Daniel 5:11
There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers;
During Belshazzar's idolatrous feast the queen-mother recalls Daniel's former service under Nebuchadnezzar and urges the king to call him to interpret the writing on the palace wall. She describes him as a man in whom is the Spirit of God, recognized even by a heathen court as the spirit of the holy gods, with light and understanding and wisdom beyond ordinary wisdom, whom Nebuchadnezzar had made chief over the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans and soothsayers. His standing rested on interpreting dreams and explaining hard matters, notably Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image, by which God was exalted above earthly kings, while he served as a faithful statesman who refused any work against God. The saying belongs to a night of riot and sacrilege, when Belshazzar, who knew of Nebuchadnezzar's humbling and conversion yet neglected the light, drank from the vessels consecrated to Jehovah and praised idols, until God as unseen witness weighed him in the balances and pronounced him wanting in the handwriting of doom. Against that revelry stands Daniel, whose living connection with God by faith made him precious as gold and the salt of the earth, warning that as Babylon fell in feasting so only those ready like the wise virgins will meet the Bridegroom at the close of time.
Queen's Witness to Daniel
The words belong to the queen-mother speaking to Belshazzar in the midst of his feast, recalling Daniel's earlier service under a former king and urging that he be called to interpret the writing on the palace wall. She remembered him as one already proved and honored, and pressed the troubled king to bring that forgotten interpreter before him for the mystery none of his own wise men could explain.
She described him as a man in whom is the spirit of the holy gods, the language of a heathen court for what was in truth the Spirit of God dwelling in him. With that Spirit came light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods, a wisdom beyond ordinary human wisdom and recognized as divine in origin. That endowment gave him moral worth precious as gold through living connection with God by living faith, bearing the atmosphere of heaven and giving him power with God and with men.
That light and understanding and wisdom was found in him in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, and Nebuchadnezzar made him master and chief over the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. His appointment set him at the head of all the wise men of Babylon, honored above the very classes named in the queen's description. His reputation rested on interpreting dreams and explaining hard sentences and dissolving of doubts, shown especially in making known Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the great image. By that interpretation Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than earthly kings.
He held that high standing while serving as a statesman in a most critical and trying position in Babylon, faithfully doing the work assigned to him yet plainly refusing any work against God. That steadfast course provoked discussion and by providence brought him into reasoning relation with the king of Babylon. Through him God gave Nebuchadnezzar light, presenting things foretold in the prophecies against Babylon and other kingdoms.
Belshazzar's Feast and Doom
The setting is Belshazzar's idolatrous feast, when the absolute monarch, void of self-control, hasty and violent in temper, gracious to flatterers and cruel as the grave to opposers, self-indulgent, gluttonous, drunken and corrupt at heart, forgot God under wine that beclouded reason and led riot and blasphemy. He drank with his princes from vessels consecrated to Jehovah and praised gods of gold and silver amid music, dancing, feasting and sparkling wine, while idolatrous sacrifices rose in insult to heaven, with reason and reverence departed and nothing held sacred. The king and his lords thus profaned the sacred vessels of the Lord and praised Babylon's idols in idolatrous revelry.
Belshazzar had opportunities to learn God's will and knew of Nebuchadnezzar's banishment and conversion, but neglected the lessons and the means available to him to learn the truth. His calamity came because he disregarded the heaven-sent light given to Nebuchadnezzar, for neglecting and failing to practice the lessons God gives brings judgment.
Though the revelers knew it not, there was an unseen witness making a history to testify to the close of time, and God witnessed their sacrilege and profaning of sacred vessels. God had not forgotten the revelers, but weighed his motives, character, life and soul in the balances of His sanctuary and pronounced him wanting. A hand over against the wall traced his destiny, and the writing on the palace wall announced his doom, a record that will stand when the books of heaven are opened. The account shows that God sees and records injustice against His people as well as profanation of what is sacred, and Belshazzar's sin meets those who turn powers dedicated to God toward lust and give human beings the devotion and praise due to God alone, which they cannot hide from God.
Belshazzar's presumption and defiance carried him beyond the limits of God's forbearance, after which God intervenes in judgment. God's dealings with Nebuchadnezzar had prepared the way, and after light for Nebuchadnezzar was presented through Daniel in things foretold in the prophecies against Babylon and other kingdoms, Babylon's fall came in that very hour of feasting and revelry. By the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than earthly kings, yet Nebuchadnezzar perverted the light and read the interpretation after his own idolatrous mind to set up a golden image of his own glory to force all nations to worship, until Christ Himself walking in the furnace with the three faithful servants moved him to acknowledge God and His superior power.
Faithfulness and Last-Day Warning
Against the idolatrous feast Daniel stands as the man in that kingdom who purposed not to eat of luxuries or taste of wines at fashionable resorts and made God his strength. Total abstinence from tobacco and wine is the only safeguard for youth and for mature age against wild license and loss of reason.
His moral worth, like that of Joseph, was as precious as gold because of a living connection with God by living faith, carrying the atmosphere of heaven. Because of that connection he had power with God and with men. He was entrusted as a representative man with the most important responsibilities, represented the character of Christ, and was truly the salt of the earth. He possessed saving qualities essential for the transformation of the character of those with whom he associated.
Doing the work assigned to him as a statesman in a most critical and trying position in Babylon, he plainly refused any work against God. By providence that course brought him into reasoning relation with the king of Babylon, to whom God had light, presenting through him things foretold in the prophecies against Babylon and other kingdoms. By the interpretation of Nebuchadnezzar's dream Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than earthly kings. Nebuchadnezzar perverted the light given and read the interpretation in accordance with his own idolatrous mind, setting up a golden image representing the glory of himself and his kingdom to convert all nations to its worship. When the fiery trial came upon those who would not bow, Christ Himself walked in the furnace with His three faithful servants, moving Nebuchadnezzar to acknowledge God and His superior power. All men must not read the Scriptures and God's providences in the light of dreams and fancies but must read dreams in the light of the living oracles.
The fall of Babylon came in an hour of feasting and reveling, and so will it be in the end of the world. In this momentous period only the wise virgins prepared with oil in their vessels with their lamps will be ready to meet the Bridegroom. There was an unseen witness making a history of the revelry to testify to the close of time, and God had not forgotten the revellers who profaned the sacred vessels without knowing they had such a witness. Belshazzar's sin meets those who turn powers dedicated to God toward lust and give to human beings the devotion and praise due to God alone, and they cannot hide this from God. Daniel had already been recognized for wisdom and understanding in Nebuchadnezzar's court and appointed head over the king's wise men, and his record stands against that revelry as a warning that God weighs motives, character, life and soul in the balances of His sanctuary.