The Bible Meets Life

Transcription

1 The Point Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. The Passage Daniel 5:17-28 The Bible Meets Life It s one thing to come into the house once with muddy shoes. But to do it a 2nd, 3rd, or 10th time? Let s just say we ve all experienced the consequences for repeated mistakes or bad behavior. When I was a boy my father often would ask: Son, when are you going to learn? My father was not the first to say this. Variations of the well-known phrase, Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, go back a few hundred years; examples of that truth go back even further. The Book of Daniel offers us one such example: a pagan king who refused to learn from the failings of another king who reigned before him. Had he only paid attention, he could have avoided what happened to him. More than just a fascinating story from the pages of Scripture and history, this event challenges us to consider how we will deal with our sin and the sins of others. The Setting About 23 years and several kings following the events of session 4, Daniel yet again was called on to interpret a Babylonian king s baffling situation. This time the king was Belshazzar (coregent with his father, Nabonidus), the last king of the Babylonian empire. In the midst of a drunken, brazen, sacrilegious party, a hand began writing on a wall. Its message proclaimed certain and immediate doom. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 125

2 What does the Bible say? Daniel 5:17-28 (HCSB) Time frame between chapters 4 and 5 Daniel chapter 4 marked the final years of Nebuchadnezzar s reign. The events of chapter 5 took place 23 years after Nebuchadnezzar s death. Belshazzar was now ruling Babylon. Medes and Persians (v. 28) This referred to a coalition of peoples representing the empires of Media and Persia united by the leadership of Cyrus the Great. On a world map today it would roughly include Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, and a portion of southeast Turkey Then Daniel answered the king, You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. 20 But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal s, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it. 22 But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life. 24 Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed. 25 This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient. 28 PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. S e ss i o n 5

3 THE POINT Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. GET INTO THE STUDY 10 minutes DISCUSS: Invite your group members to Notes turn their attention to the image on page 99 of the Personal Study Guide (PSG). Ask: When you were a child, how did TIP: Foster better discussion by arranging chairs in a circle or in a way that allows group members to have eye contact with each other. you know you were in trouble? RECAP THE PSG (PAGE 100): It s one thing to come into the house once with muddy shoes. But to do it a 2nd, 3rd, or 10th time? Let s just say we ve all experienced the consequences for repeated mistakes or bad behavior. When I was a boy my father often would ask: Son, when are you going to learn? My father was not the first to say this. Variations of the well-known phrase, Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, go back a few hundred years; examples of that truth go back even further. SAY: The Book of Daniel offers us one such example: a pagan king who refused to learn from the failings of another king who reigned before him. Had he only paid attention, he could have avoided what happened to him. This event challenges us to consider how we will deal with our sin and the sins of others. ACTIVITY (OPTIONAL): Before your group arrives, post the word sin on a white board, wall, table, or floor. Using sticky notes, invite group members to brainstorm other words or phrases we often use for sin. For example, we may call sin a mistake, a misstep, or an accident. Ask group members what they notice and discuss briefly how the alternate words or phrases for sin are misleading. We don t always call things what they are. However, until we acknowledge sin, we can t deal with it and turn to God. GUIDE: Call the group s attention to The Point on page 100 of the PSG: Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. PRAY: Transition into the Bible study by pausing to pray, thanking God for being a God of mercy and forgiveness. Display Pack Item #12 for use with Discussion Question 3. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 127

4 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 5:17-21 Notes 17 Then Daniel answered the king, You may keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. 18 Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar. 19 Because of the greatness He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. 20 But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal s, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over the kingdom of men and sets anyone He wants over it. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Daniel 5: SUMMARIZE: Share with your group the history leading up to this passage. In Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar had been dead for about 23 years and Belshazzar was ruling Babylon. The armies of Darius, king of the Medes and the Persians, were camped just outside the walls of Babylon ready to take the city. Surrounded by the enemy, but feeling confident of their safety, Belshazzar threw a party. In a blatant move of sin against God, Belshazzar commanded that the silver and golden goblets once used for holy worship in the temple be used in the festivity. ALTERNATE QUESTION: How should knowledge of the past produce wisdom? DISCUSS: Question 2 on page 102 of the PSG: Why do people often fail to make the connection between sin and its consequences? SUMMARIZE: A hand appeared and wrote a message for Belshazzar on the wall in the midst of the party. Only Daniel was able to interpret the message. First, he reminded the ruler of Nebuchadnezzar s sin and God s judgement. God only restored Nebuchadnezzar when he repented and turned to Him. 128 SeSSion 5 TRANSITION: Daniel warned the ruler: sin has consequences.

