Weighed and Wanting - 7

Christian lady asked welcome to to the point we give dilution. Babylon was a powerful kingdom with pride and pleasure led to its destruction is our cultural the same today. Dr. David Jeremiah points out some sobering similarities from Daniel is David to introduce his message why he didn't want this is one of the great stories of the Bible that were going to talk about today is about the feast of Bill Shatzer in the banquet hall when God intervened and wrote a message on the wall. The message told Bill Shatzer that he had been weighed in the balances and found wanting. It was the moment of judgment for a man who had disgraced himself and defied God in a very very wicked moment of his life story is intriguing. You don't want to put the book down and you want to listen all the way through today on the weekend looking now Daniel twice in this section of Scripture. Belshazzar says that is heard even though he had never used them in his kingdom knowingly. He was ready to sell the sizes range in verse 14 he said I never and in verse 16 he repeats it he said that I have heard of you. Daniel was a famous man, a famous part of the history of babbling as we look at the fame of Daniel we come. First of all to the recollection of clean verses 10 and 11. The recollection of the Queen. She said there is a man, the Queen remembered Daniel so there that night in the hall when all politicians were drunk as it was scared.

She said about the significant visa. He sensible the skillful goes as if you got a set you right now so verses 13 to 16 we see the king. He's calling Daniel now get the picture. Folks, Daniel is an old man in his late 80s or early 90s and is the banquet hall where a thousand politicians are seated around tables and six there and start tear the wall where there is a writing became first inquires as to whether Daniel was the same Daniel who was taken by medicaments. Another something going on here.

You want to miss picture in your mind's eye became sitting at his table.

He's got the golden chalice that he stole out of the temple that he brought from the place where it was stored in babbling and he spilled his wine and he's been forming that up to the gods of gold and silver and bronze and stone chalice in his hand. I just have to believe that in Daniel marches in the form he stands right in front of the first thing the kingdom is that chalice looks Daniel that uses Daniel. Daniel came over here to babbling the same time we stole these vessels are you not the same. Daniel came over here when we brought the hostages and we took the vessels from the temple and brought in chapter 1. That's what he's asked to see he's under so much conviction he is convicted by the presence of judgment on the wall and said his hands and the prophet in front of someone he said this is not Daniel Bell says her this is about says it before, Daniel. Just like Felix and Paul will verse 14 he repeats the same list about Daniel that the Queen had given with one exception. I just point this out back over all of this.

Yes, the word excellent before the last word in the verse. That's the only difference the rest of the words are exactly the same words, the Queen used to describe Daniel verse 15. He reports the failure of his own brain trust to interpret the writing justice today secular natural wisemen cannot know the things of the spirit of God. He says he brought all my brain trust and I asked him this question, I know anything about it so that on back down. You, the last resort: on God that brings us to verse 16 where he promises Daniel that he will reward him if he tells him what he wants to hear knowledge of the notice. The only thinking Belshazzar knew by way of motivation was the only thing the world most of day.

The only motivation the world knows how to give even the spiritual people's position and possessions in power. Daniel, you tell me what I want to know I'll give you a good position to give you great possessions and outputting your names great. That's the way the world works silly, motivation may not you walk out of the marketplace today in the whole world is revolving around those three things – that's all the world knows that you do what I want you to have all those things now we come to the faith. Daniel verses 17 to 29. Transfer yourself and that royal banquet hall and listen for just a moment there stands tall and reverent. He has not over simply for the K have anything to say about those as you know we learned when Daniel was involved as you were looking like that okay remember when he was interpreting the drain back in the fourth chapter as he came to grips with the dream.

It was bad news for the king, and he said Nebuchadnezzar I wish this was true, but unfortunately you could see the heart of Daniel burning because of his love for Nebuchadnezzar tell you something in the love Bill Shatzer except the spirit of God. Belshazzar has profane the holiness of Daniel's God, anything to get to the heart of the holy prophet warned that though she is lifted up wine to the pagan gods with the vessels that belong to the holy God. Daniel stands in front of him and white hot and righteous indignation that belongs to the prophetic office burning within his bones, so his voice and his brow and his words is composed manner and solemnity are all in deep accord with the spirit who wrote those awful words on the wall she Daniel knew he was about to order some of the last words that battle royal center or whatever.

