Daniel 5:13-31 The Writing on the Wall, Part 2
Then Daniel
was brought in before the king. The king said to Daniel, ‘So you are Daniel,
one of the exiles of Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have
heard of you that a spirit of the gods is in you, and that enlightenment,
understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the
enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and tell me its
interpretation, but they were not able to give the interpretation of the matter.
But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if
you are able to read the writing and tell me its interpretation, you shall be
clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around your neck, and rank third in the
kingdom.’
Then
Daniel answered in the presence of the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself,
or give your rewards to someone else! Nevertheless, I will read the writing to
the king and let him know the interpretation. O king, the Most High God
gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, glory, and majesty. And
because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages
trembled and feared before him. He killed those he wanted to kill, kept alive
those he wanted to keep alive, honored those he wanted to honor, and degraded
those he wanted to degrade. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was
hardened so that he acted proudly, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and
his glory was stripped from him. He was driven from human society, and his mind
was made like that of an animal. His dwelling was with the wild asses, he was
fed grass like oxen, and his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he
learned that the Most High God has sovereignty over the kingdom of mortals, and
sets over it whomsoever he will. And you, Belshazzar his son, have not humbled
your heart, even though you knew all this! You have exalted yourself against
the Lord of heaven! The vessels of his temple have been brought in before you,
and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine
from them. You have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood,
and stone, which do not see or hear or know; but the God in whose power is your
very breath, and to whom belong all your ways, you have not honoured.
‘So
from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is
the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the
interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom
and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found
wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’
Then
Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed in purple, a chain of gold
was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made concerning him that he
should rank third in the kingdom.
That
very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed. And Darius the Mede
received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
****
When I first began a career in Music Ministry, I was shown a
photograph by my cousin of her mother, also a choir director, with her singers
dressed in typical Victorian garb from about 1885. She told me it was a
keepsake of her mother’s production of Haendel’s oratorio Belshazzar. It was not long after, that I obtained a recording of
this masterpiece and was blown away by the closing “Hallelujah, Amen.” Here is
a powerful testimony by the German master of the story of the Babylonian King’s
arrogance and defeat by the power of his captives’ God.
Daniel is a phenomenal prophet for many reasons, but most of all
because of his quiet intuition and his patience in being in tune to the words
of the Holy Spirit. In this season of Advent, there are many signs and signals
bombarding and confusing us. Much of it is commercial and self-serving. For me,
Advent means a time to quiet one’s self sufficiently to hear what the Father is
telling us…that in His depth of love, He is sending a gift that we could easily
miss unless we can quiet our busy minds and listen. His message is immense but
it comes as still and small. As the carol says, “beneath our deep and dreamless
sleep, the silent stars go by.” The message is the incredible gift of His Son
who comes to us as an infant, so easily overlooked.
Yet the handwriting on the wall is there, and simply needs to be
translated. Our prayers can serve as our Daniel. The handwriting of the Father
puts to rest our selfish longings. It will be revealed as we ponder His words,
our redemption draweth nigh. In this incredible gift, our unrest, worry,
mistrust, and concern are defeated. We come in peace to meet God where He is,
in our hearts and minds. The Savior comes! Let us rejoice and sing that
incredible “Hallelujah, Amen” chorus.
Franklyn Commisso is Minister of
Music at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brewster, NY.
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