Post by Admin on Jun 29, 2017 6:58:01 GMT
Another familiar Bible story was up for tonight – King Belshazzar, grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, is arrogant and convinced of his invincibility when the hand of God writes on his wall that he has been measured, weighed, found wanting, and that his kingdom will be divided. Although frightened by the writing, and reduced to finding Daniel to interpret it and explain the meaning, King Belshazzar did not have a reaction to this forecast – he was in fact killed that very night, and Babylon was overtaken by the Medes and Persians.
The group had various ideas about why Belshazzar was having a wild party while Babylon was surrounded by the Persians, and even went so far as to use the gold goblets stolen 50 years before from the Jewish temple – those ideas centered on ego and arrogance. Belshazzar’s grandfather was also arrogant and sure of his own powerfulness – until after three experiences, he finally accepted God’s absolute sovereignty over him and his kingdom. It seems certain that Nebuchadnezzar’s stories were told and retold and would have been heard by Belshazzar. He seemed frightened by the handwriting on the wall, as though acknowledging the power of God might have been some distant memory, yet he was not able to absorb the lesson of his grandfather sufficiently to influence his own behavior.
Daniel is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of being convicted. Kidnapped as a teen and separated from the support system of temple and family, Daniel has been able to remain faithful and committed to God for seventy years. He could be dejected because he had not returned to Jerusalem. He could be bitter for the ups and downs of his life as a captive. Instead, he had the one thing he wanted: a relationship with God, and having that, everything else life presented could be managed.
The group had various ideas about why Belshazzar was having a wild party while Babylon was surrounded by the Persians, and even went so far as to use the gold goblets stolen 50 years before from the Jewish temple – those ideas centered on ego and arrogance. Belshazzar’s grandfather was also arrogant and sure of his own powerfulness – until after three experiences, he finally accepted God’s absolute sovereignty over him and his kingdom. It seems certain that Nebuchadnezzar’s stories were told and retold and would have been heard by Belshazzar. He seemed frightened by the handwriting on the wall, as though acknowledging the power of God might have been some distant memory, yet he was not able to absorb the lesson of his grandfather sufficiently to influence his own behavior.
Daniel is at the opposite end of the spectrum in terms of being convicted. Kidnapped as a teen and separated from the support system of temple and family, Daniel has been able to remain faithful and committed to God for seventy years. He could be dejected because he had not returned to Jerusalem. He could be bitter for the ups and downs of his life as a captive. Instead, he had the one thing he wanted: a relationship with God, and having that, everything else life presented could be managed.