The year is 539 B.C. and King Nebuchadnezzar has been dead for twenty years. When Nebbie died his
kingdom was turned over to his son-in-law Nabonadius. Nabonadius had a son whose name was
Belshazzar; this is who is written about in chapter 5. Nabonadius was often away from the palace at war
or dealing with some administrative issue of the kingdom; so he turned over the day to day operation of
the kingdom to his son, Belshazzar. So we find Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar on the
throne of this great kingdom that was thought to be unconquerable.
In 539 B.C. the Medes and the Persians formed a military alliance in order to attack Babylon.
Nabonadius was away at a war at the time and Belshazzar was amazed that anyone thought they could
actually take on Babylon. He was so certain that the Medes and Persians had no chance of causing any
harm to his great kingdom that he decided to throw a party for one thousand of the kingdom's leaders.
With the Medes and Persians surrounding the city walls that were considered impenetrable; a party
started for the kingdom's leaders. This was no ordinary party: the historians of that day said this was a
sensual celebration without any limits. Please read Daniel 5: 1-4
We read this passage and we immediately set in judgement over the Babylonians: this is blasphemy:
using the holy cups from the temple to drink in such a sensual party, not acknowledging the one true
God at all. We would never do such a thing....
Question #1: Let's be transparent-What gods do we bow down to today? How do we steal from the
temple of God today?
Read Daniel 5: 5-17
It is important to note her that the queen mentioned in verse 10 is not Belshazzar's wife; she is the wife
of Nabonadius, the daughter of King Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar's mother. It would seem very
likely that when Nebbie came to know the One True Most High God that his daughter did as well. I say
that because she was not at this party that was filled with ungodly actions; and she was also in contact
with Daniel.
It is also important to note that Daniel had been out of public prominence since Nebbie died-twenty
years ago and Daniel is now 85 years old.
Question #2: You are on the phone with a friend who is really struggling with making a life decision:
your friend asks you this question: "I'm thinking of going to consult an astrologer and have my palm
read. Would you go with me as support?"
Question #3: What can we learn from the Queen mother and Daniel's situation in this story?
Read Daniel 5: 18-28
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God was speaking to Belshazzar and telling him his number was up! He has also spoken to us about this:
look at the following verse:
So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12 (ESV)
Question #4: What is the heart of wisdom? (Hint: Psalm 111:10, Proverbs 1:7 & 9:10)
Mene Mene Tekel Upharsin-This is Aramaic, let's look at its meaning one word at a time:
Mene- God has numbered your days....
If Belshazzar had a proper fear of the Lord and been aware of what God had said earlier in life he would
have known that his days were surely numbered. Sixty years earlier the prophet Jeremiah had come
upon the scene and God had given him prophesy that Belshazzar should have been aware. Look at
Jeremiah 27: 5-7.
Tekel-You have been weighed in the balance and found wanting.
In other words, Belshazzar was a lightweight. He had been given so much in life-but he had not done
much with what he had been given for God. God is telling Belshazzar, "This is the day when you are
called to give an account of what you have done and you have come up short."
Upharsin-your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.
Babylon had walls of city 35 stories high and so wide that you could drive chariots all around them with
220 towers to look down upon the Medes and Persians. There was a second smaller wall all around the
huge walls. Babylon was unconquerable by man....not too big or strong for our God. We need to
remember this in the coming months and years of struggle in this world.
Had Belshazzar been studying and listening to the prophets he would have been aware of a prophecy
given Isaiah 200 years previously. Look at Isaiah 44:24 - 45:5
200 years before Cyrus or Belshazzar was born God gave this word to Isaiah. God calls out Cyrus by
name and tells him that he will be His anointed: in other words, God is enabling Cyrus.
Question #5: What did God enable Cyrus to do?
Let's be honest: we all have a little Belshazzar in us don't we? "I have my 401K, I have my stocks and
bonds and enough cash to survive six months and my social security account...I am going to be ok." We
all need to plan and prepare for the future; it is a wise and prudent thing to do. However; Jesus had
something to say to the Belshazzar's of His day. Please open your Bibles to Luke 12. We know from
verse one that there was a large crowd that had gathered around Jesus and then we are going to look at
a portion of chapter 12. Please read Luke 12: 13-21
Question #6: What is the lesson we can learn from Belshazzar and what Jesus tells us in Luke 12?
We are approaching the half way point in the book of Daniel. As we have made our way through the
first five chapters we have found Daniel to be a man whose desire was to simply honor God in his life.
As you approach the famous story in chapter 6 of Daniel in the lion's den let's commit to ask the Lord to
show each of us how we can grow closer to Him. What does it mean to be completely all in for God? I
think Daniel's story is showing us how; but can you define it?
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