BELSHAZZAR:
WEIGHED ON SCALES BUT FOUND WANTING
And this is the writing
that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of
the thing; MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it, TEKEL; Thou
art weighed in the balance, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided,
and given to the Medes and Persians. (Daniel 5:25-266)
Nabonidus
king of Babylon made Belshazzar his son coregent of his throne, when he retired
to Arabia, presumably to consolidate the weakening Babylonian empire.
It
is this Belshazzar, on a very ungodly feasting, ‘dinning’ and ‘winning’ that
God in His wrath wrote on the wall, and to the King’s peril; a “cryptogram”,
which interpretations meant he was weighed on God’s scales and was found
“wanting.” It meant his was going to be taken away from him and be giving to
another. what a disaster!
In
a similar way, everyone of us in this house daily goes weighing on God’s
scales. Our words, our deeds and actions, our thoughts, our motives, our
services, indeed, everything about us is weighed daily by God on His scales.
What is the result? Some of us pastors, deacons, departmental leaders like
Belshazzar are found wanting by God.
This
morning, what was Belshazzar’s offence that the scales of God could not pick
any small weight from the whole mornach? Why was he found wanting on God’s Scales? And what was
the result of his weightless weight?
BELSHAZZAR
DESPISED KNOWLEDGE (DANIEL 5:22)
* Belshazzar knew what happened to his father but
treated that knowledge privilege with disregard.
* Pharoah (Exo.5:2), Zedekiah (2 Chron.36:10-13),
Amon (2 Chro. 33:21-25), all and many
more rejected knowledge, and despised early warnings. They never lived to tell
the ugly story.
Many people had suffered God’s terrible
judgement, a lot are suffering today, and
more will suffer tomorrow for disregarding divine warning signals. “He, that
being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that
without remedy” (Prov. 29:1). And God through prophet Jeremiah told the
Israelites, “Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is
the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls”
(Jerem.6:16; cf. Deut. 32:7).
Beloved, what do you do
with God’s warnings? To the likes of Belshazzar they may mean nothing. but
remember, He sees before He warns. And His warnings are usually accurate. If He
says it, it will come to pass. Beware! Be warned! Learn from history.
BELSHAZZAR DESPISED GOD FOR SELF. (V.23)
* It manifested in
pride and arrogance. He did not humble his heart. He lifted up himself against
the Lord of heaven. Uzziah (2Chro. 26:16), Nebuchadnezzar (Dan.4:28-34), all
and many more knew what it taste to be proud.
* It manifested in
orgy. He went into feasting and drinking and merry making. Many face disaster
today because of ‘eating and drinking’, ‘partying,’ life without God. Adam and
Eve payed heavily for this purpose (Gen.3:22-24)
* It manifested in the
desecration of “holy vessels (v.23). He brought out the sacred vessels meant
for the Worship of God, and drank wine with them; what a sacrilege! Some still
desecrate the temple of God today through fornication and adultery, (1Cor.3:16,
17, 19; 2Cor.6:16).
* It manifested in idolatry (v.23). He went on
praising the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone. He
failed to glorify God who gave the throne. Jeroboam (1Kings 12:25-33) did same
thing and suffered for it. The king rejected, and neglected God. Sure, he
cannot go free!
BELSHAZZAR FACED THE
CONSEQUENCES (VV. 30, 31).
God came in His wrath, and that night, the king was slain. His glory and splendor was taken away from him and given to another, Darius the Median.
God came in His wrath, and that night, the king was slain. His glory and splendor was taken away from him and given to another, Darius the Median.
Friends, a stubborn fly
follows a corpse to the grave. Redress your steps today! Don’t allow what
killed others to kill you. To before warned, is to before armed. BLESSINGS!
REV.
IZUCHUKWU UWA (07037734132)
