Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place Week 5: Friday

For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone-gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! Daniel 5:23

I recently listened to a podcast where the host advises listeners who call in with questions. She offers advice in all different areas and is not afraid to let people know when they have made a mistake. Sometimes, the listeners who call in laugh when she gives strong criticism, often because they feel nervous or uncomfortable. When they laugh, she tells them to stop because she needs them to take their situation seriously. We all avoid awkward or uncomfortable situations because we sometimes do not want to deal with them. Yet, we must face our mistakes and listen to criticism, especially when God reveals sin and mistakes in our lives.

King Belshazzar was forced to take God’s instructions seriously in Daniel 5. In this chapter, Belshazzar held a banquet where he, his nobles, his wives, and his concubines came together and drank from gold and silver cups that king Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem and praised their gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone idols (verses 1-4). While eating and drinking, "they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king's palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote" (verse 5). He did not know what the writing on the wall meant; the language was indiscernible. No one could discern what the writing meant except for Daniel. When Daniel explained what the writing meant, he chastised the king. He condemned the king's actions for drinking out of the cups that had been brought to the temple and for praising their idols (verse 23). He said, "You have not honored the god who gives you the breath and life that controls your destiny" (23). Daniel did not hold back in his condemnation of the king. Belshazzar had not taken God seriously, and he needed to know.

My friends, Belshazzar's story reminds us to take God and His instructions seriously. We read all of His commands throughout Scripture. The question is, do we take His instructions seriously and obey them? God gives us instructions and commandments in Scripture for a reason. So, let's take seriously what He says to us in His word.

Moving toward action

Is there an area of your life where you need to make changes? Maybe you need to let go of a sin or take a step of obedience. Acknowledge that area today. Confess it to God, tell Him you are sorry for your mistakes, and ask Him to help you live differently.

Going Deeper

Daniel 5:23-31