Part 2.
(Read Dan. 5)
BUT three days have rolled away, since a young man came to my house, in hot haste, and said, “Can you come, and see my father at once.” I went, and saw him. He had been ill but a few days. I found the mark of death on the old man’s face, and they asked me how long he would live. “Twenty-four hours at the longest,” was all I could say. He was dead in eighteen hours, but, thank God, he was a believer, and went to glory. Friend, if you die now in your sins, you will go down into eternal judgment, spite of some friend whispering to you, “Live forever.” Belshazzar died that night. Does he live forever? He exists forever, but we have no reason whatever to think that Belshazzar was a saved man. I believe he earned his bed in hell, and went there. He was awakened, and he was impressed, but he was not converted. I will prove that shortly.
The queen-mother now tries to calm her son’s anxiety―just as the devil would calm an awakened sinner today. She says: “Let not thy thoughts trouble thee nor let thy countenance be changed: there is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father (or grandfather) light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and showing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation. Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake, and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry? I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee. And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not show the interpretation of the thing: And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom” (verses 11-16).
Evidently Belshazzar knew nothing about Daniel. He had quite forgotten, even if he had ever heard, that Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather, had exalted him to the place next himself; and placed him as “ruler over the whole province of Babylon, and chief of the governors over all the wise men of Babylon.... Daniel sat in the gate of the king” (chapter 2:48, 49). Godless men do not like, and usually do not know godly men. Godless men are not in touch with godly men; and therefore Belshazzar, the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, did not know the man whom his grandfather had placed at the head of affairs only a few years before. This fact speaks volumes as to Belshazzar. Great as might be the pride of Nebuchadnezzar, he had recognized the moral worth of the captive Daniel, as his exaltation to be second ruler in the kingdom showed, but his depraved grandson had ignored his very existence. But Daniel was there all the time, separate, devoted to God, having His mind, and ready to reveal it at the fitting moment.
This scene has been often repeated in the history of the souls of men. When eternity confronts an ungodly man, he resorts to the godly man, for light, help, and comfort if possible. This proves that godliness is profitable in this life, and in the one to come. Depend upon it, the godly man has the best of it. It is very likely, my unsaved friend, you live quite close to a godly man, one who could help you to apprehend the truth, and yet you know nothing about him really. You give him a wide berth, close quarters is the very thing you avoid. You will want him yet, that God-fearing, holy, separate man, who lives for Christ, and labors to present Him to needy souls, and win weary hearts for Him. The careless sinner does not like such neighbors. But what a wonderful thing it is that God has His witnesses even in Babylon. You should thank God if He has put one of His servants near you, who will speak faithfully, and tell you the truth plainly.
Such was Daniel, and the dissolute king had to admit it as he says: “I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.... And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts.” Yes, the truth of God is unveiled by the servants of God. He reveals, and they proclaim the truth. You need not have the slightest doubt of your bourne, my unsaved friend: it is an absolutely divine certainty that unless you become converted to God, and washed in the precious blood of Jesus, that you are bound for the lake of fire. I said this to a man lately who sent for me. It was the old story. His heated face, and dirty tongue, told me that long and deep potations of whiskey had brought him once more to his bed. I said: “You have only just to go on as you are going to land in hell forever. You do not need to move an eyelid, just go on as you are going.”
“I do not want to go there,” he replied. Probably you do not want to go there either, but it is well that you should know that you do not need to sin extraordinarily, or commit some terrible evil to find yourself there. You are perhaps a moral, respectable, outwardly religious, Bible-reading man or woman, but if you are not converted, if you are not born of God, you need have no doubt whatever that you are on the direct road thither. You must go through the new birth to escape it. The Scripture dissolves every doubt on that point: “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
The man who dissolves doubts is now before the king, who offers him all manner of rewards, saying, “Now, if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Daniel replies as becomes the occasion: “Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.” But before doing so he gives the king a most solemn and bitter admonition, as he briefly recounts Nebuchadnezzar’s history, and God’s dealings with him, and then charges home on his conscience the gravity of his own indifference on the one hand, and his reckless insults against God on the other.
