In Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel, the king is having a party with his lords and nobles. Pagan Babylonians having a party is not a big deal. But when there’s over a million enemy soldiers outside your gates (Meades and Persians), that’s another matter!

Belshazzar, the king, was reigning in the place of his father, who had been defeated by the Persian king Cyrus. After defeating the Babylonian army on the battlefield, Cyrus surrounded the walled fortress of Babylon with his huge army. Cyrus faced what appeared to be an impossible situation.

The walled fortress of Babylon was impregnable. The outer walls were 350 feet high and 80-85 feet thick at the top. A second ring of defense was another wall 250 feet high. The Euphrates River ran through the middle of the city, and a 150-foot-wide moat 30 feet deep surrounded the fortress. Twelve 150-foot-high bronze gates that normally provided access to the city had been drawn up when the Persians approached.

There was no way Cyrus was going to be able to take the city of Babylon. The walls were too thick, and with the gates shut, the Persians could only look at the smug Babylonian soldiers on top of the walls. But Cyrus would capture the city without a fight. Next week I’ll share what Paul Harvey called “the rest of the story.”

Belshazzar was partying to mock the enemy outside his walls. He sent to the treasure house for gold and silver vessels taken from Jerusalem by his grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, and began toasting to the pagan idols of Babylon. Suddenly, a man’s hand appeared writing on the wall, scaring the snot (and more) out of the king. No one could interpret the strange sayings. That is, until they sent for Daniel, an 85-year-old retired government employee.

Belshazzar offered rewards to Daniel if he would interpret the words on the wall. Daniel refused the rewards but thoroughly rebuked the king. He reminded Belshazzar of what happened to his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, when he became proud and arrogant (see Chapter 4). He was stricken with insanity for a period of seven years until he “came to his senses,” and God restored his sanity and his kingdom. When God, in His mercy, restored this pagan king’s sanity, he acknowledged the God in Heaven who ruled and reigned and gave the kingdom to whoever He chose!

Then Daniel rebuked the king by saying, “You knew all of this, but you never humbled yourself.” Daniel told the king that he was weighed in God’s scales of justice and he came up short; that he was finished along with his kingdom. Babylon fell that very night. Judgment was at the gate, and Belshazzar never saw it coming!

So, the question is, could America be facing judgment right now and we can’t even see it? Have we become so spiritually compromised, lacking discernment, that we can’t see how close to disaster we might be? Have we lacked the courage of Daniel to confront the evil that is weakening our nation? Have we become so dull spiritually, like Belshazzar, that we can’t see the danger right in front of our eyes?

Will we do what Belshazzar did not do and humble ourselves before our God and plead for His Mercy?

Something to pray about!
Semper Fidelis