God’s patience runs out
Daniel 5
An mp3 of this talk can be downloaded from the Bethany City Church website here
Introduction
I was sat at a table in a hospital cafe reading my Bible. Reading the book of Daniel to be accurate. As I read, a delightful lady came by wiping the tables and clearing rubbish and as she did so she peered over my shoulder and said 'Ah...Daniel! A great man of prayer’. We shared the time of day and talked a little about the court tales of Daniel.
But the thing is this. Daniel is not really about Daniel, it is about God!
Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar
King Belshazzar, from a historical perspective is just a footnote in history. Until 150 years ago there was no evidence for him outside the Bible, but in the last 150 years plenty of evidence points to his rule in Babylon, probably at the same time as the overall rule of Babylonia by Nabonidus who replaced King Ned. Belshazzar lived, and ruled in Babylon. He was not King Ned's son - but then the word we read as Father (v2) can just as easily read 'predecessor'.
But history and particularly the Bible contrasts these 2 Kings (Belshazzar and Nebuchadnezzar) in striking ways. Ch 4 and 5 of Daniel are side by side not because they necessarily followed each other chronologically, but because God has something to say that these 2 similar but contrasting stories say very powerfully indeed.
Daniel chapter 4 considers King Ned – the over-achiever whose arrogance grew as fast and as big as his city, Babylon. So God warns him, than then sends him 7 years of madness in order that he acknowledge that heaven rules, Not Ned. And he did.
“Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and glorify and honour the King of heaven. All his acts are just and true, and he is able to humble those who are proud.”(4v37)
In Ch 4, King Nebuchadnezzar is held responsible for his attitude towards the God of heaven and his arrogance and pride is judged in the most startling way, until he finally acknowledges God.
And then we get to Belshazzar.
History records Belshazzar as a non-achiever. We know very little about him except this; he needed to be seen as something special. Chapter 5v1-3 highlight how special he wants to be seen to be. He decides to throw a party to demonstrate his power, so he gathers his nobles, his wine, his wives, his concubines. And he does something so brazen that not even his predecessor, the great King Ned would dare to do. He orders that the sacred goblets of the Jewish temple be brought to him that they might drink and toast the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Pride comes in many forms. For Ned it was an over-inflated view of his own, significant achievements. For Belshazzar it is an insecurity in himself that means he needs to draw people, and attention to himself in other ways. Both are pride and both are taking away from God something that should be his!
Sets himself up against God
So, into this royal pride party, God speaks...or rather writes(v5-11a).
In the most dramatic way, the writing is on the wall for Belshazzar and he is terrified as his face turned pale with fear and such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him. It is an almost cartoon picture of Belshazzar and it deliberately mocks of Belshazzars pride in the face of the sovereign God. So, eventually Daniel is brought in.
Daniel starts by telling the famous story of his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar, and in so doing sets out God’s case against Belshazzar. Verses 22-24 are at the heart of this chapter. God’s judgement upon Belshazzar is made entirely on the basis of the evidence found here. They teach us about God, and they teach us about Belshazzar which means – they teach us about us too.
You knew all this yet haven’t humbled yourself(v22)
For so many people the image of God is of someone who sits on a terrifying throne with a big stick waiting for people to cross him, at which point he beats them into submission. But time and time again in the Bible, that is not the way he is revealed. However, he is not the opposite, he is not an impassive, inert, powerless God. Rather he is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, overflowing with love. Throughout the Bible we see this character interacting mercifully with people who deserve, simply, judgement. He is he God of second chances.
Nebuchadnezzar was given a second chance and warned – ‘O King Nebuchadnezzar, please listen to me. Stop sinning and do what is right. Break from your wicked past by being merciful to the poor. Perhaps then you will continue to prosper.’ Even though he deserved everything a God of judgement could throw at him, still he is warned and given the opportunity to change.
But Belshazzar doesn't.
God warns, God invites people to benefit from his unbelievable grace and mercy. He wants people to know the joy of his grace. But he is not impassive and will destroy injustice and sin, wherever it comes from. And we would want him to wouldn’t we. We all long for a world marked but ultimate justice. But we would all find it very difficult too.
So God judges Belshazzar (v25-31) Ultimate justice is tough.
‘But hang on a minute’ we might say. 'God hasn’t given Belshazzar an opportunity to benefit from his grace and mercy. Where is the second chance for Belshazzar?'
It is in this – ‘You knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself.’ (v22)
Belshazzar was well aware of what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar. No doubt it was famous in the corridors of power in Babylon, as he study recent political history, as he looked at the picture of his predecessors. He would have known, yet he chose not to learn and allow it to shape him.
It has been very interesting over recent times watching Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National Party on Question time. Here is a man who speaks about his admiration for some recent fascist dictators and leaders. But has he learnt from what they have done? Has he learnt from the outcome of their actions? Are they worthy of admiration of any form? We are given the benefit of hindsight to teach us. We should learn from it and allow it to shape our present. But do we?
God expected Belshazzar to learn from Nebuchadnezzar and so humble himself and find grace and mercy in God. But he didn’t.