He says to Belshazzar: “O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor: and for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down” (thus God gave your grandfather universal power). “But when his heart was lifted up” (that is always the way when men get power, their hearts are lifted up), “and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him” (chapter 4 of this book tells us of the incident where his reason, clearly for the time being, is taken away): “And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will” (vss. 18,21) Nebuchadnezzar had to take his place amongst the beasts of the field. They have no idea of God. Man has, for he has a conscience in him. The great difference between a man and a beast is that the former recognizes God, the latter does not, but “man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish” (Psa. 49:2020Man that is in honor, and understandeth not, is like the beasts that perish. (Psalm 49:20)). The unconverted man does not know Him; be he ever so learned or intelligent, he has no true knowledge of God. Nebuchadnezzar, as his term of judgment expires, lifts up his eyes to heaven. His intelligence is returning. A beast looks down, never up, in a moral sense. Man, if conscious of his relationship to God, as a creature looks up to the One from whom he derives all. By the painful process of abasement Nebuchadnezzar learned to know the most high God. He got to know His supremacy.
And you too, my friend, have to learn the supremacy of the most high God, and woe betide the man that sets himself up against God. He will yet learn by bitter experience that the most high God rules in the kingdom of men. Belshazzar knew all that, and what effect had it upon him? “And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; but hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified” (vers. 22:23).
What a solemn indictment! And possibly you exclaim, What a fool was this besotted monarch to be thus guilty of such open impiety, as regards God, and to be given up to idolatry. Yes, he was worshipping gods who neither saw nor knew; but whom do you worship? You say, I go to church. Granted, but whom do you worship? Who is your God? I should not wonder if bank-notes were among the gods which you worship. They govern you, and whatever governs a man is really his god. Not forty-eight hours ago, at a dispensary, a young man told me that he was a “bookmaker.” “A poor business,” I remarked. “Do you make money?” “Sometimes.” “And when you do not, you work, I suppose.” “Oh! no, I go to drink.” “And you are very happy?” Happy! His face was a picture of misery. No! he was wretched. “Have you a mother?” “Yes!” “Have you seen her lately” “Not for over two years.” “Have you written to her?” “No.” “Broken her heart?” “Yes! I believe I have.” “Man,” said I, “get to the Lord, get your soul saved, and then go and bind up your mother’s broken heart.”
Do you think money-making means happiness? Never! Money was this youth’s god. And it may be yours―gods of gold―or silver even. Perhaps yours is a pleasure-god. Others with their whole heart and soul live for music. They have a musical god. Possibly whiskey is your god. God save you from it. Ah! Belshazzar was not the only man that bowed down to idols.
Now, mark, behind all these varied idols stands he who is the god of this world—Satan. The man who is doing his own will is simply doing Satan’s, and is in his service. Liberty, without God, is only to do the devil’s will, and his work, and in the contempt which you in your way, and Belshazzar in his, have shown for God, the working not of your mind but of Satan’s is manifest. But the king had willingly yielded himself to be the devil’s tool, so that a controversy between him and God existed, hence he hears from Daniel’s lips, “And the God in whose hand thy breath is” (mark that), “and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.” A solemn, a grave charge, but absolutely true. My friend, is this true of you too? Take care. God gives you your warning tonight. It may be your last one. “Thy breath” too is in His hand. The little string of life has but to be broken, and you pass from time into eternity. I repeat, God is warning you, and giving you an opportunity tonight to get right with Him. Embrace it.
There was a man who sat in this ball once, twice, and thrice, hearing the gospel. On the first occasion I happened to meet him at the door, as he left, and spoke to him about his soul’s salvation. He replied, “I am not going in for this sort of thing just yet.” I met him another night, and he said, “It will be all right, let me go, do not be put about on my account; I do not mind hearing you preach,” and he departed. I saw him the third night. He came each time with a godly coachman whom I knew. Again I asked him if he were decided for Christ, but he said, “It will be all right yet; goodnight, sir.” I did not see him again, and some months after, meeting the coachman who had brought him, I asked if he were yet unsaved. “Have you not heard what happened to him?” was the reply. “No!” I said. “What has happened?” “Do you not remember he was here one Sunday, and you spoke to him? Well, the next day while driving his master, the horses slipped, and pulled him off the driving box. He fell, striking his head on the curb stone, was stunned, and carried to the Infirmary. He never spoke again, and died within forty-eight hours.” God had given that man his warning. I fear he heeded it not. Be wiser than he, for “the God in whose hand thy breath is” may cut you off as suddenly. You had better bow at once, and let Jesus save you.
