A celebration symbolizes what we live for, what is central to us, what we deem as the kind of life we long for.
Sermon #5: BELSHAZZAR DEAD! Darius Takes Throne.
Sermon Series: In Exile: Living with purpose in the days of Daniel
Scripture Text: Daniel 5
Sermon Notes:
DANIEL 5:25-31 ESV
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” 29 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. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
What makes for a great celebration?
celebration | sel-uh-brey-shuh n
- A celebration is a social event with an abundant supply of food and drink.
celebration | sel-uh-brey-shuh n
- It commemorates an important event or celebrates an accomplishment.
“A celebration symbolizes what we live for, what is central to us, what we deem as the kind of life we long for.”
- Nebuchadnezzar – 605-562 BC
- Amel-Marduk – 562-560 BC – Son, assassinated
- Neriglissar – 560-556 BC – Brother-in-law
- Labashi-Marduk – 556 BC – Son, assassinated
- Nabonidus – 555-538 BC – Co-regent with Belshazzar
3 POINTS:
1. The CARNAL Celebration
2. The “CUT SHORT” Celebration
3. The CONCLUDED Celebration
THE CARNAL CELEBRATION
DANIEL 5:1-2 ESV
1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand.
2 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 king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.
DANIEL 5:3-4 ESV
3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.
4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
“We dishonor God when we lose sight of him in our celebrations.”
THE “CUT SHORT” CELEBRATION
DANIEL 5:5-6 ESV
5 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 the hand as it wrote.
6 Then the king's color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.
DANIEL 5:7 ESV
7 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."
PSALMS 8:3 ESV
3 When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
EXODUS 31:18 ESV
18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.
“God is present, whether invited or not, in our celebrations.”
PSALMS 139:1-4 ESV
1 To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
2 You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether.
“Remember God!”
“It is wise for us to be mindful of the presence of God”
DANIEL 5:8-9 ESV
8 Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation.
9 Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.
DANIEL 5:10-12 ESV
10 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.
11 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,
12 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.”
“Never underestimate the power of a godly life.”
DANIEL 5:13-16 ESV
13 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.
14 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.
15 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.
16 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.”
DANIEL 5:17 ESV
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.
DANIEL 5:18-21 ESV
18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty.
19 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.
20 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.
21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling 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.
DANIEL 5:22 ESV
22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,
“We can either benefit from the story of the handwriting on the wall or we can face the handwriting on the wall in our own lives.”
THE CONCLUDED CELEBRATION
DANIEL 5:24-28 ESV
24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed.
25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end;
27 TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting;
28 PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
“Wise is the person who stays right with God, and gets right with God, before they have to see the handwriting on the wall.”
DANIEL 5:29-31 ESV
29 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.
30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed.
31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
PSALMS 90:9,12 ESV
9 For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh.
12 So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.
3 POINTS:
1. The CARNAL Celebration
2. The CUT SHORT Celebration
3.The CONCLUDED Celebration
LUKE 14:23-24 ESV
23 And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. 24 For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”
2 Sayings:
- Your days are numbered.
- The handwriting on the wall.
“May we celebrate with the most High and His eternal banquet.”