Daniel 5:12
Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.
The verse comes more than sixty years after Daniel was taken captive, when Babylon had passed to Belshazzar and was in decline on the night of his sacrilegious feast, and the queen-mother urges the king to summon Daniel because his wise men cannot read the writing on the wall while Daniel is long known for excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, and power to interpret dreams, explain hard matters, and dissolve doubts. That fitness came because he made God his strength by total abstinence that kept reason clear, and by living connection with God through living faith he was recognized even by heathen kings as a man with the Spirit of God, precious as fine gold and entrusted with most critical service as God's representative. Belshazzar had neglected the light given through Nebuchadnezzar's experience, and at his feast with his thousand lords the vessels consecrated to God were put to profane and licentious use amid revelry, blasphemy, and praise to idols while reason was beclouded with wine. God was present as unseen witness who heard and recorded the revelry, and answered with terror by a hand tracing judgment on the wall, calling Daniel as servant of the Most High to declare that Belshazzar had been weighed in the balances of the sanctuary and found wanting. The fall of Babylon in an hour of feasting will be repeated at the end of the world, and those in the last days who repeat Belshazzar's revelry and idolatrous desecration of powers consecrated to God are far more guilty, so students of God's Word must stand apart from the world and be prepared to meet the Bridegroom.
Setting and Meaning Explained
The verse belongs near the close of Daniel's life, more than sixty years after he and his companions were taken captive. By that time Babylon had passed from Nebuchadnezzar to his successors and was in gradual decline, soon to fall. That fall came during a feast.
Belshazzar had neglected opportunities to learn God's will and the lessons of Nebuchadnezzar's experience. The coming calamity upon Babylon resulted from disregarding heaven-sent light, including the light given to Nebuchadnezzar. By that disregard Belshazzar lost the benefits he could have received through obedience, for God gives lessons to lead to reform and neglecting and failing to practice them brings judgment.
The verse describes Daniel as having an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding, with power to interpret dreams, explain difficult matters, and resolve doubts. These qualities had been recognized in Nebuchadnezzar's time, when Daniel was appointed over Babylon's wise men. He was the same man King Nebuchadnezzar had named Belteshazzar.
The queen-mother urged Belshazzar to summon Daniel because he could explain the mysterious writing on the wall. The king's wise men could not read or explain the writing, so Daniel was the one to call. He was the person Babylon's rulers turned to for explanations of mysteries, having exceptional wisdom for interpreting a king's dream and explaining difficult matters.
Daniel's Spirit and Service
Daniel's excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, and power to interpret dreams, explain hard sentences, and dissolve doubts came because he purposed not to eat of luxuries or taste of wines, making God his strength. That total abstinence keeps reason clear, while in contrast Belshazzar under wine beclouded reason, forgot God, and dishonored Him. Even a heathen king recognized Daniel as a man with whom was the Spirit of God. His moral worth was as precious as fine gold because of his living connection with God by living faith.
Because of that connection he had power with God and with men. He was entrusted with most important responsibilities as a representative man, 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. In Babylon he held the work of a statesman in a most critical and trying position.
He did the civil work assigned him while plainly refusing any work against God. His course provoked discussion. Through providence at work in human affairs this brought him into reasoning relation with the kings of Babylon.
Through Daniel God gave light for the king, presenting things foretold in the prophecies against Babylon and other kingdoms. By Daniel's interpretation of dreams Jehovah was exalted as more powerful than any other kingdom. In this service he explained Nebuchadnezzar's dream in the light of Scripture, though the king read it through his idolatrous understanding.
Babylon's Judgment and Warning
Belshazzar held a sacrilegious feast with his thousand lords, turning vessels of gold and silver dedicated to God by holy consecration to profane and licentious use. Amid music, dancing, feasting, and blasphemy he praised the gods of gold and silver while God was forgotten, the carnal senses were inflamed, reason was beclouded by wine, and self-control was lost. God in heaven was present as an unseen and uninvited witness who heard, saw, and recorded the revelry. He answered with terror when a bloodless hand traced living characters of awful judgment on the palace wall, mysterious and unintelligible to the king, so that Daniel was needed to show the interpretation.
Daniel as servant of the Most High was called to pronounce doom, for God weighed Belshazzar's motives, character, life, and soul in the balances of His sanctuary and pronounced him wanting. A ruler may persist in presumption and defiance until passing the limit of God's forbearance and facing judgment. God gives lessons to lead to reform, and neglecting and failing to practice them brings judgment, for Belshazzar disregarded heaven-sent light including the light given to Nebuchadnezzar and thereby lost the benefits obedience would have brought. The fall of Babylon shows its rulers failed to heed warning and forgot God, and human power and prosperity cannot prevent a kingdom's downfall when leaders turn from God.
The same hand keeps a faithful record of every act of injustice or oppression against God's people. Those who speak calumny and falsehood against servants purchased by Christ's blood do worse than profane soulless vessels, because God witnesses their deeds. The feast illustrates the desecration of God-given powers of soul, body, and spirit solemnly consecrated to sacred service when dragged down to administer to debasing lust. That desecration gives to a sinful human being the praise, tenderness, affection, and adoration belonging alone to God, which is degrading idol worship, adultery, and harlotry that dishonors God and ruins the actors, and the same witness is present in such worship now.
The fall of Babylon in an hour of feasting and revelry will be repeated at the end of the world. Those living in the last days who repeat Belshazzar's feast and worship are far more guilty than Belshazzar. God's record of the revelry will testify to the close of time. Last-day students of God's Word must therefore work apart from the customs and appointments of the world's great counselors, reject the claim that the Lord delays His coming, and be prepared with oil like wise virgins to meet the Bridegroom.