But what about this writing that king Belshazzar saw? Daniel now says to the king, “Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.” And what did these words mean? They were only four Chaldean words, and at least one was repeated twice. MENE, meant numbered. The king knew the word meant numbered, and that TEKEL meant weighed, and UPHARSIN divided. Yes, numbered, weighed, and divided. What has that to do with me? the king might have said. He was soon told. “This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.” Your history is over. You have got to the full length of your tether. God has numbered thy kingdom on earth, and finished it. Belshazzar heard this, but I do riot think he believed it.
“TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” That was true of Belshazzar, and it is true of you and me too, my friend. It is true of every one. Only One there is of whom it was not true, and that was the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. He was put into God’s balances and was found full weight. The Holy One―the true One―the devoted One—the One, who loved God with His whole heart, and soul, and mind, the man Christ Jesus, has been put in the balances, and has been found full measure. You and I have been found wanting. Everything that we ought to have done, we have left undone, and everything we ought not to have done, we have done. That is man.
If that be the case―and you have found it out what is to be done? You will need to repudiate your own work and rest on Christ. I have found a substitute―the blessed Saviour, who died for me―who gave Himself for my sins. What a wonderful thing it is to know Christ as your Saviour, and find all you need in Him.
Last of all, Belshazzar hears this: “PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.” At that very moment the Medes and the Persians were besieging Babylon. History lets us know that for a very long time they had been beleaguering the city, which rested in its fancied security. The king thought it could not be taken. But God had prophesied its fall, and now announces the fact. And what takes place? Does Belshazzar bow down in repentance? Alas, no! When he hears the interpretation of the writing, we read, “Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom” (vs. 29). He has been saying that my kingdom is coming to an end, says the king, but I do not believe it. I do not believe my kingdom is over. Blow the trumpet, and put a gold chain round Daniel’s neck, and proclaim that I determine that he shall be the next man to me in the kingdom―my kingdom is still to go on. So thought he, and therefore so he acted. But we read, “In that night was Belshazzar king of the Chaldeans slain” (verse 30). Did I not say that I judged he was not converted? I did. The man was clearly infidel, spite of the plain warning he had, and the testimony of God in the writing on the wall. And how many men are infidel in this hall tonight? The proof of his infidelity was this. He proclaimed that Daniel was to be the third ruler in the kingdom, though he had just heard that his kingdom was finished. He did not believe it. But it came true. How did it come about?
History tells us that Babylon’s walls had at intervals lofty towers to the number of two hundred and fifty, whence the Chaldeans could watch their foe, and from these towers they saw no evidence of danger. The foe outside, however, had done a very simple thing. The river Euphrates, as we have already seen, ran right through the center of the city, guarded by great brazen gates, so that no one could get into it by water. It was a very simple little artifice that Cyrus, the Persian leader, adopted. The Euphrates makes a bend near Babylon, so Cyrus cut a new bed for the waters a few miles up, and diverted their course. He made an immense canal forming the chord of the bend. When darkness had come on the sluices were opened, and the river turned into this new direction. As a consequence the bed of the river was practically dry as far as regards Babylon. The Persian troops marched quietly along that bed, and under the brazen gates, and got possession of the city. Then was fulfilled what Jeremiah has told us, a messenger ran “to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end” (Jer. 51:3131One post shall run to meet another, and one messenger to meet another, to show the king of Babylon that his city is taken at one end, (Jeremiah 51:31)). In the midst of this feast, which was the object of admiration of everybody who was careless and heedless, the hosts of the foe came in, and the news reached the king that his city was taken, and immediately the feast was broken up. “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.” His bloody corpse on the very floor of the banqueting house should be a warning note to every sinner in this hall tonight not to despise the message of God.
Unconverted one, could Belshazzar speak today, I know what he would say: “Men and women of the world, do not trifle with God. Sinner, do not disregard the warning of God. I did. I was a fool for my pains. He warned me. I believed Him not, nor heeded Him; and I died that night in my unbelief.” I believe he was damned. I believe you will be too, if you do not turn to God.
God is giving you your warning, my friend. Let me implore you to accept it, and turn to the Lord now, for “he, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy” (Prov. 29:11He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy. (Proverbs 29:1)).
W. T. P. W.