Part of Series on Daniel
Preached at Chew Magna Baptist Church – Feb 5 2012
I
remember back in the early 1980’s I was an undergraduate in London. I remember
reflecting on the order of things, as you when you’re young. I was trying to understand
why the world was the way it was – I’m still trying! I suppose I was also
trying to understand myself, and figure out what this precious life was about.
I had decided to commit my life to following Jesus at the relatively young age
of 15. However, as a young believer I soon recognised the weak state of the
Christian church in the west. Christianity for most of us is a matter of, as
David Watson put it, “church attendance,
pew-filling, hymn singing, sermon-tasting, bible reading but not often becoming
true disciples of Jesus”[1].
As a consequence the impact of the Christian church, our faith, our hope and
ultimately our love, on our culture and society is limited these days.
In
the 1980s the threat to the church was on the one hand from the pleasures of materialism
and on the other hand it was from the intellectual appeal of atheistic and
Marxist philosophies. One communist said of Christians “How can anyone believe in the supreme value of the gospel if they do
not practise it, if you do not spread it, and if you sacrifice neither time nor
money for it? ... we communists are willing to sacrifice everything, even our
lives ..”[2] The
communists of that day talked a good talk! Talk of social equality, fairness
and redistribution of wealth. Their practice was a different matter, inside the
velvet glove was an iron fist. They backed up their rhetoric with a fair amount
of threats!
I
remember thinking, at the time, that the world was polarised between rich and
poor, between the have’s and have not’s; and between political ideologies such
as democracy and communism – and I was convinced that there could be no change,
not in my lifetime, not anything that I would see with my own eyes. The threat
of nuclear annihilation was a very real one in minds of many people.
But
do you know what happened, - Nov 1989, the completely unthinkable, the
completely unimaginable, the “communist” USSR empire completely collapsed; and
what only a blind, hopeful, fool would believe could happen, happened.
Times
of change can come when no one is expecting it. Times of change can come when
seems impossible! Times of change are God’s way of showing us that we do not
understand or see all things clearly.
Our
passage from Daniel chapter 5, is one of these times of change – an epic,
quick, unexpected complete change in world order.
The
end the Jewish empire, if we can call it that, came with the defeat of Josiah
in the battle of Meggido (609BC) and the fall of Jerusalem a few years later (605BC)
to Nebuchadnezzar. Their sacred temple, Solomon’s temple, was laid to ruin. Its
precious ark, symbols and artefacts, along with the rest of their holy Jerusalem
was ransacked. The last vestiges of independence, national pride and statehood
destroyed. The northern kingdom had been conquered and ethnically cleansed by
the Assyrian empire a century earlier. There was now nothing left.
Daniel
was a probably about 17 when he was taken away to Babylon. His life in Babylon
was a long one. For his whole life he had to live with the enslavement of his
people. His people had been chosen by the Holy God to be a light unto the
nations. They were to be an example to the world of the truth about God. But
they had been brought to nothing; they had failed to remain faithful and follow
God’s plan. But Daniel never seemed to give up on God. You see, he knew that,
his God was the God of change, the God of impossible things and the God of
miracles. He knew of the history of his people, he knew how God made a great
nation out of one man Abraham. He knew how God had rescued them 1000 years
earlier from another great nation, Egypt. He figured that, in time, God would
again show lovingkindness to his people Israel and perhaps they would return to
Jerusalem to rebuild their nation and their temple. Even thought the culture,
society, and it seemed everyone around him thought it impossible; thought there
was no reason to believe, Daniel still kept the faith.
Empires
rise and fall. But few live to rise a second time. Babylonia was one of the
few. At this time New Babylonia was a great empire again, and Babylon city was
one a wonder of the ancient world. It had wonderful and great architecture;
with buildings so high that they would amaze anyone of the time. It was the
centre of various trade routes and the wealth of the nations flowed into
Babylon. The city’s walls were magnificently tall and so strong that any
invading army would never believe that it was possible to enter the invincible
city by force; and in any event they had the most powerful armies. The river
Euphrates ran through and underneath these walls into the city; and it watered
the marvellous and beautiful gardens of Babylon built by Nebuchadnezzar for one
of his wives. It was along this river that a poet (perhaps known to Daniel)
wrote this in Psalm 137
1By the rivers
of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
2There on the
poplars we hung our harps,
3for there our
captors asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of
Zion!”
4How can we
sing the songs of the LORD
while in a foreign land?
…
7 Remember,
LORD, what the Edomites did
on the day Jerusalem fell.
“Tear it
down,” they cried, “tear it down to its foundations!”
8 Daughter
Babylon, doomed to destruction,
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
However,
eventually, under Nebuchadnezzar Daniel prospered. Through the prophetic gift,
God spoke through Daniel to aid Nebuchadnezzar in interpreting his dreams.
Daniel, like Joseph before him, was raised to the ruler of the entire province
of Babylon and placed in charge of the wise men. Many years later, when Daniel
was in his fifties he must have retired or been removed from this position. Then
he had to live through a very turbulent period of political unrest when
Nebuchadnezzar died. Historical records tell us how His evil son Merodach, who
lasted 1 year, was murdered by Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law Neriglissar. He lasted
4 years and almost bankrupted the empire with excessive military spending. He
“died” to be replaced by a son Labashi-Marduk who was murdered, 9 months later,
by another of Nebuchadnezzar’s a son-in-law Nabonidus who brought some
stability back to Babylon. Nabonidus had a son called Belshazzar.
And
it is this grandson of Nebuchadnezzar that we meet in chapter 5. The English bible
text say “son of Nebuchadnezzar” but the original Aramaic term for “son” could
mean “grandson” or “descendant” and it appear from other historical records
that grandson is correct. At this time Belshazzar was second in charge, the co-regent
with his father if you like, the ruler of the city of Babylon.
