Have you read the
handwriting on the wall-party now pay later?
Are you living in light of the truth that you know about God?
Are you living with no fear of God before your eyes?
Is life a party for you? Well, party now, pay later...
DANIEL 5:
538BC-Babylonian Party--what do you know about God that has changed the
way you live?
In Dan 5 we see the man who threw the party knew the truths about God yet
it did not change the way he lived.Have you have humbled yourself?
Are you walking in the fear of God or toying w/ the knowledge you have?
Nebuchadnezzar = Belshazzar's grandfather but no word for that so they used
''father''
THE CONTEXT OF BELSHAZZAR'S PARTY:
For four months the Medes/Persians had surrounded Babylon
Belshazzar thought he was secure...
His father, Nabonidus. had moved to Arabia but did not give up throne
Belshazzar was co-regent w/ Nabonidus
Babylon's Reputation as an UNCONQUERABLE, IMPREGNABLE City = surrounded by
2 sets of walls (25' thick--then a 40' space and then 25' thick walls),
260' towers on walls spaced 160' apart, even if made it over first wall
would be in the 40' space; battering rams were not strong enough; food
supply for 20 yrs; water source was the Euphrates river (flowed under the
walls of Babylon).
Belshazzar's Intentional Blasphemy of God-- used God's vessels to toast
his gods!!
Did he know Nebuchadnezzar's prophecy in Chap 2?
He did know about Nebuchadnezzar's humbling according to
Daniel 5:22
(''you knew all this'' )
Daniel 5:21 = Belshazzar failed to humble himself-...even though he knew
God...he had read Nebby's testimony ''God is the Most High God and you are
to reverence Him.''
If Belshazzar did know the dream of Chap 2, he was being even more
prideful
Archeologists have found a 165' x 55' room-they found a platform opposite
the entrance which the king would sit on w/ his back against the wall (the
place of ''honor'').
The ''wise men'' = third time was still not the charm-3x and you're out!
Daniel 5:11 = Daniel = a man ''IN WHOM IS A SPIRIT OF THE HOLY GODS''
It's not what a man is born with---BUT---it's what God gives to men who
walk w/ Him.
A man of
''extraordinary (Aramaic word = excellent) spirit''
How did Daniel become so wise? God gives wisdom (Daniel
2:20) bc he feared
(respected) God, walked w/ God, obeyed immediately when God gave him a
command...Daniel stood fast. In Daniel walks--80+ years he had walked w/
God w/o faltering or failing, a man who began and was now finishing the
race faithfully.
Elderly Daniel had ''...fought the good fight, ...finished the course,
...kept the faith...in the future there is laid up for...(him)...the crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award
to...(him)...on that day; and...also TO ALL (YOU & ME) WHO HAVE LOVED HIS
APPEARING. (2Timothy 4:7-8).
Remember Belshazzar's decision to toy w/ his knowledge of God & to party
now:
God gives us choices...He is sovereign but man is accountable
2Cor 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what
he has done, whether good or bad.
Rev 20:11-12 And I saw a great white throne (where all those who died w/o
Christ as Savior will be resurrected and brought before the Judge) and Him
who sat upon it... And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing
before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened,
which is [the book] of life; and the dead were judged from the things
which were written in the books, according to their deeds.
You may choose your way BUT not your consequences...judgment follows
choice
Ps 31:15 My times are in Thy hand...Ps 75:6 For promotion cometh neither
from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. 7 But God is the
judge: He putteth down one, and setteth up another.
We are to walk with INTEGRITY...not turning to the right or left...God is
responsible for what He wants to do w/ us---we are responsible to obey.
THE MOST HIGH GOD = EL ELYON (Ed note:
click here
for more notes on this Name of God)
What kind of God is this God Who has you and I in the palm of His hand so
that nothing can touch you w/o His permission? What are we going to do
when evil or adversity come? What will you think about this God Who is
sovereign then?
You must know His character--love, righteous in all His ways, just, no
iniquity in Him, immutable (the same yesterday, today, and forever). There
is not a God of the OT and another of the NT (like so many seem to falsely
believe). He is a God of love but also of wrath.
Refer back to Daniel 4-Nebby's Beastly Behavior-God humbled him, but
Nebuchadnezzar
also allowed himself to be humbled.
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the presence of the Lord, and He will
exalt you.
Nebuchadnezzar recognized God for Who He is and he saw himself as he really was.
Nebuchadnezzar understood that it was right that God humbled him.
Psalm 9:11-12 "Sing praises to the LORD, who dwells in Zion; Declare among the peoples
His deeds. For He who requires blood remembers them; He does not forget
the cry of the afflicted."
When we respond (humble ourselves) to God, He responds to us. And so God
honored Nebuchadnezzar .
God is not so vengeful that when He gets you down, He's going to squash
you.
When He gets you down, it's in order to get you to look up and when you
look up, He picks you up.
If you do not look up but lay in pride and rebellion, then He has to deal
with you.
Dan 4:37...all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to
humble those who walk in pride.
Dan 5:22-23: Did Belshazzar learn? No...even though he knew what God had
done to Nebuchadnezzar ...God says through Daniel to Belshazzar that ''You did not
live accordingly.''
It's an awful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God...His anger is
always righteous.
Pr 16:4 The Lord has made everything for its (or His) own purpose, Even
the wicked for the day of evil. 5 Everyone who is proud in heart is an
abomination to the Lord; Assuredly, he will not be unpunished. 6 By
lovingkindness and truth iniquity is atoned for, And by the fear of the
Lord one keeps away from evil. 7 When a man's ways are pleasing to the
Lord, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him.
God dealt w/ the WICKED by bringing the Medes & Persians against him. Why?
Bc his were not pleasing to the Lord.
