Numbered Weighed and Wanting

09.20.11

Daniel 5.25 25 “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

Numbered, numbered, weighed and wanting – the Persians are coming; their presence is daunting. That in a nutshell is the message Belshazzar the king of Babylon got that night – the same night the Medes invaded the city and killed him. What really killed him was pride; he was so arrogant that he forgot all the great things God had done for his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar.

Pride and arrogance are evil things. They occlude vision (perspective, outlook, etc.) and judgment in ways that defy reason. They drive us to make decisions that are wrong and to wander down strange paths. Pride kills and is a killer – just ask king Belshazzar. That doesn’t justify him or give him an excuse; it’s just the truth… he was killed for his pride.

Belshazzar had an advantage, as a descendant of King Nebuchadnezzar, of knowing what that did (or really, what was done) to him. Nebuchadnezzar met God in a special way because own pride broke him. Unfortunately, Belshazzar’s pride goaded him to ridicule God and misuse what God’s people knew to be holy and precious things. But that wasn’t the worst part – the worst part was Belshazzar totally ignored what God ultimately did in King Nebuchadnezzar’s life: God humbled then exalted Nebuchadnezzar more than he did for himself. .

So God told Belshazzar what He thought of him. It went something like this: Dude, you are worthless. God Himself judged Belshazzar and it wasn’t pretty. When God exalts it’s because He is pleased. When God condemns it’s because He isn’t pleased. But the funny part is that God always gives everyone a chance to be pleasing. God is pleased with people who are pleasing. God wants nothing more than for fallen, broken, evil, selfish creatures to succeed (according to His terms, not theirs). God loves to be pleased with people who please.

And God hates those who flip Him off (figuratively…well, actually even literally…). Giving God the cold shoulder because you don’t know Him is one thing. But to ridicule Him openly when you know of Him or what He has done good in someone’s life is quite another. God is a Big Boy and He can handle it, but He won’t let slights against Him slide forever; as they say, God doesn’t settle all His accounts in the month of October… but He does settle all of His accounts.

I think it’s time we realize that God is serious about our getting it. We need to get it – all of eternity hangs in the balance as to whether or not we get it: God is God and He is good. The sooner we get that the better. The last thing we want to hear from God is: you’ve been measured and found wanting. That’s the last thing I want to hear.

I know I am accepted by God. I know that. I know that God has blessed me beyond measure. I know that I have done nothing to deserve anything He’s done for me. But I also need to remember that I am responsible to respond to His goodness and abundant love. And the worst thing I (or anyone) could ever do is to snub Him for His goodness. Belshazzar was guilty of that. I suspect Belshazzar was a spoiled rich kid. But that notwithstanding, he should’ve learned his lessons better and never treated God the way he did. God didn’t kill him but his pride sure did.