Dare To Be Like Daniel - Week 3- The Writing Is On The Wall
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The Writing Is On The Wall
Daniel 5:1-31
5 King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2 While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5 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. 6 His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7 The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9 So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10 The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12 He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
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 “Your Majesty, 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 nations and peoples 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 the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22 “But you, Belshazzar, his son, 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.
25 “This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26 “Here 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.”
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.
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.
Intro
Daniel 5 marks a dramatic shift in the narrative. We move from the reign of Nebuchadnezzar to his "son" (descendant) Belshazzar, and from a king who eventually humbled himself to one who refused to learn from history. This chapter contains the famous "writing on the wall."
I. The Feast of Hubris (Verses 1–4)
The Context of the Party: Historical records suggest that while Belshazzar was feasting, the Persian army was literally at the gates of the city.
What does this tell you about Belshazzar’s sense of security?
The Ultimate Insult: Belshazzar ordered the gold and silver vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem to be used for a drunken party.
Why was this specifically "sacrilegious" rather than just rude?
The Substitution: In verse 4, they drank wine and "praised the gods of gold and silver."
How do we see people today using God’s gifts (talent, wealth, resources) to praise "gods" of their own making?
II. The Writing on the Wall (Verses 5–12)
The Physical Reaction: Verse 6 describes the King’s knees knocking together.
What does this sudden transition from "party mode" to "terror" teach us about the fragility of worldly confidence?
The Queen’s Reminder: The Queen (likely the Queen Mother) remembers Daniel when no one else does.
Why do you think Daniel had been "forgotten" or sidelined by the new administration?
The Character of Daniel: The Queen describes Daniel as having "an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding" (v. 12).
How do you build a reputation that lasts even when you are out of favour with the current "ruling class"?
III. The Confrontation (Verses 13–24)
The King’s Offer: Belshazzar offers Daniel purple robes, gold chains, and the "third highest" position.
Knowing what we know about the end of the chapter, why is this offer hollow?
The History Lesson: Daniel spends more time talking about Nebuchadnezzar (vv. 18–21) than the writing on the wall.
Why was it necessary for Daniel to bring up Belshazzar's predecessor before interpreting the message?
The Core Indictment: In verse 22, Daniel says, "And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this."
What is the spiritual danger of knowing the truth but refusing to let it change your behaviour?
IV. The Interpretation & Judgment (Verses 25–31)
The Weighing: The word Tekel means "you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting."
If God were to weigh your "public life" against your "private devotion" today, what would the scales show?
The Finality of Judgment: Unlike the previous chapters, where kings were given a chance to repent, judgment comes for Belshazzar that very night.
Is there a "point of no return" in a person’s rebellion against God?
The Sovereignty of Timing: Babylon fell in a single night without a major battle (the Persians diverted the river and walked under the walls).
How does this reinforce the theme of Daniel that "the Most High rules the kingdom of men"?
V. Personal Application
Learning from the Past: Belshazzar’s sin wasn't just pride; it was wilful ignorance of what God had done in his father’s life.
Who are the "Nebuchadnezzars" in your life whose stories you should be learning from?
The Weight of Our Days: We often think we have "plenty of time" to get right with God.
How does the suddenness of the Medo-Persian conquest (v. 30) challenge our procrastination?
Being the "Daniel" in the Room: Daniel was an old man by this point (likely in his 80s).
How can we remain spiritually sharp and ready to speak the truth even in the later seasons of our lives?
The Divine "Audit" (The Meaning of the Words)
Word | Literal Meaning | Spiritual Interpretation |
MENE | Numbered | God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. |
TEKEL | Weighed | You have been weighed on the scales and failed to meet the standard. |
PERES | Divided | Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. |
Follow-up Question: Daniel tells Belshazzar that he did not honour the God "in whose hand is your breath" (v. 23).
How does remembering that every breath is a gift from God change the way you view your daily work and "feasts"?
Notes For Leaders
Historical Context and Background for Daniel
To understand the Book of Daniel, you have to look at the massive geopolitical shift that occurred at the end of the 7th century BCE. It was a "clash of titans" where the tiny Kingdom of Judah got caught in the middle.
1. The Rise of the Neo-Babylonian Empire
For centuries, the Assyrians were the "big bad" of the ancient Near East. However, by 612 BCE, the city of Nineveh fell to the Babylonians (led by Nabopolassar) and the Medes.
By the time Nabopolassar’s son, Nebuchadnezzar II, took the throne, Babylon was the undisputed superpower. He was a master builder (famous for the Hanging Gardens) and a ruthless conqueror.
2. The Three Waves of Deportation
The "Exile" didn't happen all at once. It happened in stages as Judah rebelled against Babylonian rule:
605 BCE: The first wave. Nebuchadnezzar besieged Jerusalem and took the "best and brightest" youths as hostages to ensure Judah’s loyalty. Daniel and his three friends were part of this group.
597 BCE: The second wave. More elites and craftsmen were taken (including the prophet Ezekiel).
586 BCE: The final destruction. Jerusalem was burned, the Temple of Solomon was levelled, and the majority of the population was marched to Babylon.
3. The Strategy of Cultural Assimilation
The Babylonians weren't just looking for slaves; they were looking for administrators. Their strategy was to:
Select: Pick high-status, handsome, and intelligent youths from conquered nations.
Indoctrinate: Immerse them in the "literature and language of the Chaldeans" for three years.
Rename: Give them Babylonian names to sever their connection to their heritage (as we discussed with Daniel/Belteshazzar).
Employ: Place them in the royal court to help govern the diverse empire.
4. The Shift from Babylon to Persia
The book of Daniel spans a massive timeframe—nearly 70 years. It begins with the height of the Babylonian Empire and ends with its sudden collapse.
In 539 BCE, the Achaemenid Empire (Persia) under Cyrus the Great conquered Babylon in a single night.
Unlike the Babylonians, Cyrus had a policy of religious tolerance. He issued a decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild their Temple. This transition is the backdrop for the famous "Daniel in the Lions' Den" story, which takes place under Persian rule.
5. Literary Styles
Historians and theologians often note that Daniel is a "tale of two halves":
Chapters 1–6: Court tales of survival and faithfulness under foreign kings.
Chapters 7–12: Apocalyptic visions regarding the future of world empires (including the rise of the Greeks under Alexander the Great and the later persecutions by Antiochus Epiphanes).
