Measured and Found Lacking

I. Background of the story of Belshazzar in Daniel 5

A. Sometimes we read the Bible account first and then do some explanation. I want to go over some things before we read the text.

B. Belshazzar (QUICKLY)

1. After Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 BC several kings ruled Babylon (Evil Merodach and Nergal-Sharezer are mentioned in 2 Kings and Jeremiah and are believed by historians to be songs of Nebuchadnezzar) until Nabonidus assumed the throne in 556 BC.
   • Belshazzar, his son, is considered the descendant of Nebuchadnezzar. He is not the true son of Nebuchadnezzar but the words often translated “son” and “father” in chapter 5 can also mean a distant descendant like grandson/grandfather.
   • According to Ferrell Jenkins, Nabonidus married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter.
2. Co-regent with his father
   • Historians note that Nabonidus did not have good relations with the people or the priests of Babylon and, after 3-4 years appointed his son, Belshazzar, king and went to Arabia for about 10 years.

Last year, archaeologists in Saudi Arabia discovered a rock carving of Nabonidus engraved on a basalt stone in the northern town of Al Hait, home to the ruins of fortresses and water installations (Smithsonian Magazine web article quoting Live Science (https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/archaeologists-have-discovered-2550-year-old-etching-last-king-babylon-180978285/).

When Nabonidus began his reign, he conquered portions of what is now Saudi Arabia. Four years after assuming power, the king named his son Belshazzar coregent and went into exile in Tayma, a city some 160 miles north of Al Hait. (Ibid)

• This is why, when seeking to reward someone for interpreting the handwriting on the wall, Belshazzar offered the place of third ruler in the kingdom: Nabonidus was the first ruler and Belshazzar was the second ruler.

1. Belshazzar ruled Babylon when it was weak and divided.
   • His father was in a ten year self-imposed exile in Saudi Arabia, avoiding the political turmoil though some have suggested he was building up protection from Persia from the South.
   • An ancient stone slab records that the country had become lawless with trade and farming interrupted, leading to hunger, the death of many nobles in war, King Nabonidus listening to no one but himself, and lawlessness prevailing. (https://popular-archaeology.com/article/the-fall-of-babylon-a-reassessment/).

C. Daniel

1. Read Daniel 1:1-4 and 1:21
2. Daniel was brought into the Babylonian court as a young boy.
   • This was most likely the first group, the best of the land, taken into captivity in 605 BC
   • We don’t know how old he was but, being a youth of serving age, 15 years old is a conservative age to work with.
3. Daniel served in the Persian court at least the first year of the reign of Cyrus, the king of Persia, which is conservatively dated at 539 BC.
4. The events of Daniel 5 occur 65-66 years since Daniel came to Babylon.
   • This means, if he was about 15 years old when taken captive, Daniel would have been about 80 years old when called into the courts of Belshazzar.
   • Whether he was captured at 10-18 years old, he was an old man by this time.

II. Background of the feast

1. By 539, the Persian king, Cyrus, attacked Babylonian forces at Opis (about 50 miles NE of Babylon) and some of the army and/or the citizens of Opis revolted and Nabonidus quashed the rebellion. The Assyrian army that was with the Babylonans defected to Cyrus.
2. Cyrus then conquered a major city, Sippar (about 43 miles N of Babylon), without resistance then marched towards Babylon.
3. Belshazzar hosts a great feast though the Persian army is successfully conquering nearby cities.
   • Herodotus says that the feast was filled with debauchery.
   • The rulers were gathered in one place that would facilitate the stealth conquest of the city by the Persians.
   • It might be the feast was held to welcome back Nabonidus who fled from Sippar.
4. Commanding the use of the temple vessels would have defiled them and rendered them useless for restored temple worship when the Jews left exile.

III. Read Daniel 5

IV. Belashazzar failed to measure up when evaluated by God, the judge of all people.

A. He misused the holy temple vessels.

1. He used what was holy for something that was common.
2. He used what was holy to honor his idolatrous gods.
3. He used what was holy in sinful indulgent behavior.

B. He did not learn to respect God as Nebuchadnezzar learned from God humbling him.

1. Nebuchadnezzar had the authority to kill and spare men; to raise them or humble them.
2. God had the authority to raise and humble kings like Nebuchadnezzar.
   • Nebuchadnezzar boasted in his pride and God humbled him.
   • God taught Nebuchadnezzar was really in control and was about to teach Belshazzar.

C. God is more powerful than “the gods”

1. Belshazzar honored idolatrous gods and even claimed Daniel had the spirit of the gods.
2. Daniel exalted the Most High God who gave him the interpretation ability and who held the breath and life of Belshazzar.
3. The gods could not keep the Most High God from taking the kingdom from Belshazzar.

D. The things Belshazzar valued, treasures and power, would be worthless the next morning.

1. We sometimes fail to realize that nations and economies collapse, possessions can be destroyed by storms and fire, or we die and the things and power have no more value to us.

E. On that day, Belshazzar experienced the judgment of God which all of us will experience.

V. Our judgment

A. We will all be judged: Hebrews 9:27; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12-13

B. In what ways could God find us lacking?

1. Hosea 4:6 – “My people perish for a lack of knowledge.”
2. Lacking in faith or trust in God?
3. Lacking in my zeal or work in the kingdom? 1 Corinthians 15:58; Titus 2:14
4. Lacking in our faithful worship to God?
5. Lacking in love? 1 John 3:16-18
6. Lacking in righteousness? 1 John 2:28-29

C. 2 Corinthians 13:5 – check yourself now, before the judgment