Here in this life. I like what he did. First of all four things. The first thing he did was he refused. The king's gifts notice Daniel answered verse 17 is okay myself and give your rewards to somebody else while in the vernacular of the day you can hang it on your nose respected Nebuchadnezzar, but he rejected Bill Shatzer and it is obvious as you study this Daniel has developed a holy hatred for the sin of this wicked king. He refused his gifts because he didn't want to be obligated to him like Abraham in the Old Testament member Abraham, when he went out there he met the king of Sodom and the king of Sodom on the giving always nice things to love. Abraham is at the same time great spirit is what he said. Abraham said to the king of Sodom. I have my hand under the Lord most high God.

The possessor of heaven and earth that I will not take from even in that I will not take anything that is thine westbound, so to say.

I have made Abraham in Genesis 1422 and 23 g and look you keep your stuff and your stuff press these power position don't mean anything to a man of God, so Daniel told me can hang on to the refused his gifts. Now notice. Secondly, Daniel's work into a sermon preached a sermon of this king is kind of exciting because he's warm enough to having refused his gifts. He reviews his heritage and his history notice. Then Daniel answered and said all about paying the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar that father kingdom and majesty and glory and honor and majesty that he gave him all people, nations language, trembled for him call me when he slowed me what he kept alive and will be what he set up and we would put down, and when his heart was lifted up in his mind hardened in pride he was deposed from his kingly throne and I took his glory from him.

It was driven from the sons of men in his heart was made like the breezes dwellings with the wild asses me fighting with grass like oxen and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till he knew that the most high God ruled the kingdom of men. He appointed over it.

Whomsoever he will.

That's all. Chapter 4 simply reminder to Belshazzar what happened to his grandfather see the purpose of siding history and the reduction to a sermon was in order to help Belshazzar see himself in the same ways as was that you could measure as it related to God and then he points his finger at Belshazzar and he indicts having reviewed the history of his kingdom and his heritage gets done with that little historical review now puts his finger right in the nose of Belshazzar, he says, but having reviewed his heritage. Now comes the rebuke is I want you to notice that he brings three charges against Belshazzar as he rebukes first of all charges him with pre-meditated sin. Pre-meditated sin.

Verse 22 and Belshazzar has not humbled thine heart now underlying this though Miller's all of this, though it was all what how God deals with a proud man how God takes a man who defies and brings them low. Belshazzar knew it all just in the face of sin same way as his grandfather know the word although in the text literally should be translated by the words in front of even though this was in front of you saw. Still, in fact, most commentators believe that Bell says are not only did this in ignorance.

But he did it deliberately, presumptuously with Molly. He did what he did not in spite of what he knew but because of what he knew. He purposely desecrated these vessels as if to say to God that he wasn't in all baby. My grandfather was all… What's this, those wind vessels before God. Sin is always sin no matter what kind it is. But guilt is in proportion to the knowledge. Listen now. God judges us by what we know.

Hebrews chapter 10 verse 29 of how much sore punishment supposedly shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden underfoot the son of God and have counted the blood of the covenant with which he was sanctified, an unholy thing and have done desk like unto the spirit of grace was the first it says that there are gradations of punishment based upon knowledge and that deal is proportionate to what you know, if I were some of you folks did a bit under the word of God. Most of your lives in a church so many times the word over and over again that would make me afraid, for you are twice guilty before God. Not only because you filing this law, because you do it premeditated lay in the face of what you know the first thing Daniel said to Belshazzar was this I charge you with premeditated sin. Secondly, he charged him with profane, sacrilege, verse 23 what thou hast looked it up myself against the Lord of heaven.

They have brought the vessels of his house before the end by Lawrence thy wives and my concubines have drunk wine from let me say something folks that have been hearing what book the book of Daniel teaches. It teaches this. You don't laugh at God and get away with, you know God and live very long to tell about it. I remember reading a story of an infidel who was on a boat trip with a couple of Christian friends and they were out by the Niagara while debating the boat they were drifting down the river and they neared the Niagara and when they were all awakened to the danger that they had lost control of their vessel. This infidel cried out for help, and ultimately they were saved. Later on when they were discussing it.