5 THE POINT Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. Daniel 5:17-21 Commentary When confronting people with their sin, point to the consequences of sin. In order to accurately understand the transition from King Nebuchadnezzar in chapter 4 to Belshazzar [bel SHAZ uhr] in chapter 5 we need to connect the dots of historical succession. When Nebuchadnezzar died (562 B.C.) he was succeeded by his son Amel-Marduk, known as Evil-merodach [ee vihl-mih ROH dak] in 2 Kings 25:27. After a brief reign and a quick execution, Evil-merodach was followed by Neriglissar [nuhr ihg LISS uhr], Labashi-Marduk [lah BAH shee-mahr dook], and Nabonidus [nab uh NIGH duhs], who was the father of Belshazzar. Although Nabonidus was the official king according to ancient records, he spent his last 10 years away from Babylon. Consequently, his son Belshazzar acted as king on behalf of Nabonidus and served as coregent. The opening verses of chapter 5 show Belshazzar s unbridled arrogance. With the army of Darius, king of the Medes and Persians, camped near Belshazzar s capital, Belshazzar held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles (v. 1). Such extravagant feasts were not uncommon in ancient times. With impaired judgment, Belshazzar ordered that the sacred vessels taken from Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar be used for celebration. His command was an outrageous sacrilege. The silver and golden goblets once used for holy worship in the temple, Belshazzar decided to use for exalting the pagan idols of Babylon. God invaded Belshazzar s party. The words at that moment in Daniel 5:5 are significant. At the moment Belshazzar abused the vessels that God had designed for His holy service, God interrupted the festival. All at once, disembodied fingers of man s hand appeared and began writing on the wall of the palace ballroom (v. 5). Fearful, Belshazzar asked his wise men to interpret the meaning of the written message (v. 7). When none of the king s wise men could interpret the message, bedlam erupted. The queen, however, persuaded Belshazzar to summon Daniel (vv ) who was now over 80 years old. Verses 17-21: Daniel s reply to the king was confident, concise, and clear. First, he refused the king s gifts in order to establish the point that he would speak the truth regardless of the rewards offered or the consequences suffered. Second, Daniel made a clear and powerful declaration about the Most High God, whom Belshazzar belittled and mocked. The prophet explained that it was God who enabled Nebuchadnezzar to achieve greatness, glory, and majesty. The splendor of Babylon and the power of Nebuchadnezzar existed only because God was sovereign over all peoples and nations. When Nebuchadnezzar filled his life with self-intoxicating pride, God allowed him to suffer the penalty of his sin. Belshazzar exceeded the sin of Nebuchadnezzar, but he didn t learn from him the necessity of repentance. Belshazzar blasphemed God by using the worship vessels taken from the temple at Jerusalem to exalt pagan idols. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 129

6 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 5:22-23 Notes 22 But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. 23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven. The vessels from His house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in His hand and who controls the whole course of your life. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Daniel 5: RECAP THE PSG(PAGE 103): Daniel issued a stinging rebuke to Belshazzar. Belshazzar did not learn from Nebuchadnezzar s experience even though he had lived in Babylon and was old enough to have seen the last years of Nebuchadnezzar s reign. But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. SAY: Belshazzar not only chose to ignore what happened to Nebuchadnezzar, he willfully did more wrong than Nebuchadnezzar ever did. ALTERNATE QUESTION: When is it appropriate to point out another s sin? DISCUSS: Question 3 on page 103 of the PSG: What are the pros and cons of being honest with people about their sin? ENHANCEMENT: Bring your group s attention to Pack Item #12, God s Standards poster, during your discussion of Question 3. DO: Divide your members into groups of three or four people each. Within each small group, direct members to take turns sharing aloud their responses to the activity on page 104 of the PSG. Speak Up or Remain Silent? How comfortable are you with confronting sin in the lives of those you care about? Mark your answer below. What are the consequences of feeling too comfortable with confronting sin in the lives of others? What are the consequences of refusing to confront sin? 130 SeSSion 5

7 THE POINT Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. Daniel 5:22-23 Commentary When confronting people with their sin against God, be specific. Daniel did not hesitate to confront Belshazzar personally. He emphasized the contrast between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar. Both men walked in pride and both men wallowed in sin. Nebuchadnezzar, however, repented and acknowledged the supremacy of God, while Belshazzar continued to revel in his transgressions. Verse 22: The opening words But you draw attention to a striking difference. Daniel confronted Belshazzar with two specific accusations. First, Daniel said to the king, you have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. No doubt Belshazzar had heard the story about Nebuchadnezzar s seven years of wild and twisted behavior. There is substantial evidence to indicate that Belshazzar had first-hand knowledge about Nebuchadnezzar s humiliation since Belshazzar s father, Nabonidus, was an official in Nebuchadnezzar s administrative cabinet. Furthermore, he likely heard about God s discipline of Nebuchadnezzar and God s restoration of him. Such knowledge should have compelled Belshazzar to realize his own peril if he continued a life of hostility toward God. Verse 23: The second accusation Daniel leveled at Belshazzar involved the king s offensive attitude and blatant disregard for the holiness of God. Belshazzar exalted himself against the Lord of heaven by leading his nobles, wives, and concubines to profane the Lord. The king abused the sacred vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem and used them to honor his personal idols. Daniel concisely summarized Belshazzar s sin when he declared: you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath. Belshazzar delighted in his own reputation. He gloried in his own status without consideration that he was only a breath away from death. Consequently, Daniel pointed out that Belshazzar s actions and attitude had provoked the hand of God s judgment. When Daniel was speaking to Belshazzar he must have grieved also. He knew the meaning of the message on the wall. He realized the gravity of the occasion. He took no delight in explaining the king s sin. On the other hand, Daniel had no fear in proclaiming God s truth. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 131

