Dan 5:1-9 NIV King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. (2) While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. (3) So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. (4) As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone. (5) Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. (6) His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way. (7) The king called out for the enchanters, astrologers and diviners to be brought and said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.” (8) Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. (9) So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.

What has happened to bring us to this point? (From Bible Knowledge Commentary)

• Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 b.c. after ruling for 43 years
• Evil-Merodach, Nebuchadnezzar’s son, ruled for 2 years until he was murdered by Neriglissar, Nebuchadnezzar’s son-in-law and Evil’s own brother-in-law
• Neriglissar ruled for 4 years (560-556 b.c). He is Nergal-Sharezer mentioned in Jer 39:3, Jer 39:13
• Labishai-Marduk was assassinated by Nabonidus after ruling for 2 months (May to June 556 b.c.)
• Nabonidus reigned for 17 years (556-539 b.c.) and restored much of what had belonged to Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar.
• Nabonidus was absent from Babylon for 10 of his 17 year reign as he restored a temple in Haran attacked Edom, and conquered parts of Arabia.
• During this 10 year absence, Belshazzar (Nabonidus’ eldest son) was co-regent. References to Belshazzar being son of Nebuchadnezzar refers to his succession as king rather than his blood-line.
• Belshazzar means Bel has protected the king. Bel is another name given to the god Marduk.

Babylon was being besieged by the Persian army, led by Ugbaru, governor of Gutium, while Belshazzar, inside the city, was giving a great banquet for 1,000 of his nobles. Within the city were supplies that would sustain it for 20 years.

• With the Medes and Persians attacking the city, why would the king call for a great banquet?
• What conclusion about the king would you draw if he holds a great banquet during a siege on his kingdom and drinks from the holy goblets from God’s temple?
• How does this compare to the state of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 4:30?
• What happened to Belshazzar when he was confronted with the vision from God?
• What can we apply to our lives from God’s response to the attitude of these two men?

Dan 5:10-16 NIV The queen, hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “O king, live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! (11) There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king, I say—appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. (12) This man Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.” (13) So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? (14) I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. (15) The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. (16) Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. 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.”

• How do verses 5:11-16 compare to Daniel 2:25-28 and Daniel 4:6-8? Do you see a pattern to God’s working in the lives of these kings? What do you think His purpose was? ( Isaiah 47, Jer 27:5-11)
• What is it that brings Daniel before king Belshazzar? How is it that people might send for us in times of trouble?

Dan 5:17-31 NIV Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means. (18) “O king, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. (19) Because of the high position he gave him, all the peoples and nations and men of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. (20) But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. (21) He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like cattle; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and sets over them anyone he wishes. (22) “But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. (23) 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. (24) Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. (25) “This is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN (26) \”This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end. (27) Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. (28) Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (29) Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom. (30) That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, (31) and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two.

• What is different about Daniel’s response with Belshazzar? Why would Daniel speak this way to this king? (Dan 5:1-4) What does this reveal about Daniel’s character?
• What did Daniel show Belshazzar in the comparison between Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar in verses 18-23?
• Why do you think God gave Nebuchadnezzar a year before passing judgment and Belshazzar only a few hours? What does reveal about God and his character? What does this reveal to you about the character of God?

Jer 27:5-11 NIV With my great power and outstretched arm I made the earth and its people and the animals that are on it, and I give it to anyone I please. (6) Now I will hand all your countries over to my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; I will make even the wild animals subject to him. (7) All nations will serve him and his son and his grandson until the time for his land comes; then many nations and great kings will subjugate him. (8) “‘”If, however, any nation or kingdom will not serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon or bow its neck under his yoke, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine and plague, declares the LORD, until I destroy it by his hand. (9) So do not listen to your prophets, your diviners, your interpreters of dreams, your mediums or your sorcerers who tell you, ‘You will not serve the king of Babylon.’ (10) They prophesy lies to you that will only serve to remove you far from your lands; I will banish you and you will perish. (11) But if any nation will bow its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him, I will let that nation remain in its own land to till it and to live there, declares the LORD.”‘”

Isa 47:1-15 NIV “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter of Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne, Daughter of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate. (2) Take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. (3) Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered. I will take vengeance; I will spare no one.” (4) Our Redeemer—the LORD Almighty is his name— is the Holy One of Israel. (5) “Sit in silence, go into darkness, Daughter of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms. (6) I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke. (7) You said, ‘I will continue forever— the eternal queen!’ But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen. (8) “Now then, listen, you wanton creature, lounging in your security and saying to yourself, “I am, and there is none besides me. I will never be a widow or suffer the loss of children.’ (9) Both of these will overtake you in a moment, on a single day: loss of children and widowhood. They will come upon you in full measure, in spite of your many sorceries and all your potent spells. (10) You have trusted in your wickedness and have said, ‘No one sees me.’ Your wisdom and knowledge mislead you when you say to yourself, “I am, and there is none besides me.’ (11) Disaster will come upon you, and you will not know how to conjure it away. A calamity will fall upon you that you cannot ward off with a ransom; a catastrophe you cannot foresee will suddenly come upon you. (12) “Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. (13) All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions month by month, let them save you from what is coming upon you. (14) Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. Here are no coals to warm anyone; here is no fire to sit by. (15) That is all they can do for you— these you have labored with and trafficked with since childhood. Each of them goes on in his error; there is not one that can save you.