MESSAGE

FROM  THE

WORD

WHEN GOD REMOVES A KING FROM OFFICE

Daniel 5:1-31

SERIES:  Daniel                                                                                                                                        Message # 8

     Only once has our nation ever seen a sitting president removed from office.  That was Richard Nixon, who resigned rather than face impeachment charges.  On two other occasions, Andrew Johnson and Bill Clinton, the House of Representatives brought impeachment charges, but they were not agreed upon by the Senate.  People have asked what the role of the church should have been during the impeachment of President Clinton.  As we come to our message from Daniel, we find ourselves in a similar situation, judgment on a political leader.  We as the church are called to a task, and that task is not to sit in judgment of the king.  Paul wrote in 1 Timothy 2: 1, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, in order that we may lead a tranquil and quite life in all godliness and dignity.”  Have you spent a lot of time this week thanking God for the president, House of Representatives and Senate whatever party they belong to?  That is what God asks us to do.  It is not the role of the church to seek to bring down a political leader.  It is the role of the church to pray for and confront the king with the holiness of God and with His word and allow God to do His work.

            Before we get into Daniel 5, we need to have some historical perspective.  One of the problems in Bible study is the lack of time frames.  It would be easier if at the end of chapter four, God said “chapter 5 is 30 years later.”  That isn’t the case.  In the book of Daniel there are vast gaps of time.  Chapter 5 is one of those vast gaps.  Daniel 4 ends with Nebuchadnezzar still on the throne.  Daniel 5 is four kings later.  This is about sixty years after Daniel and his friends had been taken captive and brought to Babylon. 

            Nebuchadnezzar captured Jerusalem in 586 BC and died in 562 BC.  After that, the Babylonian kingdom began to crumble.  Nebuchadnezzar was succeeded by Evil-Meordach who is mentioned in 2 Kings 25:27.  He reigned only two years before being assassinated by his brother-in-law, Neriglissar.  He reigned for four years, is mentioned in Jer. 39:3 and was responsible for releasing the weeping prophet from prison.  He was followed by a child, Labashi-marduk who only reigned for nine months before being beaten to death.  Those who murdered him, appointed Nabonidus as the new monarch.  He ruled for nearly twenty years before he was defeated in battle by Cyrus, king of the Medes and the Persians. 

            There was a problem with Nabonidus reigning, he was not related to Nebuchadnezzar and therefore did not have a legal right to reign over the kingdom.  He solved this problem by marrying the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar and then had a son named Belshazzar.  This is the guy who is in charge over Babylon in Daniel 5.  As you study this chapter, you will find the truth of Heb. 10:31, “It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God.”   Belshazzar mocked God and found himself face to face with a holy and just

God.  It had been a long time since God had dealt with the Babylonian king.  That was about to change.  Last week we saw that Nebuchadnezzar was thrown into the “severe mercy” of God.  Today we will see a king who is thrown into the “severe wrath” of God.

            Before we get into Daniel 5, we need to understand God’s part in this entire escapade.  Jehovah had chosen a people to be His witnesses to the world.  They were to walk closely with Him and demonstrate how faithfulness to Jehovah could prosper a nation.  The nations of the world would then come to Israel, see God’s blessings and want to be a part of His plan.  Unfortunately, the Jews kept falling into disobedience.  This resulted in God having to discipline them.  He would do this by sending in pagan armies to war against the Jews.  The Jews would then cry out to God and God would deliver them.  However, the disobedience got so bad that God actually sent in a nation to totally destroy the city of Jerusalem and the Temple of Solomon.  That nation was Babylon and we looked at this in Daniel 2.  Lest people conclude that Babylon was so high and mighty, Jehovah sent prophets to predict what exactly would take place.  One of those prophets was Daniel.  Another prophet was Jeremiah.

            Through his writing, Jeremiah was Daniel’s mentor.  It was Jeremiah who preached in Jerusalem and warned the people of the coming Babylonians.  After the destruction of Jerusalem, it was Jeremiah who stated that the Babylonian captivity would last for seventy years.  It was also Jeremiah who predicted that Babylon would be destroyed shortly after taking Jerusalem into captivity.  This is important because it stated to the world that it was God who sent Israel into captivity, not Babylon.  We saw that in Daniel 2 as he told Nebuchadnezzar that the Medes and the Persians would come in and take over Babylon.

            In Jeremiah 51 we read about Jeremiah’s predictions of what was going to take place.  There are nine specific predictions that are all fulfilled in Daniel 5.

