Belshazzar’s Feast

Sunday, July 25, 1999

Scripture: Daniel 5. 1-31

Text: “Thou fool, this night shall thy soul be required

of thee” (Luke 19.20).

Lesson Aim: The solemn judgment of God on

Impiety and Impenitence. “He that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be cut
off, and that without remedy.”

The Story Told:

1. Belshazzar’s Drunken Orgy. vv.1,2
2. He Adds Sacrilege and Blasphemy to His Folly. vv.3,4
3. The Startling Appearance of a Hard Writing Mysterious Words over against the candlestick (perhaps the
Golden Candlestick from the Holy Place of the Temple). v.5
4. The King is Terrified, and Calls for Someone to Read the Writing. vv.6,7
5. The Wise Men Could Not Read It. vv.8,9
6. The Queen Suggests Daniel. vv.10-12
7. Daniel is Fetched, and Invited to Read the Writing. vv.13-16
8. He Charges the King with Hardness of Heart and Not Glorifying God. vv.18-23
9. The Interpretation: vv.24-28.
a) “Mene”---“Numbered” and “Finished.”
b) “Tekel”---“Weighed.”
c) “Upharsin,” or “Peres”---“Broken” (with a play on the words meaning Persian).
10. “This is the writing, Mene, Mene. Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation:
a) “Mene ; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.
b) “Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
c) “Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
d) v.30. That Night the King Died. “In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans
slain.”

Other Lessons:
1. Men who persist in sin are given over by God to a Reprobate Mind (Rom.1.28). No greater misery
could happen to them. It shows itself as in this case ;
(a) In disregarded warning (v.22).
(b) In daring impiety (v.23).
(c) In blasphemy (v.4).
(d) In sinful indulgence and excess (v.1).
2. The royal knees smiting together reveals the fact that A Guilty Conscience Needs No Accusing.
He did not know what the writing meant, but recognized it must mean something bad, not good.
Fear haunts the sinner.
3. Daniel Reminded Him of Three Things :
(a) That his breath was in God’s hand.
(b) That he had not glorified God.
(c) Gave him his last opportunity of repentance (v.27).
4. Miracles Do Not Lead Men to Repentance. The king paid no attention to Daniel’s call to break off
his sins by righteousness. It is as the Lord said, “Neither will they be persuaded, though one rose
from the dead” (Luke16.31).
 5. God is Very Jealous of His Honour. Whenever men have willfully trifled with holy things,
judgment has fallen. Instances :
(a) Nadab and Abihu offering strange fire (Lev.10.1).
(b) The Ark of the Covenant at Bethshemesh (1 Sam. 6.19).
(c) Uzzah touching the Ark (2 Sam. 6.6).
(d) Saul offering a burnt offering (1 Sam. 13.2).
(e) King Uzziah offering incense (2 Chron.26.19).
6. The Handwriting on the wall may be contrasted with the handwriting in Colossians 3. 14 that was
“against us,” but was put away at the Cross. God’s Handwriting makes a fine subject for an
address (2 Cor.3.3; Rev. 1.27).
7. The Four Words on the Wall have a solemn application to every unsaved sinner, “Numbered,
Finished, Weighed, Broken.”
8. Let the Balances of God be used as a solemn warning :
(a) What are they? The Word of God.
(b) The Perfect Law---The Blessed Gospel.
(c) The Conscience---How do we stand before these. When we are weighed what is the result?
9. The Sudden Death of the King “that night” reminds us if the story from which our text is taken
(Luke 12.19,20).

The Application: Beware, lest He take thee away with a stroke, for the impenitent are in imminent danger.
Make haste!

OUTLINES
Seven Impious Kings
1. Pharaoh---who Defied God.
2. Saul---who Spared Agag.
3. Jeroboam---who Made Israel to Sin.
4. Ahab---whom Jezebel stirred up.
5. Uzziah---who went Into the Temple.
6. Belshazzar---who drank from the Holy Vessels.
7. Herod---who mocked the Lord.

Judgments in the Night

1. The Passover---At midnight the destroyer went through the land.
2. Sennacherib’s Army Destroyed.
3. Belshazzar Slain---“That night” the king died.
4. The Rich Fool---“This night shall thy soul be required.”
5. The Five Foolish Virgins shut out.
6. To the Wicked the Lord will come as a thief in the night.

Royal Cowards
Saul Feared to Fight Goliath.
Belshazzar’s knees smote together.
Herod feared them that sat at meat.
Pilate feared when he heard.
Felix Trembled.