Word of Salvation – October 2015
A Divine Audit
Text: Daniel 5 A – By Rev. Pieter Tuit
Have you ever been audited by the Australian Tax office? I have not had that experience so I don’t know what it is like. Of course, an honest tax payer would have nothing to worry about. In our text tonight we also hear about an audit. A divine audit to be precise. It was an audit that did not turn out very good for the one audited.
We continue this evening our series of messages coming from the Book of Daniel. The overall title of these messages is speaking truth to power. And this is what we have seen in the previous chapters. We have seen Daniel and his three friends living truth in the face of power and speaking truth to power.
In our text tonight Daniel is an old man. Things have changed. Nebuchadnezzar has died. The present King Belshazzar does not seem to know much about Daniel. However, Daniel was not forgotten by the wife of Nebuchadnezzar, the queen Mother as we will hear later. We also see that Daniel, albeit an old man was still useful to God and the cause of God’s kingdom. Daniel was a living example of what we read in Psalm 92,” They will still bear fruit in old age, they will stay fresh and green, proclaiming, ”the Lord is upright; he is my rock and there is no wickedness in him”
Daniel’s context had changed. Politically and militarily Babylon was not doing very well. Gone was its military might, power and influence. Gone was its influence in the nations it once had conquered. Yes in chapter five, right when this sumptuous banquet was taking place, the armies of the Medes and the Persians led by King Darius were surrounding the city were the king was banqueting.
We may wonder at the time of this banquet. It is hard to imagine throwing a party with an enemy standing at your gates waiting to destroy. What we have here is a denial of one’s true situation. You know deep down that things are not well, yet you suppress this and make it look like that all is ok. We could ask whether we have here a reflection of the world without God. This world faces the judgment of God but carries on like all is well.
In Psalm 73 we find a child of God wondering about the way of God in the world. He sees the unbeliever prosper, physically, emotionally and especially economically. In contrast he sees the child of God going through all kinds of difficulties.
He found this very difficult to grasp and to understand. That is, until he went to the temple. There he learned that God had placed them on slippery ground and that they were on the way to ruin. Belshazzar also needed to have the Word from God through Daniel in order to see things for what they truly were.
Belshazzar seem to have no idea that he was on the way to ruin, or he was denying it. He seem to have no idea that a divine audit would soon be taking place. So, even though his once mighty empire was facing defeat he threw a party. A thousand of his nobles were invited. The wine flowed freely. They seem to have no care in the world. “Let’s eat and drink for tomorrow we may die was their attitude.”
During the party, under the influence of good and much wine, Belshazzar gave orders to fetch the gold and silver goblets that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. When his father had conquered Jerusalem, these had become part of the booty to be taken to Babylon. This was of course a direct assault against the God of Israel. It was a serious affront against the creator of heaven and earth.
To make matters worse while they were drinking wine from the temple cups they praised their gods of silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. We are not dealing with atheists here. To the contrary, we are looking at very religious people here. They worshiped a hosts of gods whom they saw as more powerful than the gods of other nations, including the God of Israel from whose cups they were now drinking.
We have a picture here of an empire, a palace, a government, with seemingly no care in the world. Daniel was part of this empire. In the time of the previous ruler he had been a very important person. Right now it seems he had been forgotten. The king does not seem to know about him. There did not seem to be too many government officials who were listening to Daniel. And, to be honest we don’t even know if Daniel was speaking. We don’t know what
Daniel was thinking and doing at this time. Was he just an old man way past his prime and influence?
Don’t we have a picture here of our own situation. Our world is going its own merry, or not so merry way. We have a place in this world. But does the world really take notice of us? This raises then the question what is the best way to have an impact and influence in this world? What positions do we take? How do we make our views known if we should even do so. At what point to we support government positions and at what point do we oppose them? If we oppose them how will we go about it?
The banquet at the palace was in full swing when there was a gatecrasher. This gate crasher had the form of a hand, a human hand. This human hand was writing something on the wall. However, no one could decipher what it was. However the appearance of that hand certainly made the party stop right in its tracks.
We do read that the appearance of this human hand caused quite a reaction. We know that the king’s face turned pale. He was so scared that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. We can only imagine that all his guests must have felled the same. The question can be asked here is why the first reaction was not one of surprise and curiosity? What was it about the king, what was going on in his heart that caused him to be scared stiff at the appearance of that hand?
Congregation, this is a good question for us to remember as we live our lives in this world. When we see and hear people react to things happening, it is good to ask ourselves what is going on in their hearts so that they react in a particular way. It is also a good question to ask ourselves when we find ourselves reacting a certain way. This is especially important when we realize that we are not reacting in faith and trust in God to events occurring around us.
The king wanted to know what was happening. What was the meaning of this event that caused him to literally quake with fear? We read that he called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought to the palace. Noteworthy is the fact that he did not call on Daniel and his three friends. He
called the ones whom he thoughts were experts in relation to the challenge he as facing. He did not consider Daniel an expert. He did not consider that the Word of God could help him.
Again we see here a reflection of the world around us. When something unusual, or a tragedy strikes the world will call upon its experts to give an explanation. Scientists, sociologists, psychologists and other experts can be heard on television. However, when was the last time a theologian was asked about his opinion. When was the last time the Word of God was consulted?
But, is this also a reflection of our own lives? When something goes wrong how quickly we go to the so-called experts and often how slowly will we find guidance from the Bible. Now, let me make it clear, if you experience yourself having a heart attack you pick up the phone and dial 000.You don’t start reading your bible trying to find a solution for your heart attack. At the same time, once you have received emergency treatment, and you are stable, it will be good to read God’s Word and ask for pastoral care.
The magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners could not find an answer to why the hand had appeared and what the hand had written on the wall. The world, including the religious world of Babylon was speechless. It did not have an answer or a solution.