We
have a scene at the start of chapter 5 which reminds us of worst excesses of
any decadent civilisation. Belshazzar, probably in his late twenties, was
holding the largest, most lavish party Babylon had seen in years. Thousands of
guests, anyone who was anyone in Babylonian empire was there. There was food,
wine, sex and pagan religious rites. They praised every god, who was currently
“in fashion”. Every new king had his own pet god. So gods could go quickly in then
out of fashion. It was important not to be caught worshiping the wrong god! While
tasting the wine Belshazzar orders that the gold and silver cups taken from the
temple in Jerusalem, some 60 years earlier, be brought out to use for drinking.
How
did he remember them? Why did he want to use these cups in a profane way? Was
this a reminder to the guests that Babylon is the destroyer nations and their “gods”?
For there was growing talk of the rise of power of the Persians and Belshazzar
wanted to remind them of the invincibility of Babylon.
In
the midst of all this revelry and self gratification - the creator God enters.
The terrified Belshazzar sees this floating disembodied hand move to the wall
and write four words. All Belshazzar’s understanding was based on what he could
touch, and feel, and see. The only power he knew was the power and splendour of
Babylon. Nothing was greater, nothing was mightier, nothing .. but now he was
faced with the miraculous, unknowable God. Here was something beyond all the
wonders and power of Babylon and their Kings. Belshazzar cries out, and calls
for his wise men and soothsayers, but none can explain what the four words
mean.
The
queen (his mother, the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar) comes and reminds her son of
Daniel.
“There is a man in your kingdom who has the
spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your (grand) father he was found
to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your (grand)
father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters,
astrologers and diviners.
The
nearly eighty year old Daniel is called for and is brought before the young
king. I can imagine the young Belshazzar waves him forward, - come, come, old
man, you may approach the royal presence He continues in pride, with a put
down, “Are you Daniel” he looks
around the great hall to ensure he has everyone’s eye “one of the exiles my (grand)
father the king brought from Judah?” - remember your place old man, we are
the conquers, we are great, we are the future but you and your people are the
past. “I have heard that the spirit of
the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding
wisdom.” Notice again the pride, his mother said “holy” or sacred “gods”
but Belshazzar does not acknowledge the sacred, he doesn’t use the word “holy”. But fear drives him “If you can read this writing and tell me
what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed
around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
Daniel
is an old man and doesn’t want power again. He sees right through this young arrogant
Belshazzar and proceeds to give the King a lesson in history. It is God the
creator God, who made Nebuchadnezzar ruler of such a great empire. He, in his
pride, refused to acknowledge his creator. He was a tyrannical ruler who
oppressed the poor and this is a great crime before God. So God broke him and he
became like a mad man for seven year. But in the end he acknowledged his
creator God and was blessed. You are his grandson, you knew all this yet you
refuse to humble yourself. You refused abandon your oppression of the poor. “Instead, you have set yourself up against
the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you
and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You
praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which
cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in
his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore … God has numbered the days of
your reign and brought it to an end. You have been weighed on the scales and
found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
The
old prophet didn’t pull any punches. Daniel showed no fear. He spoke from the
Spirit God, the judgement of God upon Belshazzar and Babylon.
Finally
Belshazzar tries to play the part of Nebuchadnezzar, he has the old Daniel
clothed in purple and gold, and declared the third highest ruler in the
kingdom. But in his heart his arrogance remained, as the proverbs (29:1) say “a man who remains stiff-necked after many
rebukes will suddenly be destroyed”.
The
prophetic prayer of the psalmist we read earlier was to be fulfilled. We learn
from history that a short time earlier at the battle of Opis Cyrus’ armies had
crushed the Babylonian armies lead by Belshazzar’s father. It was a time of
change, the time of New Babylonian Empire was at an end. The rulers and
powerful people of that nation couldn’t believe it. While Belshazzar was
throwing his defiant party, Cyrus' general Ugbaru known here as Darius diverts
the Euphrates river, lowering the moat around Babylon, and quietly enters the
city the night of the 16th day of the month of Tashritu (October 12). The
invincible city of Babylon is taken without a battle. That very night
Belshazzar was slain.
What
do we learn from this passage? It is a reminder to all of us of the finite
nature of our lives. It is God who holds
in his hand your life and all your ways. It is God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Will we honour
God, by loving him and loving our neighbour as ourselves? Will we defend and
help the poor and oppressed? Will we chose like Daniel to believe, even when we
see no reason to believe? Will we seek to be filled with the Holy Spirit of
God? The message this morning is this: our God can do mighty and unbelievable
things. He can turn our society upside down. Times of change come unexpectedly.
Our God can revive his church again, with works of sovereign power. Let us come
before him in hope, for he is able to do more abundantly than we can think or
even imagine.
The
message this morning is also a personal one. At times in our lives we may not
be able to see a way through the troubles we face. Everything we can see and
touch and feel may tell us that there is no hope. The culture and people around
us may push us to try and abandon our faith. Remember Daniel, remember his
faith, his struggles in a foreign and alien land, in the midst of a people who
showed contempt, and indifference at best, for the ways of the living God. He
did not see an answer to his heart felt prayers, until the very end of his
life. You see it was with the decree of the Persian Cyrus that some the Jewish
exiles were allowed to return to Jerusalem as the prophet Jeremiah[3]
foretold.
10This is what
the LORD says: “When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to
you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. 11For
I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and
not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12Then you
will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13You
will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14I
will be found by you,” declares the LORD, “and will bring you back from
captivity”
Let
us listen to these words of hope for they are for us also.
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