The Writing on the Wall

The Writing on the Wall

This Sunday, we were privileged at CDC to have brother Ronald Ooi speak to us from Daniel Chapter 5, as we continued our series on the book of Daniel.

The chapter begins with King Belshazzar, who was probably the grandson of the great King Nebuchadnezzar, having a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles. In the course of the feast, King Belshazzar gave the order for the goblets taken from the temple of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar to be brought in and used. The drunken crowd proceeded to use these holy items flippantly and even praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone. In ordering for these items to be used, King Belshazzar was trying to indicate to the nobles that he was equal to the great King Nebuchadnezzar.

The action of using the holy goblets in this way was akin to stealing God’s glory. The warning is for us to be careful not to steal God’s glory in any way, but always be mindful to give God the glory. Of the 10 lepers whom Jesus healed, only one came back to thank Jesus. It is so important for us to live simple and thankful lives to God, grateful for all He has given us, even our lives. If we become proud and think we have become great in our own strength, we steal God’s glory, and as Belshazzar found out, can be very dangerous indeed.

Then suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall. Whenever “Suddenly” appears in the Bible, it shows the picture of something happening in a very unexpected matter out of the blue. The king became so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking. He summoned all the astrologers, diviners and wise men to tell him what the words meant, but they could not, and the king became even more frightened.

Then the queen mother came and admonished the king frankly “Don’t look so pale. There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the Holy Gods in him…. The queen mother proceeded to describe the qualities of Daniel, having insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods, having a keen mind, and knowledge and understanding, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems.” Now as a young man, Daniel honored God by keeping pure, and throughout his career, God was with him and blessed him with all these things. In the book of James, it is written, that if anyone lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, but he who asks should believe and not doubt. In today’s generation, God is also looking for Daniels and Danielles who will be faithful to him, and whom He will bless with wisdom, ability, understanding, and many great gifts, and they will make a difference in every sphere of society, be it political, business, education, entertainment or sports. The ability to solve difficult problems is especially valued wherever one goes.

Another point to note is the fact that King Belshazzar did not know Daniel. This shows that he had been sidelined. When King Belshazzar took over the throne, he probably brought in his own team, his own people, rather than use those who had served King Nebuchadnezzar. Nevertheless, in due time, Daniel was lifted up, when he was needed again. In times of crises, quality shines through.

Once put in that position, asked to interpret this sign, Daniel knew that his words would not be what the king wanted to hear, and in a fit or rage, the king could well order him killed. However, Daniel spoke the truth, even though it hurt, which showed his remarkable courage.

The way Daniel addressed the king is also instructive. Firstly, he declined the gifts and the position, showing he was not interested in those things. Then he addressed the king politely as His majesty. Brother Ronald told us at this point that it is important for us to speak the truth in a gentle, respectful manner as advocated by the apostle Peter for us to be respectful to the authorities placed above us.

Then Daniel proceeded to remind King Belshazzar how great and powerful King Nebuchadnezzar was. Yet when he became arrogant, the Lord humbled him until he gave glory to God. Even though King Belshazzar knew this, he had not given glory to God and that was why he was now judged.

Today, the earthquakes, the plagues, the wars that are ever increasing in the world show us that Jesus is coming again. These signs are a warning for us to remember that the end is near, and our Lord will return soon.

In closing, brother Ronald prayed specifically for the young adults of the church, asking God to fill them with wisdom and knowledge and ability like Daniel of old, that they would make a great impact on society for God.