1.                  They would be defeated by the Medes.               vs. 11, 28

2.                  The defeat would be sudden, not a prolonged military campaign.  vs. 8

3.                  God raised up Babylon to punish Israel and the Medes to punish Babylon.  vs. 11b, 24

4.                  The city would be well provisioned, but be captured without a fight.  vs. 26

5.                  The people would trust in their military might.  vs. 53, 58

6.                  The defeat would occur because of Babylon’s mocking God.  50:24

7.                  The defeat would result from Babylon’s water supply drying up.  vs. 36

8.                  The timing would revolve around a drunken banquet.  vs. 57

9.                  Babylon would be destroyed, never to rise again.  vs. 62

            This is the background to the fall of Babylon.  Now we want to see the fall of Babylon from inside the city.  Let us go into the banquet room of the king and study Daniel 5.

            FIRST, WE SEE THE REVELING.  By the time Daniel 5 took place, major changes had taken place in the world of politics.  Babylon had begun to lose its influence.  The Medes and the Persians had defeated them in one battle and were already laying plans to lay siege to the city of Babylon.  Remember that Nabonidus was the reigning king, but he was only related to Nebuchadnezzar by marriage.  Because of this, he appointed Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson as a sort of puppet king in Babylon.  Neither was worthy of the throne.  To show how worried he was at the situation Babylon was in, Belshazzar decided to throw a major party in honor of his friends.  1000 people were invited to indulge in the finest food and drink.  Isn’t it interesting that in the middle of a national crisis the king chose to become self indulgent.  This is why we need to act responsibly when selecting those who rule over us.  God honors nations who value characteristics such as virtue and honor.  Belshazzar mocked virtue.  We read             verses 1-4        Belshazzar’s confidence was not all that out of line for a pagan king.  While the Babylonian army had recently been defeated, the city of Babylon was invulnerable.  The city was fifteen miles square with walls that were eighty-five feet thick.  The walls were more than 300 feet high, as tall as a thirty story building,

 with more than 100 massive brass doors and many towers strategically placed so the soldiers could shoot arrows at the enemy on the ground while being safely out of reach of the enemy’s arrows.  In addition, Babylon had massive silos inside the city with a twenty year supply of food for the residents.  Babylon also sat on the massive Euphrates River, which gave it a constant supply of fresh water.  Belshazzar could have taken Alfred E. Newman’s theme, “what, me worry?”  Belshazzar felt that he had done all that could be humanly done to protect himself and he had.  However, God had other plans for him.

            I find it interesting that one of the results of Belshazzar over indulging was to mock God.  To indulge the flesh is bad enough, but to rub God’s nose in it was too much.  God had had it with this king’s pride and his time was now up.  Belshazzar decided he was going to get drunk using the cups that the High Priest used to offer sacrifices to God.  God said that was enough.  One of the signs of an over indulgent culture is how they deal with sacred rituals.  Look at our society.  In the old days, Sunday was a sacred day for church and families.  Stores closed, activities ceased and people rested.  Then, the church began to lose its influence.  Stores began opening on Sunday.  Sports teams began to schedule games on Sunday.  Vandals lost their respect for “houses of Worship” and Sunday became a goof off day.  This is nothing new, it is simply the last step in an over indulgent culture.  Society and individuals may get away with it for some time, but God always has the last word. 

            SECOND, WE SEE THE WRITING ON THE WALL.  God may seem to be slow, but He is always on time.  As Belshazzar raised his glass for a toast to himself, a cry went out throughout the dining hall.  We read       TYPE IN 5-9         This is one of the most famous and funny stories in the entire Bible.  It is also one of the most tragic.  Here is a pagan king who must have heard the stories of Jehovah from his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, and yet he rejected the realities of the God of those stories.  Now he was about to face that God he had mocked.  God was writing this king a letter and He delivered it himself. 

 Belshazzar’s first reaction is total terror.  The KJV translation reads that his “knees smote one against the other.”  Talk about fear, this man had it to the max.  His second response was to call in all of his advisors.  In the midst of this experience, this king decided he needed some spiritual counsel.  Unfortunately, he sought his pagan religious advisors and they had no real counsel for him.  One of the responsibilities of any generation is to teach the next generation about right and wrong.  They must transmit their beliefs and concepts about God and how they are to relate to Him.  Nebuchadnezzar may have told his children about the God of Judah, but it seems clear that they never accepted Him as their own.  They may have even joked about “grandpa who was in the loony bin for seven years and got religion.”  It is our task as parents to make sure our faith in God becomes our children’s faith.

