Talk

Will God Judge Me?

Ben Stuart
October, 20, 2024

Ben Stuart continues through Daniel 5, where we will see God’s judgment come to pass on an arrogant king. He also emphasizes the warnings in this chapter that we can then apply to our own lives to encourage us to pursue the Kingdom of God above all else.

Key Takeaway

When we humble our hearts and understand the reality of who we are in relation to God, we can become someone God can use to build His Kingdom.

There is a fascination within us about the judgment of God. We long for judgment among the unrighteous.

We see in this chapter that when a nation gets stronger—it gets arrogant. And when it gets arrogant, it moves toward sensuality.

In God's kindness, He can use people to humble us, as He used Daniel to humble King Belshazzar.

He reminds us that we are what we are because He gave us everything. He disciplines not out of ego but out of love. He knows we need to worship Him.

Instead of humbling himself, King Belshazzar defied God and worshiped the gods he could control because he didn't want to submit to God. He knew, and yet he ignored, exalted, desecrated, disregarded, and was culpable.

So, the writing is on the wall. King Belshazzar's days are numbered, he's been weighed and shattered.

God rules over man's fates, gives common grace to all, and raises kingdoms and people by His power. Even so, humans have free will.

God will allow sin to continue; don't mistake His patience for impotence. He is strong, but He is loving and slow to anger. Yet, he's not idle in His threats.

We are made in God's image, and by His grace, we are saved through faith.

When we see where we've fallen short, and our kingdoms fade, we begin to learn about what it is to be a person who lives for His Kingdom, power, and glory that won't fade.

“
"King Belshazzar defied God and worshiped the gods he could control because he didn't want to submit to the God that controls him. He knew, he ignored, he exalted, he desecrated, he disregarded, he is culpable. He knew enough to seek God and he didn't."
”
Ben Stuart

Discussion Questions

  1. How does our fascination with the unrighteous receiving judgment play out in our culture?

  2. How did King Belshazzar come to power? What were the family dynamics? Overall, what was his disposition and attitude?

  3. What was the order of how a nation moves from being strong to mocking God that Ben discussed? Where do you see this in your nation?

  4. Why was it such a big deal that King Belshazzar and his guests were drinking out of the Temple vessels?

  5. Why did King Belshazzar throw a massive party when he was surrounded by his enemies?

  6. What lecture did the Queen Mother give to her son? How would we be wise to heed her message?

  7. How did the king think he could solve all of his problems? What does this continue to show about the posture of his heart?

  8. Daniel is brought in to interpret the writing on the wall, but before he does, what does he convey to King Belshazzar? What is the king culpable of?

  9. What does the writing on the wall mean? What did it mean for the king, and what does it mean for us? See Psalm 90:12, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 5:8.

  10. When you put your faith in Jesus instead of judgment, what do you receive instead?

Scripture References

The Writing on the Wall

1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.

7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

10The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”

13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”

17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.

18“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.

22“But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.

25“This is the inscription that was written:

mene, mene, tekel, parsin

26“Here is what these words mean:

“

Mene
: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

27“

Tekel
: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

28“

Peres
: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.

30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart
Ben Stuart is the pastor of Passion City Church D.C. Prior to joining Passion City Church, Ben served as the executive director of Breakaway Ministries on the campus of Texas A&M. He also earned a master’s degree in historical theology from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Donna, live to inspire and equip people to walk with God for a lifetime.