MENE MENE TEKEL PARSIN

In Daniel 5:1-4, we read the story of King Belshazzar & his party he gave for a thousand of his nobles. Imagine the scene; in a large and grand banquet room in Babylon , illuminated by only the light of lamp stands and torches, the room temperature, wine and beer flowed in excess over the brims of goblets and onto the tables where a thousand men were reclined to feast. Before them must have been laid a goodly amount of every kind of fresh fruit, vegetable, bread and flesh. No doubt the royal food preparers had been working long hours as they gathered and prepared everything to perfection for the king's royal guests.

This was a grand occasion. The king wanted to express his thanks and gratitude to his loyal governors who ruled over the Babylonian provinces enforcing the king's will. No expense had been spared for this event. And since such an event as this would last for several days, tons of food had been prepared from all over the kingdom, not to mention all the alcohol that would be expected also.

Of course, when you throw such a grand banquet, you must also provide entertainment. So the royal dancers were commissioned to dance for this drunken and glutinous crowd of lustful men. There were also the musicians, the jugglers, the magicians and the tumblers. Probably there would have also been girls, boys, women and men there to provide…”comfort” to the kings one thousand honored male guests in private rooms. Most of the entertainment and comfort would have been provided by slaves of the kingdom who had no choice in their role in these events and would have probably rather have been elsewhere. But as slaves, they did not have the freedom of choice in these events that played out all around them, and at times made them the primary focus of the banquet hall. Yes, the king had seen to it that there was everything for these days of feasting to satiate desires both subtle and gross so that no man would return to his province unsatisfied or unappreciated. As they ate and drank to the point of vomiting and passing out, the king's governors staggered to their feet, lifted their goblets and gave praises to their wonderful and generous king. The king had done a good job.

Now the king also participated in these activities'. Indeed, he was the ring leader, the master of ceremonies, the benefactor. The king ate and drank along with his nobles and enjoyed all the pleasures that were provided there as he toasted himself and ridiculed all those that had opposed him in the past and had fallen under his sword. And not just his sword, but the swords of his father's before him. Mighty men of courage, who had led Babylon to subdue all those that lifted their hand, opposed mighty Babylon , the most powerful kingdom on the face of the planet.

But wait; there is one nation that opposed his father's father, the great king Nebuchadnezzar. Oh, this nation was only a tiny kingdom at one time, but possessed great wealth. This kingdom once had a beautiful temple and within this temple were beautiful articles of bronze, silver and gold. King Nebuchadnezzar had destroyed this once beautiful temple and in the process had all the articles of bronze, silver and gold brought back to Babylon as trophies to show that the Babylonian gods were greater than this one God, which the Hebrews worshipped. For all the world had heard of the wonders and miracles that this Hebrew God had done. They had heard of the battle victories in which the Hebrew God, Yahweh, had handed over, time and again, the enemies of the Hebrews to be defeated and annihilated at the hands of the Hebrew generals and kings. The world had felt the wrath of this Hebrew God who had smote all His peoples' enemies, even those nations whose armies were mightier than that of the Hebrews. For many generations, whenever the Hebrews assembled for war, the outcome was certain to be in their favor. That is, as long as the Hebrew nation remembered their God, Yahweh, and honored and worshipped Him only.

At a time when the Hebrew nation did not honor their God and did not obey His command, disaster fell upon them swiftly from the east. King Nebuchadnezzar rolled across the barren desert like a strong wind. He captured the Hebrews and enslaved them. He set in place, over the Hebrews, a vassal king. Eventually, tired of Babylonian oppression, this vassal nation rebelled. They were crushed in their rebellion, and everything they held as dear and precious was destroyed. The remaining Hebrews were, for the most part, relocated to Babylon because a wise man keeps his friends close, but his enemies closer.

Great King Belshazzar remembered all this as it was written in the royal records, and he remembered all the bronze, silver and gold brought from Israel was lying in the royal treasury. Wanting to remind his guests of the greatness of Babylon , the purpose of their gathering and the superiority of the Babylonian gods, he gave an order that the goblets of gold and silver be brought in so that he and his guests should drink from these holy vessels.

