In Daniel 5:1, the time of Nebuchadnezzar is over, and we meet someone named Belshazzar. Other sources say that a ruler named Nabonidus was king over Babylon at this time, but while Nabonidus was out of the country, his son Belshazzar “took charge” in Babylon [ref. Mangano, p.157-158], Hold that thought for later, though.
As we begin this chapter, Belshazzar is throwing a big party. Whether “a thousand of his nobles” was an exact number or just an estimate, this was a big event! It would have taken a lot of work. (Even brides who want to have a lot of people at their wedding rarely have a thousand guests!)
While Belshazzar was drinking, he got an idea, as described in verses 2-4, to bring out the goblets from the temple of God in Jerusalem, which Nebuchadnezzar had previously taken. I don’t know if this was just some crazy idea that another guest suggested, or if Belshazzar got a little overconfident after too many drinks. Or, maybe there was some other motivation. Regardless, lots of people and lots of wine can lead to bad choices being made.
As mentioned earlier, Nebuchadnezzar was not Belshazzar’s biological father, but rather more of an ancestor or predecessor. A commentator (Mangano, p. 218) suggests that Nebuchadnezzar may have been the father of Belshazzar’s mother. Regardless of their relationship, though, articles that Nebuchadnezzar had looted from the temple of God in Jerusalem were still around (see 2 Kings 24:13, 2 Chronicles 36:10, 18) and Belshazzar called for them to be brought out.
Not only were these vessels brought out, but the party guests used them to drink their wine from. Maybe it was more like one of those parties where drunken partiers drink their beer out of anything, including the good china from the cabinet or the commemorative bowl from Aunt Jane.
Furthermore, they are drinking out of this “temple tableware” while celebrating their idols. Whether or not it was intended (although it probably was), this seems like a major insult to the God of the Jewish people, as the partygoers desecrated sacred objects from God’s temple while praising their false gods. Perhaps this was their way of boasting about their so-called “god” having – in their minds – given them victory over the Jewish people.
Revelry isn’t new, nor is it unique to this king’s party. What happened next, though, was much more interesting.
Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
Daniel 5:5-6 NIV
Uh oh! Here the king was, having a good time with a lot of his friends, and then things got serious. Like hearing the sound of parents coming home when an unsanctioned party is underway, or seeing flashing lights in the front yard, things just went from fun to frightening.
And, the king doesn’t – or can’t – hide how he feels.
One good thing about being a king, though: you can call in help whenever you want. And, just like being able to throw a party for a thousand people, the king has the resources to reward whoever helps him out. In that vein, verse 7 describes how Belshazzar offered rewards for anyone who could interpret the writing, including a promotion to third in the kingdom. Remember that Belshazzar himself isn’t the “main” king of Babylon. His father Nabonidus has that role, so Belshazzar can only promote someone else to third in the kingdom, since he doesn’t want to give up his own role, and he doesn’t outrank Nabonidus.
However, verses 8-9 confirm that the wise men couldn’t figure it out, and now the king is even more concerned. Later verses suggest that the words on the wall were in Aramaic, so the problem wasn’t necessarily in reading the writing itself, but rather in interpreting what they meant [ref. Mangano, p.220].
However, in verses 10-12, the queen hears what is going on (it sounds like all of this was still happening in the banquet hall), and she lets Belshazzar know about Daniel, who had helped King Nebuchadnezzar in the past. (See previous articles for more about Daniel’s situation, or – better yet – just read the book of Daniel in your own Bible or electronic version.)
While there’s some speculation here, this queen may have been the “queen mother”, whether the wife of Nabonidus and mother of Belshazzar, or the widow of Nebuchadnezzar. While Daniel might have no longer had the same role as he did under Nebuchadnezzar, he was still around and his service to Nebuchadnezzar was still remembered [see Mangano, p. 220-221].
Not every king or leader in the Bible listened to good advice from a woman, but we find in Verses 13-16 that Belshazzar is wise enough – and perhaps scared enough – to follow up on the queen’s suggestion. In these verses, the king, 1) confirms that he has the right guy (i.e., Daniel), 2) explains the situation (along with what hasn’t worked so far) and, 3) offers the reward to Daniel if he can interpret the writing.
As it turns out, the surprises at this party are just getting started, though. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Daniel 5, and join us for the next article.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 23, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, June 23, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
- The Bible and Archaeology, by J.A. Thompson, © 1962, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.166-171.
Those Who Sin Differently 