He said that while infidelity was not a bad thing with which to drift down the river. It was a very bad thing with which to go over the falls. You know that's a pretty good statement of what we believe in it. Some folks I know are very happy to live by their infidelity. They just don't want to die by asking what you believe when you tell me the answer than my first question is are you willing to die by what you believe.

Obviously Belshazzar was not not only did Daniel charged him with premeditated sin and profane, sacrilege, but certainly he charged him with pagan sacrifice, thou hast praised the gods of silver and gold and bronze environment of wood and stone, which he not, nor hear nor know Belshazzar you are taking God's holy vessels and lifted them up and praised God's pagan sacrifice. No, the interesting nature of his charge is brought to bear by what Daniel now says concerning the God against to all this sin has been committed. Notice verse 23. At the end of the verse in whose hand by Brent is and whose are all thy ways, thou hast not glorified his God.

Just think about those two phrases God hears and in whose hand are all your some passages to write down by way of support. Joel chapter 12 in verse 10, in whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind.

My friend the Bible teaches that your very breath is Mohammed God. Joel chapter 34 verses 14 and 15 thus saith God, the Lord grant unto the people on the earth and spirit to them that walk therein, you know, we do it. So naturally, just a part of our reflex action breathe in, breathe out, I would say something today God besides you don't want you to breathe any longer. It's all over your breath is what a foolish thing to profane such a God who has absolute control over the very lifeblood of those is created and then listen to these words concerning our ways. Job 31 four doth not see my ways and all my steps. Psalm 139 verse three thou art acquainted with all my ways.

Listen God God against Belshazzar. Sin is a God who holds our breath at his hands and our ways of his hand and he is in control and how foolish it is for any of God's creatures tomorrow. The creator who was in charge come now to understand the king's message after he has finished rebuking his sin. Daniel now reveals the king's message versus 25, 29 this is a very easy part of its export self interpret Daniel reveals the message written on the wall. Notice the words are in Aramaic. There are three words in the message written on the wall. The first word is repeated for emphasis. Many men they tell you Farson cannot just be undignified for a moment and tell you that there was an old Southern preacher down himself, who gave a message on this one time, and his interpretation was that money money tickles the parson a great stewardship text for some, not what it words are written in Aramaic… Taken one phrase and timing very quickly. MMA verse 26 tells us what it means God have numbered thy kingdom and finished it in the vernacular of the day. Daniel said Nebuchadnezzar. God says your numbers all over for you friend got called your number behind the magnificent walls of Babylon, the king laughed at the approach of Cyrus, but God had determined the king's number and that night the king was slain where's Egypt wears tire where Sodom where's Nineveh wears babbling anywhere they are. They defied God. God called a number God is numbered you numbers up.

The second message is to tell.

Verse 27 and thou art weighed in the balance and found wanting. Literally means your kingdom has been weighed. It's been found to be to write is lacking in value and it does not meet God's standard.

The ancient Egyptians have a true idea of this divine judgment, though it's misapplied to their pagan god Osiris.

They said that man was taken to the hall of judgment where his heart was removed and weighed on the scales against the feather if his heart was lighter. He was pure, if not weighted down with sin, and he would suffer punishment that I had been all messed up with her pagan theology, but basically they were close to the truth. You see the problem that we have in our society today is when we think of justice we get a mental picture of the graphics that are used to describe just as well tell you what they are. We describe justice today with the scale and with a sword, and with a blindfold and we say justice is blind. I would take something God is the God of knowledge and when he acts he acts with full light on each case and each act that he is incorruptible.

He God's justice is not blind when he looks at maybe she's all there is to see that night. The kingdom of Belshazzar.

God looked down. He said Belshazzar you numbers up and I wager kingdom and it's too late. Doesn't way God weighs us his balance me just give you couple passages to write down in your notes for Samuel chapter 2 in verse three. Listen to this passage talk no more so exceeding proudly.

Let not arrogance he come out of your mouth, for the Lord is the God of knowledge and by him.