The items were brought in quickly, for you do not want to keep a drunken mob waiting. As they were brought in and distributed, the items were admired for the beauty and exquisite craftsmanship. After all, these items had been crafted by master craftsmen for a very special purpose. These items, which had once resided in the great temple of Yahweh in Jerusalem , which were handled with care and respect by priests were now in the hands of thieves. Gold and silver vessels that were painstakingly crafted in perfection for a unique purpose were now being treated like every day run of the mill drinking utensils. The purpose for which they had been made so long ago, now as forgotten as the God for which they had been consecrated. King Belshazzar's spirit overflowed, drunk as much on pride and ego as he was on wine. He reveled as everyone took turns drinking from the holy vessels, profaning the name of Yahweh as they carelessly passed the goblets from one set of blasphemous lips to the next. Yes, everyone, for a while, was having a grand old time.

Have you ever possessed something that was precious to you? So precious that just the thought of it falling into the hands of someone that has no understanding or respect for it or for you turns your blood cold? Perhaps even now, you have such a possession or possessions. Maybe the item is not an inanimate item at all, but perhaps it is a loved one. And you hope and pray often that this person that holds such a special place in your heart will never fall into the hands of a person or group of people that would abuse this loved one, for that is not the purpose for which your loved one was created. I pray this never happens. God feels just exactly the same way about you. Just as the temple craftsmen crafted the holy vessels with a particular purpose in mind, so God crafted you with a particular purpose in mind. The temple craftsman were very pleased with the finished outcome of the item they made and handed it over to the temple priests, knowing the item would receive special care and handling. God also is well pleased in the way in which He has made you. He also wants to take special care of you, and wants to provide for your needs.

He knew your greatest need would be for a Savior, so He sent His Son Jesus to be the atoning sacrifice for your sins. When you became a Christian, you became a holy vessel, set apart for a specific purpose. That purpose is to glorify God in your life. Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to dwell within you, His holy vessel, and fill you up with His power and wisdom. Sometimes you overflow, and that's a good thing because it means you're overflowing God's love onto others. If you didn't overflow, then that which dwells within you would become stagnant and bitter, and would be good for nothing.

Unlike the holy vessels taken from the temple and abused by Belshazzar, you do have the capacity to avoid certain situations that could lead to you being abused and taken advantage of. It is good for a Christian to witness to the lost and the blasphemer, but one should exercise wisdom when doing so and recognize when it is time to remove yourself from a deteriorating situation before you become the object of their wrath and scorn. The name of Jesus is powerful, and will provoke powerful responses from people. If you are persecuted for the name of Jesus, rejoice that you have been found worthy to endure such things for His name.

Finally, remember God is the judge of the unrighteous, not you. In Daniel 5:5 we read about the hand writing on the wall during Belshazzar's little party. Verse 6 tells us that he became so scared that his knees knocked together! Later, Daniel interprets the writing for Belshazzar. God wrote the following words on the wall to this little king who would show such contempt for the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. He wrote:

MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.

The Babylonians thought they were secure behind great walls and twenty years of supplies stockpiled. The Euphrates River ran through the city also. The Babylonians had planned for every contingency. The one thing they did not plan on was the Lord God Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth inviting himself to their party and leaving a note. They did not plan on their end coming so soon and quickly. They did not believe the one they mocked would someday be their judge.

God has a funny sense of humor in His judgment, but He should never be taken lightly. Leave the judging up to Him. Concentrate on making yourself available for the purpose for which you were created, and be filled with the Holy Spirit until you overflow. And remember, for this world, the handwriting on the wall is already there.

Bob's Bio :

Bob Kemp is an ordained Deacon, helps to teach two Sunday school classes, and serves on two additional committees at his church. He has been heavily involved in ministry since he accepted Christ as his personal Savior in 1992. He has served as a Youth Pastor, and also pastured young men at a correctional facility for juvenile offenders, where he led many to Christ. Bob enjoys reading, writing, and sharing the gospel with others. He has written a Christian book for young readers and hopes to someday see it published and used as a tool to reach children with the love and good news of Jesus Christ. He also writes columns for Renew America , a conservative website that promotes Christian conservative political viewpoints. That website address is www.renewamerica.us . Bob can be found in the list of columnists there. He is married to a lady he calls his love gift from God, has a grown son, and two grown step-sons. He works at Praise Ministries in Lindale , Texas . Your comments are greatly appreciated. You can contact Bob Kemp directly with your feedback and/or comments at bob.kemp@att.net . You may also leave your comments and/or feedback at feedback@heartbeatthemagazine.com .