Weights and Numbers
Daniel 5:1-30
The term writing on the wall has come to mean that the signs are clear and something is about to come to an end. We often say this phrase in regret, as we look back and see that all the signs were there, we should have seen this change coming. This phrase comes from this very chapter in the story of Daniel. In this story, there is literal writing on the wall from the hand of God that gives a dire warning to the king of Babylon through the prophet Daniel.
Many years have passed since Nebuchadnezzar made the bold decision to submit to the authority of God. In those years, various leaders of Babylon have risen to rule. The latest of those is Belshazzar who actually reigned as co-regent while his father, Nabonidus, was in Arabia.[1] These might seem to contradict the text of Daniel 5 where Belshazzar is called Nebuchadnezzar’s son. Most likely this title indicates that Nebuchadnezzar was Belshazzar’s predecessor as king.[2] Belshazzar seems to have inherited all of his predecessor’s polytheism and self-centered focus with none of the humility that eventually developed in Nebuchadnezzar. In this regard, he throws himself a grand banquet in order to boast of his power. Most likely, he seeks to consolidate his power over all the gods, gathering his nobles around him in order to gain their support in battle against the Persians/Medes.
One way Belshazzar chooses to do this is by giving orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets from the temple in Jerusalem so that he might drink from them. As they drink the wine, they praise the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Belshazzar leads his companions in defaming the sacred vessels of God’s holy temple in order to worship false gods. This action disrespects God by disrespecting that which God holds sacred.
In the midst of their worship of false gods, the fingers of a human hand appear and write on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand. In the narrative, readers do not know the content of the writing until Daniel speaks the words during his interpretation later in the chapter. The hand wrote, “MENE, MENE, TECKEL, PARSIN.” As the words are written, the king’s face turns pale. These three terms, presented as nouns, most likely refer to units of money perhaps, “mina, mina, shekel, and a half.” Daniel takes these monetary amounts and interprets them as verbal forms, “numbered, weighted, and divided.”[3] Thus, Daniel extrapolates from the writing a warning in which God has numbered Belshazzar’s days, weighed the scales against Belshazzar, based on Belshazzar’s worship of false gods and defaming of that which God deems sacred, and divided the kingdom of Babylon. The writing on the wall declares that Belshazzar’s days are numbered. In fact, he is slain that very night.
Ultimately, in this story, God once again shows that He is sovereign even as the people of Israel live in exile. God declares that He raises kings up and takes them down, He builds kingdoms and tears them to pieces. God announces that the people in exile need to continue honoring Him and trusting in His authority. They must find hope in the fact that God keeps His promises, that He will sustain them and restore them. They should not behave as Belshazzar does, dishonoring God and those things that God holds sacred. If they do, then the scales will be weighed against them as well.
Is there similar writing on the wall? Are the scales being weighed against us? Are our days numbered? Do we dishonor that which God holds sacred? God holds sacred all of creation and has asked humans to care for creation.[4] Do we see it and treat it as sacred? God holds sacred each and every person whom He created to reflect Him. Do we treat each other as sacred? If not, the scales are balanced against us. If not, our days are numbered.
Yet, in Christ, the scales are balanced. God knows that we cannot balance the scales through our own efforts. We can do our best to live according to God’s design and we will fail because of our selfish and prideful attitudes. So God gifted us with Christ Jesus, who takes our deserved punishment, that which is written on the wall, our destruction. At the moment of the cross, the scales are no longer weighed against us. At the moment of the cross we can approach God’s throne, knowing restoration! Through that restoration we can honor our God and all that He holds sacred!
Prayer: Holy God, I lift you up in thanksgiving because I have seen the writing on the wall and yet I need not fear it. I have realized my days are numbered. Yet, I know Christ and Him crucified. I know that this means I am restored to you. I have indeed dishonored that which you hold as sacred. Yet, in your amazing, unfailing love you restore me. I praise you and your son Jesus Christ, in whose name I pray, Amen!
[1]
Ronald H. Sack, “Belshazzar.” The Anchor
Bible Dictionary, New York: Doubleday, 1992, 661.
[2]
Tremper Longman III, The NIV Application Commentary: Daniel. (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 1999), 136.
[3]
Ibid., 142.
[4]
Ibid., 152.
No comments:
Post a Comment