THIRD, WE SEE THE REQUEST FOR DANIEL.  When the sorcerers couldn’t translate what was written on the wall, Belshazzar was in a quandary.  His problem was partially solved by the queen.  We read,         TYPE IN 10-16          Isn’t it interesting that Belshazzar did not think of calling on Daniel before this time.  This woman could have been Belshazzar’s wife, but because Belshazzar was the second in command the queen was probably Belshazzar’s mother.  That would have made her the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar.  Having examined the life of Nebuchadnezzar over the past few weeks, I find it very easy to believe that the king brought his children into his presence and told them about his dreams, his friends and about Daniel.  In the midst of this crisis, the queen remembered Daniel.  This is one of the reasons we offer Sunday School Classes and AWANA programs.  We want to saturate you and your children so that when trials and difficulties come, God’s word and the examples of His people will come to our mind and minister to our souls.

Belshazzar brought Daniel into his presence and promised great wealth if he could give meaning to what was written on the wall.  While Daniel’s advice was sought, they were not going to like what was said.  That is true today.  We look at the problems we have in our culture today and compare it to what life was like fifty years ago.  In 1950, there were almost no STD’s or illegitimate children, drugs and drive-by                                                                                                                                                                               shooting were for the James Cagney movies, moms were home to welcome their children from the rigors of school and the education system actually taught information and promoted virtue and honesty.  Alternative lifestyles didn’t exist and God was respected in our society.  Today, those who stand up and promote virtue and honor are called mean-spirited people who are seeking to invade people’s privacy and are homophobic.  However, it is the task of God’s people to live holy lives and then promote that in the work place.  Belshazzar was hoping that Daniel would give good news.  Daniel was committed to giving him the truth.

FOURTH, WE SEE THE REMINDER OF PAST JUDGEMENT.  There is no greater mystery in the Bible than the judgment of God.  Why when Nebuchadnezzar acted proudly did God cause him to go insane for seven years but then restored him?  However, when Belshazzar acted proudly, he lost his kingdom and his life?  One individual never drinks and is killed by a drunk driver, while another drinks and drives and is never caught.  Why is that?  The answer is, we don’t know.  The truth though is clear; regardless of when, God’s judgment is certain.  Jesus did comment on this subject.  Luke records for us a fascinating event.  We read            Luke 13:1-5                      Every time I read this passage I am struck by how matter of fact the Lord is.  He almost comes across as cold and distant.  However, He is trying to relate a truth.  It doesn’t matter if you are killed by a political terrorist, a college shooter, a natural disaster, or old age.  What matters is that all of us will one day die and we had better be ready for that moment.  Belshazzar was unprepared.  Babylon was not ready.  That was the tragedy.  Daniel was devoted to speaking God’s truth and this was the day of recompense.  We read   verses 17-24               This was not a message Daniel wanted to deliver.  It certainly was not the message Belshazzar wanted to hear. 

Daniel tried to remind Belshazzar of God’s past judgment on the royal family.  This was judgment that Belshazzar had chosen to ignore.  God always gives us a choice.  We can learn from the mistakes of others and live in peace, or we can repeat their mistakes and suffer the consequences.  Ignoring God’s discipline it not a wise decision.  This is one of the tasks of the church.  The church has many roles in the culture.  We are to reflect the glory of God, be examples of proper conduct, work hard, and love our neighbors.  The least desirous task the church has is to be the conscience of the society.  In other words, rebuke the culture when it goes astray.  This has been difficult over the past decade, because it is leaders in the church who have needed to be rebuked.  The church must be holy if it is to accomplish the task of making the culture better.  It must also bring this message of judgment with a broken heart, not out of glee.

FIFTH, WE SEE THE READING OF THE MESSAGE.  After the sermon, Daniel interpreted the dream.  We read                  verses 25-31                  In his interpretation, Daniel took some liberties and gave the meaning in the words and not just the words themselves.  The writing on the wall simply stated, “Numbered, Numbered, Weighed, Divided”.  In verses 25-28 we see Daniel’s interpretation of the writing.  It is a picture of a scale.  God had weighed Babylon on the scales and found their existence lacking, so He was going to divide up their kingdom and give it to the Medes and the Persians.  God is patient with His creation.  However, their reaches a point where He finally states, “ENOUGH”!!  That is a dangerous place to find one’s self.

