24 November 2021

‘So from his presence the hand was sent and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: mene, mene, tekel, and parsin. This is the interpretation of the matter: mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; tekel, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting; peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’

From Daniel 5:1-6,13-14,16-17,23-28, NRSV

In today’s reading we hear the well known story of Belshazzar’s Feast – a great banquet for “a thousand” noblemen. In an attempt to impress his guests, Belshazzar had served food and wine on the sacred vessels that had been looted by King Nebuchadnezzar from the temple in Jerusalem. As Belshazzar and his guests ate, drank and praised their gods, a mysterious human hand was seen to write a message on the wall. Belshazzar was alarmed by this and Daniel’s skill in interpreting messages was again called on. Daniel made it clear to Belshazzar that there were consequences to his defiance of the Lord. Belshazzar has been found wanting and now his sovereignty was to end and his kingdom was to be divided and given to others.

• • Why were Belshazzar’s actions so displeasing to the Lord?
  • Should we expect consequences for doing or saying things that would displease God? 

Pray for the grace to discern and work on aspects of your own behaviour that may be displeasing to God.