Day 13 | Writing on the Wall

Read Daniel 5:22-31

Have you ever wondered where the phrase “the writing on the wall” comes from? It’s a reference to a miracle God performed in the Kingdom of Babylon. When Daniel had become an older man, the new king had lost sight of the lessons his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had learned. One night, he threw a massive party for the nobles of the kingdom, and they used the cups that had been taken from the temple of the Lord to drink wine in excess. In their drunkenness, they praised the idols they worshiped, which were made of metals, wood, and stone. In the middle of the party, a hand appeared and began writing words on the wall opposite the king.

Daniel was the only one around with the knowledge and wisdom to interpret the writing, and as he gave the king the interpretation, he explained why God had brought about this miracle. All three of the words sounded like words for weights, but they also seemed like other words in Aramaic: numbered, weighed, and divided. Daniel tells Belshazzar that because he and his kingdom had dishonored God, and gone so far as to use the Lord’s sacred dishes in the worship of their gods, his life and reign had been numbered and weighed, and the kingdom would be divided. That very night, Belshazzar was killed, and an outside king overtook Babylon.

We see in this story an example of God using His servant to warn the unrighteous. Belshazzar was far from God, so God did something dramatic to get his attention and provided his servant to explain what was happening. God will do the same kinds of things for us today. Something we don’t understand will come along to stop us in the tracks of our sin, and at that moment we need to seek Godly counsel to help us understand what God’s trying to say to us. Surround yourself with people fervently seeking the Lord, and anytime you begin to stray, they’ll be around to help point you back to God.

Pray for 10 minutes