Daniel 5:22-31 / Keywords 5:23b

 WEIGHED ON THE SCALES AND FOUND WANTING

You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

 

1. You knew all this, but you did not honor God (22-23)

Belshazzar had no excuse. He knew what had happened to his father as the

result of his arrogant pride, but he still did not humble himself. He did not honor

God as the one who holds in his hand men’s lives and all their ways. Instead he

lived as a spoiled and rich young man who spent his time in pleasure seeking.

He praised the “gods” of silver and gold--inanimate things--but dishonored the

Creator and owner of his life.

 

2. God has brought your reign to an end (24-31)

It was God, who rules all things, that sent the hand that wrote on the wall. The

message was one of judgment. Belshazzar was ruler of Babylon, but he had been

weighed on the scales of the Lord’s justice and found wanting. The writing was

God’s sentence on his kingdom and his life; his reign was over and his days were

numbered. The Lord is the judge of all the earth. In his sovereignty he made Darius

the Mede king that very night.

 

Prayer Lord, help me to honour you in all I do as my King and the owner of my life.

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