6/02/22 – Daniel 5:17-24
Daniel 5:17 – Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
answered – or “responded”
before – or “in front of”
yet – or “nevertheless” or “in spite of this”
Daniel responded (to being brought before the king – Daniel 5:13 – to read and interpret the writing) by saying to the king, “Let your gifts (of being clothed with red/purple or purple, of a chain of gold around my neck, and of being made the third highest authority in the land) go to yourself (that is, you can keep your gifts!) and you can give your rewards to someone else (for I don’t want them!). However, in spite of my refusal to accept these gifts and rewards, I will still read out what the inscription says and inform him of its meaning.”
Daniel is saying that he will have nothing to do with any benefit from this king (most likely because of Belshazzar’s quite godless behaviour). He is making it clear that anything this godless king offers him will be considered of no value at all, like worthless rubbish.
Christians must consider the things of this world to
be worthless rubbish. Paul declares such worldly things to be dung (skybalon – any refuse, such as the excrement of
animals, offscourings, rubbish, dregs; of things worthless and detestable)
Philippians 3:7-10 – 7But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. 8Yea doubtless, and I count all things [but] loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them [but] dung (skybalon), that I may win Christ, 9And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: 10That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
If we wish to avoid being burdened with worldly “dung”, then we must forsake the world, or be considered unworthy or unable to be Christ’s disciple.
Luke 14:33 – So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.
So do not love the world and its pleasures.
1 John 2:15-17 – 15Love not the world, neither the things [that are] in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For all that [is] in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. 17And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.
God’s people should never deliver God’s truth for personal gain, that is, the condition that it comes loaded with the riches of the world. God’s truth is free, has been free from the beginning. In fact, God’s truth is not only free, it can set people free as well.
John 16:13 – Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, [that] shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.
John 8:32, 36 – 32And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you
free.
36If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Daniel 5:18 – O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
Daniel 2:37 – Thou, O king, [art] a king of kings: for the God of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and strength, and glory.
Not being satisfied with just declaring the king’s gifts and rewards to be worthless, Daniel now proceeds to give the king a lecture on how he should have paid more attention to his ancestor’s (or predecessor’s) humbling before God. It is clear that Daniel has little regard for his own life, for even a fraction of what he now says would have been sufficient to have him executed, had the king not had such a desperate need to know what the writing meant.
the most high God – Note that Daniel used the phrase “most high” 2 times when declaring Nebuchadnezzar’s dream (Daniel 4:24; 25), a voice from heaven uses it in Daniel 4:32, and Nebuchadnezzar even used it himself when telling Daniel of that dream (Daniel 4:17) and in praising God (Daniel 4:34). Now Daniel uses it to introduce his strong words against Belshazzar here, and again in Vs 21 below. Daniel is making a very strong statement here, that the most high God who humbled the greatest of this dynasty (Nebuchadnezzar) can humble lesser kings such as Belshazzar (who should have taken note lest he fall, which he certainly has now). It is arrogance to think that all the good things you enjoy in life are there because you deserve it.
“O thou king (O your majesty), the most high God (God of gods, even of all the holy gods as stated by the queen) gave your ancestor (or predecessor) Nebuchadnezzar his kingdom (or authority), his majesty (greatness), his glory (honour; esteem) and his honour (or majesty); “that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth up over it the basest of men” – Nebuchadnezzar.” (Daniel 4:17) That is, everything that Nebuchadnezzar possessed had been given to him by the most high God who can just as easily take away what He has given. As Job prayed, “the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)
Daniel 5:19 – And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.
Daniel 2:38a – And wheresoever the children of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, and hath made thee ruler over them all.
people, nations, and languages – See Daniel 3:4 where all those of Nebuchadnezzar’s kingdom (required to bow down to the great image) were listed as “people, nations, and languages”. A lot of this passage today is Daniel reminding Belshazzar of past events which should have taught him (but didn’t, because he apparently had never been told of it, or he had been told but ignored it). So many people today know what God’s wisdom is, or at least some of it, but reject it as spoiling their pleasure, or not politically correct etc.
majesty – greatness
It was Nebuchadnezzar’s greatness, given to him by God, that caused all people, nations (or tribes) and languages (literally “tongues”) to tremble and fear before him; for those Nebuchadnezzar wanted to slay, he slayed, and those he wanted to stay alive, were permitted to stay alive; those he wanted to exalt, he exalted, and those he wanted to humble (or humiliate), he humbled (or humiliated). Nebuchadnezzar could literally do what he wanted to do and there was no-one to stay his hand. If God gave him such authority, then who may say to God, “What doest Thou?”
Daniel 4:35 – And all the inhabitants of the earth [are] reputed as nothing: and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and [among] the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?
So humble yourself under God’s hand that He (not you) may exalt you in due time (1 Peter 5:6), a lesson Nebuchadnezzar did learn, albeit the hard way!