Our world is very clever. Our world is not a stupid world. From a spiritual point of view our world can be considered foolish according to the Bible, but it is not stupid. What humanity has been allowed to achieve is tremendous. And we can only imagine what more humanity will achieve and discover in the years to come. However, there are things the cleverness of the world cannot fix. There are problems that the world has no true solution for. However, this does not mean that there is no solution. It does however mean that the world must look for this solution in the right place.
There was a solution for the King’s fear. The solution came because the queen remembered Daniel. She remembered that he was different from all the other wise men that served her husband Nebuchadnezzar. She remembered that there was something God-like about Daniel’s wisdom and insight. We have no indication that she was a believer and that Daniel’s God was her God
also. But she did appreciate the wise and godly counsel that Daniel had given to her husband Nebuchadnezzar.
Has this happen to us congregation? Can this happen to us? Will there be people who see us as wise people, people to go to when no one else has an answer, because of our association with God, because of our knowledge of God’s Word?
Daniel was called out of retirement and was asked to translate the writing on the wall. The king promised that he would receive a purple robe, a gold chain and would become the third highest ruler in the kingdom. Daniel told the king that he could keep his gifts and proceeded to tell the king the meaning of the handwriting on the wall.
Interestingly enough Daniel started by reminding Belshazzar how his God had given Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty, greatness, glory and power. Daniel also told the king how God punished Nebuchadnezzar for his pride and arrogance and how he was stripped of his glory and power and became like the beasts of the field. This only changed when he acknowledged that Daniel’s God was sovereign over the kingdoms of men.
Daniel told Belshazzar that he knew all this. Daniel also told him that in spite of this he did not humble himself and had set himself up against the Lord of heaven. Daniel reminded Belshazzar of his sin of taking the goblets from the temple and use them while praising his gods of wood and stone. He rebuked the king for not honouring the God of heaven and earth.
What we see here is that Daniel did not blast the king. At the same time he clearly told him the truth. He clearly told the king his sin. This sin was pride. This sin was not honouring God. It was because of this sin that the king had been found wanting. It was because of this sin that the hand had appeared with this message. Mene! God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. Tekel! You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres! Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.
Interestingly enough the king did not get angry at Daniel. He did reward him as he had promised. However, that very night Daniel’s message to him became true. The king was slain and Darius the Mede became king.
This is what happened to Belshazzar, who, because of God’s revelation to his father Nebuchadnezzar should have known better. He should have been more humble. He should have given more glory to God. He should not, in defiance, have used the goblets from the temple for his party. This is what happened to a king who partied while disaster was knocking at his gates.
This raises the question what lesson is there here for us? How does this incident guide us as we live our lives in this world. The world in which we live is a mixed bag. It is a world where many, especially in our nation are atheists and deny the existence of God or a higher law and morality. It is a world where many will say I have my religion, you have yours. Do not say that your religion is superior to mine. Do not say that your way of living is superior to mine. Let’s tolerate and respect each other and in this way we can all get along. The world in which we live in is a world where the Islamic faith tells us that their faith is superior and that the whole world should bow before the will of Allah. It is a world where expects of many different kinds will claim to have answers to the problems of this world. It is a world where God’s Word is most often not asked for advice.
First of all Daniel is reminding us again that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Just because the world may not think so does not mean that this is not true. We receive this wisdom though the Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. Our lives, besides having Jesus Christ as the foundation, must be guided by Scripture and its wisdom. It is only through Scripture that we will find true significance.
Secondly it is Jesus himself who shows us how we must apply what Daniel is showing here to our lives. Jesus in Luke 10 and 11 shows us what we must do in this world and how we are suppose to talk to this world.
In Daniel five we read of the finger of God. Jesus in Luke 10,11 also speaks of the finger of God. In doing so Jesus reinterprets Daniel five for us and show us how we must live in the midst of our world.
In Luke 10 Jesus sends out his disciples. The tells them that the harvest is plentiful.He tells them that he is sending them like lambs amongst wolves. In other words he is not sending them into a gospel friendly world. The disciples are to proclaim that the Kingdom of God’s grace has come in Jesus Christ.
When the disciples returned they told Jesus the amazing things that had happened in response to the preaching of the gospel.They were surprised that even the demons submitted to them. In Chapter 11the Pharisees accused Jesus of being influenced by the devil. Jesus answered them “If I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come on you.” Here we have it a reference to the finger of God like we read about in Daniel five.
Jesus is pointing out that the lordship of Satan and of death is yielding to the new age, to Jesus’s kingdom. However our world does not know this, just like Belshazzar and his thousand guests seem to be unaware of the imminent danger at their gates.
We live in a world that is unaware. The mission of the church is to make the kingdom visible through the preaching of the gospel. The preaching of the gospel of God’s grace for lost sinners is now the writing on the all. Yes, this message of grace includes a warning of that great day of judgment to come when all will appear before the judgment seat of Christ, when all who will have rejected Christ will be found wanting.At the same time the message of grace includes a command and invitation to come to Jesus and find him him forgivness of sin and new life, even eternal life.
It is the task of the church to proclaim that handwriting on the wall. It is the task of the church to explain to an unaware or maybe even unwilling world that the kingdom is coming. Luke 11 is the only place in the NT where Jesus uses the term finger of God.
Jesus is also saying thereby that as a community of faith that follows Jesus we are the handwriting on the wall for the world. We remind the world through our actions and our words that there is another reality, a true reality, a reality rooted in God. We remind a world that is partying within the shadow of the judgment day to come, that there is another party, the party of the kingdom, with a banquet that will lasts for ever.
This than challenges us with the question whether we are legible, whether our lives our different enough so that the world can see God’s handwriting on the world trough us. Congregation, how legible are we?