“But you, his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens. The vessels from his house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life.” Daniel 5:22-23
When Belshazzar saw the writing on the wall of his banquet hall, he was terrified and looked for someone to explain its meaning. As usual, Daniel, in exile, is called from some corner of the Kingdom to explain to a King what we all secretly know. We are not the main characters of the story, and someone bigger than us is in charge. While they were in exile in Babylon, multiple successive Kings and kingdoms are mentioned. Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians were in charge, and through Daniel’s interpretations and the bravery of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, he realized that Yahweh was the one true God. Belshazzar follows Nebuchadnezzar, and Daniel again is called upon to teach the same lesson. Following him, a new ruling nation will take over (Darius and the Medes and Persians), and Daniel will again teach the same lesson after going through the lion’s den.
The nation and ruler in charge might change, but the ultimate message stays the same. Yahweh is in charge. Daniel reminded Belshazzar that God held his life breath in his hands and controlled the whole course of his life. If Belshazzar had done his homework, he would have known that being the King doesn’t guarantee God’s favor or make you above reproach. Before you judge Belshazzar too quickly, do you realize that you are also not the main character? How many times, whether by punishment or by blessing, does God have to remind us that He is in charge? Daniel reminds us that “God holds our life-breath in his hand and controls the whole course of our lives.” Think about that. What we want, what we expect, what we think are our rights, what our personal goals are… all of these things are irrelevant. What matters is what God wants, what He expects, and what He commands us to do. He holds our very life in His hand, and He controls the course of our lives. Even Jesus, God the Son, prayed, “Not my will, but Your will be done.” What is God telling you to stop? What is He telling you to start? Where is He calling you to go? He is in charge, and nothing else (not even our personal preferences) matters.
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