Pr 20:24 Man's steps are ordained by the Lord, How then can man understand
his way?
God in Whose hand are you life-breath and your ways...you have not
glorified...again the awesome sovereignty of God and the mystery of the
accountability of man.
WHO HAS OUR LIFE IN HIS HANDS?
Job 14:5 "Since his (man's) days are determined, The number of his months
is with Thee, And his limits Thou hast set so that he cannot pass.
Job 12:9 "Who among all these does
not know That the hand of the Lord has done this, 10 In whose hand is the
life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind? " These truths
can cause you to fear God but can also give you a blessed assurance when
your loved ones die, knowing that God has determined your days.
Psalm 139 says ''He numbered our
days when there was yet not one of them.'' " Don't let thoughts like these
bother you: ''If only I'd done this or that''...''If only I had prayed
more.'' " Simply bow before the sovereignty of God and know that God holds
everyone's life-breath in His hand.
That same night Belshazzar was slain-- Hebr 9:27 And inasmuch as it is
appointed for men to die once and after this [comes] judgment, "
Belshazzar will have to give an account for his party--Party now, pay
later. Since he did not know God, he was placed in Sheol (Hell) and he
will be resurrected.
REV 20:11 And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from
whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for
them. 12 And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the
throne, and books [see ''BOOKS'' below] were opened;
BOOKS WERE OPENED:
1). LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE
2). THE BOOK OF LIFE--
Since God does not desire for any to perish, when
we are born, He writes our name in the BOOK OF LIFE and when we die apart
from Christ the name is crossed out...cf. to ''don't blot my name out of
Your book.''--He blots their name out bc they would not humble
themselves...life was a party...our ''crutch'' is the Cross of Jesus
Christ & in Him I now have life.
.
Is 47:8-11--''sensual one''=Babylon
Is 47:8 "Now, then, hear this, you SENSUAL ONE (=Babylon from context of
Is 47:1, 4 where ''Chaldeans'' is another word for Babylonian) Who dwells
securely, (Babylon says ''I am the captain of my fate'' but not true...you
may sail the ship but God determines what shore you end up on!) Who says
in your heart, 'I am, and there is no one besides me. I shall not sit as a
widow, Nor shall I know loss of children.' 9 "But these two things shall
come on you SUDDENLY IN ONE DAY (Medes/Persians diverted the Euphrates and
then went under the walls the very night of the party! The party was
over): Loss of children and widowhood. They shall come on you in full
measure In spite of your many sorceries, In spite of the great power of
your spells. (Babylon was filled with gods) 10 "And you felt secure in
your wickedness and said, 'No one sees me,' Your wisdom and your
knowledge, they have deluded you; For you have said in your heart, 'I am,
and there is no one besides me.' 11 "But evil will come on you Which you
will not know how to charm away; And disaster will fall on you For which
you cannot atone, And destruction about which you do not know will come on
you suddenly.
ISAIAH 47 describes the PHYSICAL disaster--and REV 20 describes the
JUDGMENT TO COME... Revelation 20:12 and another book was opened, which is
the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were
written in the books, according to their deeds. (Belshazzar will give an
account for toasting his gods w/ God's holy vessels)13 And the sea gave up
the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were
in them; and they were judged, every one of them ACCORDING TO THEIR DEEDS.
" Why according to their deeds? bc the more light you have and the more
you reject that light, the deeper your punishment in Hell...some will be
tormented less than others
WHERE DOES SCRIPTURE TEACH CONCERNING VARYING DEGREES OF JUDGMENT IN HELL?
Mt 10:15 "Truly I say to you, it will be more tolerable for [the] land
of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city.
Mt 11:21 "Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles
had occurred in Tyre and Sidon which occurred in you, they would have
repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. 22 "Nevertheless I say to you,
it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in [the] day of judgment,
than for you. 23 "And you, Capernaum, will not be exalted to heaven, will
you? You shall descend to Hades; for if the miracles had occurred in Sodom
which occurred in you, it would have remained to this day. 24
"Nevertheless I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for the land of
Sodom in [the] day of judgment, than for you."
Mark 12:38 And in His teaching He was saying: "Beware of the scribes who
like to walk around in long robes, and [like] respectful greetings in the
market places, 39 and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor
at banquets, 40 who devour widows' houses, and for appearance's sake offer
long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation. "
Luke 11:31 "The Queen of the South (Sheba) shall rise up with the men of
this generation at the judgment and condemn them, because she came from
the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something
greater than Solomon is here. 32 "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with
this generation at the judgment and condemn it, because they repented at
the preaching of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.
Matthew 12:41 "The men of Nineveh shall stand up with this generation at
the judgment, and shall condemn it because they repented at the preaching
of Jonah; and behold, something greater than Jonah is here.42 "The Queen
of the South (Sheba) shall rise up with this generation at the judgment
and shall condemn it, because she came from the ends of the earth to hear
the wisdom of Solomon; and behold, something greater than Solomon is here.
Also Luke 10:12-15
All these Scriptures teach in essence--- WOE TO YOU WHO REJECT THE
LIGHT-your judgment is GREATER because you had Jesus' light and you
rejected it.
You can PARTY now. You can live the way you want to live and think that
you are getting away with it. But my friend, there comes a day when THE
PARTY IS OVER and God is a God of love and does not want you to perish. He
will bring His rod of judgment against those who reject the knowledge of
Him.
Don't party now. Pray now! Get on your knees and submit yourself to the
MOST HIGH GOD so that He might exalt you in due time. If you are alive,
breathing, it is not yet too late. There will come a day when your breath
is taken away and your fate is sealed.
We bow before you to allow you to examine our hearts and show us what we
are doing with the truth that we have heard because to whom much is given
much is required. In Jesus Name. Amen.