What about you? We are all in the same boat as Belshazzar. God has shown us that he offers us mercy, compassion and grace if only we would turn to him. Just like Belshazzar, we are without excuse.
Romans 1v20 – ‘From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made, They can clearly see his invisible qualities – his eternal power and divined nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing God.’
Through our experience of the world we live in, our consciences and ultimately as God revealed himself to the world in his Son Jesus, as recorded in the Bible, we have plenty of warning. And if you don’t think you need it – what if I were to read out a transcript of every thought, action, thing you have said in public etc?
God reached out to Nebuchadnezzar with his grace and mercy, love and compassion, giving him a whole year to turn from his self sufficient arrogance. God reached out to Belshazzar giving him every waking moment from the time he first heard the story of Nebuchadnezzar. And God reaches out today, to you and me with his love, compassion, grace and mercy. What do you make of it?
At this point we might be thinking 'Hang on a minute. this is a bit harsh isn’t it – comparing us to Belshazzar!'
Well, that is probably true. The reason I think we are in the same boat as Belshazzar is not because we are like him, but because of what God is like.
'You have set yourself up against the Lord of Heaven' (v23)
Just look at what Belshazzar did. When King Ned took Jerusalem apart and kidnapped all the potential leaders as slaves, he also took away all the temple articles and put them in his Temple. He knew they were special, sacred, set apart, and so even he just hid them away and didn't make a song and sance about it. But Belshazzar has no such qualms about the song and dance, and bingeing from them. He uses them in defiance against God. It is as though it is a challenge to God.
When they filled the goblets with wine, they raised them and toasted other gods; god’s who are no gods at all, gods made of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone. ‘Gods...which cannot see or hear or understand’. Belshazzar takes God and rubs his face in the dirt, suggesting that he is inferior to a lump of iron
Sp God is jealous for his name. Jealous in a right way. Like a husband rightly jealous for his wife’s affections – not petty and frivolous.
I worhk as a Dentist 1 day a week. Just imagine someone comes into my dental surgery with a huge abscess and a swollen face. I have the most appropriate treatment for them. It is good treatment, the right treatment, and what they need. It may not be pleasant, but it is appropriate and the best. If they turn round to me and say 'I don’t believe you. My brother told me I just needed a polish' and then goes to leave – I am going to get upset and irritated. I am jealous that my advice is being ignored and disregarded, and it is right for them. I know what is right and best, whilst he is saying someone else is more right than I am. I offer the best and most appropriate treatment for you – but you choose something else! I am rightly jealous.
God is rightly jealous.
Now, some people have spent time discussing what the modern day equivalent to Belshazzars actions are. Is it not honouring communion? I don't think so. I think it is this.
We were created to do what is best for us, and most satisfying for us. It is to reflect God’s image to the world. We, different from every other member of the animal kingdom, are set apart to reflect and display God’s image to the world. But we, each of us, have defied God by living as though the image we are displaying to the world is another god – ourselves! We were created for a purpose – but we naturally do the opposite. We set ourselves up against God, and in so doing rub his face in the dirt - making him subservient to a created lump of flesh created by him.
So, we, like Belshazzar need God’s grace and mercy! Daniel summarises Belshazzars predicament in the last bit of v23
You did not honour the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways (v23b)
We are made to honour God. To show and tell the world how awesome and majestic, powerful and gracious he is. To revel in his glory, to submit to his kingly and good authority and reflect him. He knows and controls all things, giving breath, life and purpose. God’s sovereignty is complete, but our responsibility is real. We have real choices to make. Nebuchadnezzar, under God's hand finally chose to honour God. Belshazzar chose never too. What about you?
Final Judgement
We cannot get away from the fact that God’s patience does not last forever. God’s judgement on Belshazzar is a terrifying foreshadowing of the day when God will wrap up the universe and ultimate justice will be done for every wicked thought, action, word or intent. God is not impassive and he is not unjust.
I remember having a conversation with a Muslim friend of mine about what happens when we die. He explained his belief that, when his deeds are weighed on the weighing scales of Allah, if his good deeds outweigh the bad he will be granted heaven. So I asked him, what happens to the bad deeds, even if they are outweighed by the good. he responded that they are forgiven.
But how?
So I painted a picture of God picking up the corenr of a carpet and sweeping all my evil deeds under the corner and then dropping the carpet back down and asked if that is what God would do. He responded - Yes.
But how is that justice. Imagine I have deliberately acted irresponsibly and driven at 80mph through a town centre, in the process knocking down and killing a child. How is justice done for my sin, my rebellion( against God who tells me I should obey the law of the land and love and respect others) if it is just sweeped under a carpet. It must be punished and dealt with.
The final judgement day is the day when God’s patience runs out, when ultimate justice is done. Belshazzars judgement is simply a foreshadowing of that day. Which means, we all need God's grace and compassion, and we need to respond to it. We need to humble ourselves and give him honour which means turning to him for grace and honouring him in all we are. It means looking on his Son, hanging from a cross and accepting that in his death justice is done for my rebellion and sin. It means living life in the light of that, as a grateful, thankful forgiven child who seeks to honour his Saviour.
Shocking, but true - and the grace is as shocking as the judgement...