anyone from seeing the truth or God’s plan for our life: human pride. The King probably thought he didn’t need God. I don’t know how he could have even thought that way. He had a front row seat to see everything, even a hand writing on the wall, and yet he couldn’t bring himself to repent. He saw God’s mighty power, was afraid and trembled but couldn’t take the next step of submission.
PRAYER:
Lord, I come before you, knowing you are the one and only mighty God, the only one worthy of all praise. Your scriptures hold the answer to everything. Thank you for all that you have provided for us to see the truth. Help me to always be humble and never hold onto any human pride. Forgive me for the times I’ve had my own plans or didn’t follow your lead. I only want to seek you and follow the plans you have for my life. In Jesus name – Amen.
- Mary Oberg
