LEARNING DAILY

Daniel 5:25, And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.

No doubt you have heard the expression, “The handwriting on the wall”. Here is where it came from. Daniel told the king, “And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven.” (verse 22-23a). A supernatural sign – the finger of God – had written this message on the wall where this drunken orgy was taking place. Belteshazzar, in his drunken and blasphemous actions, had gone too far and rebelled against God. I ask you to consider our own culture which used to honor God and give Him credit unashamedly for the blessings and successes we have enjoyed! We have just simply forgotten God!

We have forgotten the settling of this nation by people who were seeking God and the freedom to worship Him without the control of a state-run church. Few remember, if even know, that most state charters of the original thirteen colonies had something written into their constitutions about Jesus as the Lord of lords and King of kings or His gospel and the freedom to share it. What have we done today? The courts have ruled to remove the Ten Commandments from public places. Prayer and mention of the Bible have been forbidden in schools. All regard for God and His Word has been abandoned in universities and colleges where our forefathers placed God’s name in stone.

 Go back and read about this party Belteshazzar was throwing. There were no restraints! Consider ancient Rome, as well. Men abandoned their wives and children. Divorce was easy to obtain resulting in abandonment and no discipline in children. There was no respect for what was once considered sacred and holy. The vessels used in worship in God’s temple were brought into this party to be used in Belteshazzar’s drunkenness. Are we quick to judge what was going on here? I wonder if the handwriting on the wall of Belteshazzar’s palace is not a warning for the people of this nation to consider!

“And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN.” The words were written in Aramaic; they could not be read by Belteshazzar and Daniel was called in. “Mene” means to be weighed; written twice means a thorough consideration had been made. “Tekel” refers to weight or the purity of what was being weighed; the purity here was found to be inferior in quality. “Parsin” suggests something being divided or split into smaller parts. Danile told Belteshazzar that God had weighed Babylon, found them lacking, and was going to split them apart. Babylon’s days were numbered; time had run out! Babylon had not measured up to God’s standard. Judgment was coming!

Consider the last part of verse 23, “And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.” Do I believe this warning is also for the United States of America? Yes! No, I do not know how close this nation is to being judged by God; I do believe God is speaking to this nation “Mene” Mene”! Do we really think this nation is indestructible? Pride was a major reason Babylon fell – they were partying and living it up when they should have been praying. They were involved in immorality when their destruction was at there gates. They mocked God, were perverted, and were rebelling against Him and His Word.

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13-14). Only God knows if it is too late. I believe the enemy is at the gates!