Some are born into families where the gospel is spoken and all are encouraged to respond to it. And others are born into families where the gospel is forbidden and to respond to it can cause them to be executed. Does anyone have a say in this? God gives greatness to some and lowliness to others. However, it is not greatness or otherwise that counts but what we do with what we are given. It is so often the great of this world who miss out on seeing the truth because of that greatness.
1 Corinthians 1:27-29 – 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, [yea], and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: 29That no flesh should glory in his presence.
Daniel 5:20 – But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:
Daniel 4:29-31 – 29At the end of twelve months he walked in the palace of the kingdom of Babylon. 30The king spake, and said, Is not this great Babylon, that I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power, and for the honour of my majesty? 31While the word [was] in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, [saying], O king Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken; The kingdom is departed from thee.
But when Nebuchadnezzar’s heart (or thinking) was lifted up (with arrogance), and his mind (or spirit) was hardened (made stronger; grown arrogant; hardened) in his pride, he was deposed (literally “brought down”) from his kingly throne (representing his authority as king), and they (the watcher and holy one – Daniel 4:13) took his glory (his honour and esteem) from him – see Daniel 4:25.
Daniel 5:22 – And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling [was] with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and [that] he appointeth over it whomsoever he will.
Daniel 4:25 – That they shall drive thee from men, and thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field, and they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and they shall wet thee with the dew of heaven, and seven times shall pass over thee, till thou know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.
Nebuchadnezzar had had to learn this the hard way: that his authority would not be restored until he respected God’s right to choose whom He wanted to the rule over man.
Psalm 2:1-4 – 1Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? 2The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, [saying], 3Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. 4He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh: the Lord shall have them in derision.
Daniel 5:22 – And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this;
son – ben (Aramaic) Its primary meaning is “son” but can also mean grandson; child; descendant; member of a group (Eg sons of Belial); people of a nation; member of a class, order or guild. Here it is likely to mean either descendant or a member of the kingly position of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel has used “son” to demonstrate that Belshazzar at the very least had a lot to do with Nebuchadnezzar and/or his kingdom authority and therefore he is one person who should have been aware of what Nebuchadnezzar had to learn the hard way.
“And you, who are his descendant (or successor), O Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart (or thinking) even though you knew (or should have known) all this.”
They say that a man builds a fortune, his son
consolidates it, and his grandson spends it until it is gone. Nebuchadnezzar
built an empire, his sons held it safely, but finally Belshazzar comes along
and decides to enjoy what he has until it is gone. Belshazzar is not the actual
king, either, but merely a stand-in for his father, Nabonidus, who preferred to
do archaeological digs rather than rule an empire. Nabonidus was away at the
time of the writing on the wall, only returning soon after the army of Cyrus
has taken over Babylon, killing Belshazzar in the process. Babylon, that supposedly
impregnable city, was taken because her king was enjoying his pleasures too
much to worry about the safety of the city. It might have been a quite
different story if Nabonidus had taken his responsibilities more seriously!
Daniel 5:23 – But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath [is], and whose [are] all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
Daniel 5:2-4 – 2Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring
the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of
the temple which [was] in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his
wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 3Then they brought
the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which [was]
at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines,
drank in them. :4They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and
of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
Daniel 1:2 – And the
Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of
the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his
god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
That which has been consecrated to God (made holy; declared sacred; set apart for God’s service) must never be defiled by common usage again. That which is put on God’s altar must never be taken back again. Nebuchadnezzar took those temple vessels back to Babylon to give to his god, a false god to be sure, but still an act of worship which God has not appeared to condemn to the extent that He has now condemned Belshazzar for drinking out of them at a drunken orgy. Nebuchadnezzar defiled God’s vessels by offering them to his god, but Belshazzar has gone far too far and God is taking action accordingly. No-one may so defile God’s sacred vessels and live.
For Christians the message is still the same. Do not defile that which God has claimed as His own. Christians must consider themselves as set-aside for God’s service, holy and sacred vessels.
1 Corinthians 3:16-17 – 16Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and [that] the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? 17If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which [temple] ye are.
Belshazzar failed to glorify God with the temple vessels. Christians are God’s temple vessels today. We must glorify God with that which is sacred to Him.
1 Corinthians 6:19-20 – 19What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? 20For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.
Daniel 5:24 – Then was the
part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.
Daniel 5:5 – In the same hour came forth
fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king’s palace: and the king saw
the part of the hand that wrote.
the part
(of the hand) – the palm (of the hand). The same phrase was used in Daniel 5:5.
Because of
Belshazzar’s defilement of that which was sacred to God, this palm of the hand
was sent from Him; accordingly this writing was
written! Belshazzar defiled God’s holy vessels, and God responded by sending
this writing on the wall.
We have to be
very careful that we do not defile the cleansing of God when we called upon the
name of the Lord to be saved. If we want to be saved, yet continue to desire
the pleasures of the world, then we are defiling God’s holy vessel (which we
are).
Luke 9:23-25 – 23And he said to [them] all, If
any [man] will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his
cross daily, and follow me. 24For whosoever will save his life shall
lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. 25For
what is a man advantaged, if he gain the whole world,
and lose himself, or be cast away?
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