Actions are weighed. The Lord is the God of knowledge and by him. Actions are way listen to Job 31 six let me be weighed in an even balance that God may know mine integrity. Proverbs 16 seven. All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes, but our spirits so that interested always in a manner clean in his own eyes what the Lord weighs the spirit our way to the balance all of us every one of us as Christian God is weighing our action in our attitudes and our spirits to kill our weighed and wanting. Now the third word is the word you Farson. Let me just say word about that when that word is repeated in the interpretation. In verse 28. It is different than when it is spoken earlier of the text in the first place if spoken of as the word you Farson and in the second place if spoken of as the word.

No one explained that in Aramaic the you in the front of you. Farson is the way they said and that means and you take you away. All right at the end of the word BSI and or SIM depending on how it's written is the way that the Aramaic's made something poor like in the Bible say it charitable and then we say the plural of cherub is terribly and we say Sarah in the plural of Sarah for surfing the IMB I and makes the word plural so take the word you Farson take you off of it, which means and in the I get off of it which makes it plural and what you have left are the same three consonants that make up the word.

PR guess it's the same word and he just uses the root word when he gives the interpretation pairings verse 28. The kingdom was divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.

That's all messed that night when God will call us all that truck and RC sent his hand down and wrote on the wall and he said many men and check out weighed in your wanting you Farson your kingdom was divided and given to the present. That brings us to the last point the fall of Babylon, the fall of verses 30 and 31 knows I study this passage. It suddenly dawned on me that the overwhelming thing of this whole passage is this is to realize that Scripture presents the passing away of the Babylonian kingdom in but to verses of Scripture, and that night was Belshazzar became a Chaldean slain in various to meet the king about threescore and two years old that is so matter-of-fact, so straight out the night.

According to the historian, was the 16th day of Tishri in 539 BC about October 11 or 12th. According to our calendar, Babylon joint that night. The whole host of nations that are forgotten God and fallen as far back as the Hittites and then the Egyptians and the Assyrians in the middle Persians and the Greeks and the Romans and in more modern times, Spain and France and Germany and Austria, Great Britain and perhaps America and maybe China and Russia and Japan. Isaiah the prophet says in Isaiah 4015 listen to this. Behold, the nations are as a drop bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance we think were so mighty we think were so great, great nation, God said, just like a drop bucket just like the small dust gets on a pallet scale and women. What this teaches us if it doesn't teach us anything else.

Is this the wicked shall be turned into hell, and all nations that God Isaiah the prophet in chapter 21 verse nine says it this way is he writes the epitaph for this great nation. Babylon is fallen, is fallen, and all carved images over God's welcome to the ground ball that is far as we know, there was never again on occasion when an invisible hand scared God was king by writing on the wall of his back, but I suggested that hand was only making visible what God has been and is doing in the spiritual realm unseen by men, according to Revelation chapter 17 and 18 someday the future Babylon of the antichrist will fall just like that in between now and then all of the nations that forget God go down one after another. As you read the fifth chapter the book of Daniel and you see all of the things that were present in the Babylonian kingdom that were the cause of God judging it by bringing the Medes and Persians against if you read your Bible like I remind you read your newspaper, like I remind you will discover that every single element that was present in Babylon is right now present in our land, promiscuity among the leadership, the princes and the king all of the aristocracy of the land, drunkenness, sensuality, all under the name profanity lifting up there, why even gods and profaning the God of heaven pleasure madness.

Have you ever seen such a world gone crazy over pleasure party drunkenness, sports events, amusement parks, restaurants, you name it we've got it. If we don't will created pretty soon pleasure madness. That's where it wasn't babbling. The weight is an American presumption on the night when they were being defeated.

They didn't know and they were partying in the banquet hall thinking the party was all about the fact that their walls were 3/87 feet high and 87 feet was no anybody could get to him and Cyrus and his armies were out there.

We my heart cries out for the lives of the people of this land who do not understand how the judgment of God stands at the door.

The number five pride has not humbled myself, for God. We are a proud nation. One of these days unless there's a revival in this land. Holiness and righteousness, and spirituality and God fearing morality gods in the right of the invisible wall and amen a you Farson numbers been weighed and found wanting kingdom is over. We hope you enjoyed today's Turning Point we can addition with Dr. David Jeremiah.

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