At the very moment that Daniel was giving the king God’s message, the Medes and the Persians were attacking.  Even though the city of Babylon could not be breached, the Medes and Persians had discovered a way to reroute the Euphrates River for a short period of time.  The water level dropped and the soldiers were able to walk into the city through the riverbed.  The city was so cocky that they had no guards on the walls.  Babylon the great had fallen.

History is wonderful, but the lessons of history are what are important.  What lessons can be learned from this event?  Let me give you nine applications.

            First, God gives limited discipline so that people will learn and He won’t have to increase the pressure.  All of us have done dumb things and are grateful that capital punishment wasn’t on the table.  It

is the same with parents.  The penalty needs to fit the crime.  The most difficult aspect of parenting is disciplining properly.  Too much discipline causes discouragement.  Too little discipline leads to rebellion.  God spanks us so He doesn’t have to really let us have it.  We need to respond positively to His discipline.

Second, the responsibility of the believer is to speak out against sin.  We need to do this in a compassionate and humble way, but we need to be salt and light.  It is the responsibility of the people of God to proclaim, “Thus saith the Lord…”  This is why Paul wrote         1 Timothy 3:15            The problem in the church today is that so many people do not believe God’s word is the absolute truth.

Third, the ungodly will heed us only if we live holy lives.  Remember how the king misused the holy vessels of God?  We read           II Timothy 2:20-22              We are the holy vessels of God.  Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6 that we are Temples of the Holy Spirit.  When we live under the influence of the Holy Spirit, God is honored.  When we use our vessels for sinful purposes, God is mocked.  We have to earn a hearing and only a holy life gives us that hearing.  Notice that I didn’t say a religious life.  People are not interested in our religious views; they are interested in our holy life and our loving attitude.

Fourth, while God gives sinners room, there is always a point of no return.  Most of us think, “I can sin and then make up for it tomorrow”.  In most cases, we do get another day.  However, it is not guaranteed.  We read     LUKE 13:15-21            Most of us will wake up tomorrow and go on with our life.  That is not always the case.  We all know people who died tragically at an early age.  We are shocked and saddened.  We are also reminded that life is very temporary.  If you are not ready to stand before God and give an account for your sin, then you have only today to get ready.  Tomorrow is likely, but not certain.

Fifth, our task is to teach our children about God’s mighty works.  How sad that Belshazzar did not remember the mighty deeds of God in the life of Nebuchadnezzar.  Even sadder is the reality that so many of us forget the mighty deeds of God in our own life.  We read         Psalm 145:4       When God works in your life, you need to tell your children.  That is how they know that God wants to work in their life also.

Sixth, there is great reward and responsibility in leadership.  We read             James 3:1           It is not enough just to want to be a leader.  There is a great price to be paid to be a leader.  That is true in the secular world, just as it is true in the spiritual world.  In the Old Testament, a new king was required to write out a copy of the Torah by hand.  It was necessary for him to be reminded of the awesome responsibility of leadership. 

Seventh, no amount of military might secures peace.  God uses militaries, but they are not a good hedge of protection.  We read               Psalm 33:16-18                  It is only a righteous nation that God is obligated to protect. 

Eighth, God allows turmoil to give us a platform from which to speak.  Remember what occurred after 9/11?  Prayer groups met, church attendance went up, and people were crying out to God.  In watching the Virginia Tech aftermath, I was struck at how many prayer groups met.  When a disaster or a tragedy occurs, it is an open door for you to speak about God.  In verse 11 the king was told, “There is a man in your kingdom…”  If a disaster occurs, how many people will think of you as having an answer?

Ninth, we serve God to serve God, not get a reward.  Belshazzar wanted to pay for Daniel’s word.  It was a bit like letting someone be the captain of the Titanic after hitting the iceberg.  Serving the Lord is its own reward.  It is not wrong to profit from laboring for God, but it is not the motivation.

Tenth, Judgment is a sovereign act of God for which He gives us no explanation.  There is no more difficult doctrine to accept in the Bible than this point.  Life and death are in the hands of God and many of His choices seem unfair to us.  We live in a world where everything has to be fair.  God is not always fair, but He is always just and holy.  We need to live with that tension.

Communicating the judgment of God is a painful but necessary part of being in the Kingdom of God.  It is our responsibility toward those who refuse to heed God’s message.  We do it in love, but we do need to do it.

This message is from the teaching ministry of Glen Jackson, pastor of Faith Christian Church in Simi Valley, CA.