8 10 minutes STUDY THE BIBLE Daniel 5:24-28 Notes 24 Therefore, He sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed. 25 This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the message: MENE means that God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 TEKEL means that you have been weighed in the balance and found deficient. 28 PERES means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. READ: Ask a group member to read aloud Daniel 5: RECAP THE PSG: Daniel read and interpreted the message on the wall. MENE. The word meant counted or numbered. God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. TEKEL. The word meant weight or weighed. Measured against God s standard of righteousness, Belshazzar s own morality didn t measure up. PERES. This is the plural form of the word PARSIN, which meant divided. The Babylonian empire would fall. SUMMARIZE: Belshazzar s sin cost the king his life. That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of 62 (vv ). DISCUSS: Question 4 on page 104 of the PSG: How do we balance talking about the judgment of sin with the forgiveness God offers? SAY: Like Belshazzar, we re going to sin, and that brings judgment; but let s not stop there. Hope and forgiveness are found in Jesus Christ. ALTERNATE QUESTION: Why is it important to grasp the seriousness of sin and its consequences? DISCUSS: Question 5 on page 105 of the PSG: What are the dangers of focusing on others sins while ignoring our own? TRANSITION: Daniel s message for Belshazzar was two-fold: turn away from sin and turn to the one true God. When we make this step, we experience the grace and mercy that only God can give. 132 SeSSion 5

9 THE POINT Call sin what it is and point to what God says about it. Daniel 5:24-28 Commentary When confronting people with their sin, make them aware that sin brings judgment. Verse 24: The adverb therefore is emphatic and points to the reason for the handwriting on the wall. When Daniel entered the royal banquet room where he could see the wall, he understood the dire memo. Verse 25: The Babylonian wise men couldn t understand the significance of the Aramaic words MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. The words represent three weights or units of money. Their meaning was unmistakably linked to Belshazzar and his leadership. MENE referred to counting and numbering. It was repeated on the wall to emphasize its severity. TEKEL referred to measuring and weighing something. PARSIN indicated something that was broken in half or divided. Verse 26: God inspired Daniel to explain the words and reveal God s activity. Consequently, Daniel applied the words as passive participles. The passive voice in grammar indicated that the subject is receiving the action rather than doing the action. As the subject, Belshazzar received the stunning judgment of God. The king had been counted on the ledger of God s justice and the days of his reign were numbered. There is some support for the idea that the repetition of the term MENE was designed to impress upon Belshazzar that his days could not be extended. It denoted a calculation. God s judgment is not haphazardly rendered but carefully calculated to arrive at the precise moment He ordains. Verse 27: Belshazzar had also been weighed in the balance and found deficient. The scales of God s justice are perfect. God alone is capable of rendering an exact evaluation about a person. The word picture is framed around the spiritual and moral deficit in Belshazzar s life. His leadership in the Babylonian Empire lacked the weight of virtue and honor. He was light on integrity. He was feathery regarding godliness. Worst of all he had never felt the heaviness of his own sin in the presence of the Most High God. He had never humbled himself before the bar of God and pled for mercy. His arrogance had hardened his heart beyond reclaim. Verse 28: Finally, Belshazzar was told that his kingdom had been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. The word PERES (singular form of parsin ) carries a specific reference to Persians. The words from Daniel s mouth must have stunned Belshazzar. Babylon and Babylonians seemed immune from conquest. Protected by enormous sets of double walls and armed guards at every watchtower it didn t seem conceivable to Belshazzar and his officers that Daniel s interpretation was accurate. He gave orders to clothe Daniel in purple, to place a gold necklace on him, and to proclaim him as third in charge of the empire (v. 29). God s Scripture summarizes the occasion succinctly: That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed (v. 30). Darius the Mede became ruler of the kingdom. BIBLE STUDIES FOR LIFE 133

10 5 minutes LIVE IT OUT SAY: We each face the temptation of sin, as well as its consequences. How can we approach this struggle in a God-honoring way? Notes GUIDE: Lead your group members to consider the responses to the Bible study listed on page 106 of the PSG. Confront your own sin. Confess any sin you ve been holding on to. Turn from your sin and turn to Christ. Be ready to talk. We don t have to look far to find someone struggling with the pain of sin and regret. Aware of their need, some people are genuinely seeking answers to life s challenges. Ask God to prepare you to share what you ve learned of His forgiveness and new life in Christ when an opportunity arises. Get involved in the fight for holiness. Identify a local ministry that works to help those caught in sin or addiction. As a group, volunteer with this ministry. In addition to sharing the freedom Christ offers, you ll gain a unique perspective into the ongoing battle with sin and its consequences. Wrap It Up SAY: Confronting someone else s sin can be a challenge. It can be just as challenging to look in the mirror and confront our own sin. This week, determine to fight for holiness and pursue what God has for those who seek righteousness His mercy. 134 S e ss i o n 5