Join us as we delve into the fifth chapter of Daniel, where the destiny of a kingdom hangs in balance after a mysterious hand inscribes words upon the wall. Unpack the story’s complexities with reflections from personal Bible reading journals, illuminating themes of pride, humility, and divine sovereignty. This episode not only highlights biblical truths but underscores the timeless relevance of turning to God amidst life’s challenges.
00:00:09 Introduction to Add Bible and Speaker Alan J. Huth
00:12:17 Day by Day Through the Bible Series and Resources
SPEAKER 01 :
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 03 :
Today we are in Daniel chapter 5. We’ll listen to Brad Lidge, our guest reader, read the 30 verses of Daniel chapter 5. Brad pitched for the Philadelphia Phillies. He also pitched for the Houston Astros. He had a wonderful major league career. Brad is a friend of our family and the Ezra Project. He was in my two sons’ weddings and they were also in his. He’s been a strong supporter of the Ezra Project. Today he is retired from baseball and you can listen to him on Sirius XM radio at 2 to 5 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on his own show called Inside Pitch. Let’s listen to Brad Lidge on Daniel chapter 5.
SPEAKER 02 :
Daniel chapter 5. King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the kings and his lords, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the kings and his lords, his wives and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone. Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace opposite the lampstand. And the king saw this hand as it wrote. Then the king’s color changed and his thoughts alarmed him. His limbs gave way and his knees knocked together. The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, Whoever reads this writing and shows me its interpretation shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom. Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed. The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, O king, live forever. Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, chaldeans, and astrologers. because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation. But they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts before yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive. Whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened, so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was like that of the beast, and his dwellings was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored. Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed. Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parson. This is the interpretation of the matter. Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought to it an end. Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.” And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about 62 years old.
SPEAKER 03 :
The first four chapters of the book of Daniel had to do with King Nebuchadnezzar. We summarized his testimony in chapter 4. Now his son, Belshazzar, is the king of Babylon. This is another one of these famous chapters in Scripture. The handwriting on the wall. Have you ever used that phrase? Now you know. It comes from Daniel chapter 5. As we are going through the book of Daniel, I have been referring to some of my personal Bible reading journals. The first one I am looking at today is 1998. I read Daniel 5 and I wrote, Handwriting on the Wall, Belshazzar’s Pride, God’s Message to Him, Daniel Full of Illumination, Insight, Wisdom, Extraordinary Spirit, Knowledge, Solving of Difficult Problems, Bless me with these characteristics, O God. In my second journal we’re using in the book of Daniel, I wrote in 2005 concerning chapter 5, the handwriting on the wall. Many use this phrase and have no idea where it comes from. Israel is still in Babylonian captivity. Sixty-six years have gone by. Nebuchadnezzar is dead. Daniel may have been forgotten. He is summoned to the palace, the king’s party, to read the handwriting on the wall. His reputation preceded his invitation. Ours does too. From the third journal we’re using in Daniel, my journal in 2012, I wrote about Daniel 5. Most likely using the vessels from the temple in Jerusalem was sacrilegious, mockery, insulting to the Hebrews. While using them, they praised false gods without recognition of the one true God. Again, only a man with the Holy Spirit of God can interpret God’s messages. Daniel’s reputation has the spirit of the holy gods. has understanding and wisdom like the gods, an excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding, a problem solver. Daniel does not appear to pray or give glory to God for this interpretation. He also is not in need. He rejects the king’s offer of gifts and third in command. Belshazzar knew of Nebuchadnezzar’s pride, fallen restoration, yet he did not humble himself before God. So many know, so many fall. Have you ever used the phrase, do you see the handwriting on the wall? Did you know it comes from Daniel chapter 5? Verse 5 says, Certainly by now they probably had too much to drink. But there was no question they were seeing something very, very different and special. The king’s color changed and his thoughts alarmed him. His limbs gave way and his knees knocked together. No kidding, a human hand writing in the plaster on a wall. Verse 10 refers to the queen, most likely Nebuchadnezzar’s wife, Belshazzar’s mother. She reminds her son of the man Daniel, the man who helped her husband so much when he was alive. Let’s look at Daniel’s reputation in verses 11 and 12. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. And down to verse 12. An excellent spirit, knowledge and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve problems were found in this Daniel. Daniel is summoned and he interprets the handwriting on the wall. Verse 30 concludes the chapter, that very night. That very night, everything that Daniel had just said comes true. The stories in Daniel remind me that God is not just present in Israel or Jerusalem. Here he is present in the Babylonian kingdom among pagans. He is still at work. God and God alone rules the nations. He rules the kings, whether they are walking with him or not. Our application out of Daniel chapter 5 can be just to understand God’s sovereignty. He is in control, whether we see him or not. Behind the scenes, God moves all the chess pieces on the chessboard of life. He’s moving the chess pieces on the chessboard of your life. Are you resisting him or are you going with him? Nebuchadnezzar lost his mind. He became like an animal eating grass before he recognized the power of God. Belshazzar had to see the handwriting on the wall before he understood the power of God. May it not be so in your own life. Reach out to him today. God bless us with your sovereignty. Give us a glimpse of what you’re doing on our chessboard of life as you move the pieces around. Use me like you used Daniel. We ask it in your name. Amen. All of the Ad Bible radio programs are available to you in writing. We transcribed all of Ad Bible into an 11-book series called Day by Day Through the Bible, and we did it in a unique way by authors of the Bible. You can get the complete set or a book at a time at our website, EzraProject.net. For example, there are the writings of Moses, the writings of Solomon, the writings of the minor prophets, and the writings of the major prophets, the writings of the Old Testament historical books, and the writings of Old Testament leaders. Covering the New Testament, we have the writings of Matthew and Luke, the writings of John, the writings of Paul, and the writings of Mark, Peter, James, Jude, and Hebrews. So this 11-book series covers all 66 books of the Bible, chapter by chapter. So if the radio program was on 1 Samuel, you would find the written version in day by day through the Bible, the writings of Old Testament historical books. If the radio program is covering Daniel or Jonah, you would find all the minor prophets in the writings of the minor prophets. But say you’re studying the gospel of John in your own personal quiet time. You can find our coverage of John’s gospel in the writings of John, which includes not just his gospel, but other writings like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd John and Revelation. Or you are going to be reading one of Paul’s epistles. You could find them all in the writings of Paul. Our Day by Day through the Bible series is a tremendous resource as you read and study any book of the Bible. It will deepen your understanding of God’s Word and enhance your personal quiet time because each book breaks down the passage with comments from my personal Bible reading journals, offers life applications, and prayers related to the passage. If you want more from your time in God’s Word, visit EzraProject.net and try one of our day-by-day through the Bible devotional books. Any of the 11 books are a great place to start or get the full set to use wherever you are in the Bible today or wherever you are heading in your Bible reading. Thanks for listening to Add Bible Today. We love to hear testimonies from our listeners about how AdBible is touching your life. We just heard from Ken recently. He said, I heard you in my church in January. It is now September. I’ve listened to AdBible daily. I get so much more out of the passage I’m reading thanks to your comments and applications. It is making a big difference in my walk with the Lord. We would love to hear from you. Visit our contact page at EzraProject.net and share your story with us. It encourages us and other listeners to engage in the Bible. I know you’re going to like it and want to share it with others.
