So let us seek for God's help
and blessing as we desire to meditate in his word this morning. We read the account of Belshazzar
in the fifth chapter of Daniel and may the Lord help us to make
some comments on that this morning. For a text we can read the 27th
verse in this chapter. 27th verse in the fifth chapter of Daniel
and it's very simply the word Tikal and as Daniel explained
that to Belshazzar as to what it meant he said thou weighed
in the balances and art found wanting well this was a tremendous
word really and it was a word of damnation, a word of condemnation
to that King Balshazar. And if we think of it, there
was the King, enjoying the things of the world, having a great
time, a great party, as he thought with all his nobles and his wives
and his concubines and everything else. And he did anything he
wanted to. of course he so wickedly went
and commanded that the cups of gold which his father Nebuchadnezzar
had taken from the temple so many years ago and had kept them,
now he went and required that they be brought and those people
would then drink wine from them. And so there they were and they
drank wine and they praised the gods of gold and of silver and
of brass, of iron, of wood and of stone. And we can think, well,
surely that's a very similar situation to what the nations
of the world were like, weren't they? Or are still. There is
that great turning away from the true God there has been now
for so many many years and people have been totally taken up with
the poor things of time and yet we see that God in his sovereignty
and in his grace and his mercy has shut things down just ponder
the things you know people are confined in their homes there's
no sport taking place that which so occupied the vast majority
of the world shut down, shops shut down, people are not allowed
to go about, people are not even allowed to meet. We see how the
Lord God has stopped things, well he stopped things in the
case of Baal Shazah in a very very solemn way. And there he
was in the midst of this revelry, in the midst of enjoying himself,
taken up with the vanities of this world. So many people are
today taken up with the vanities of this world. And yet you see
what happened in the same hour. Same time came forth the fingers
of a man's hand. and wrote over against the candlestick
upon the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the
king saw the part of the hand that wrote. What was the effect? In a moment, the king's countenance
was changed. There, from a situation of frivolity,
there from a situation of being totally taken up with carnal
things. Suddenly his countenance was
changed, his thoughts troubled him, his joints of his loins
were loosed and his knees smote one against another. He realised
that this was something supernatural. This was something he could not
understand. You know, if we look around today,
this virus which has occurred, we could say, can we not, it's
something supernatural. It's something which has suddenly
occurred in such a very small and what appeared to be a relatively
small way and it's expanded rapidly. You think of the the growth of
it in the last week it's a rapid increase of course we don't know
where the scene will end but what a mercy to have a God in
heaven who knows where the scene will end and to this end we can
believe as we sang in that opening hymn tears with the righteous
well and the reason that you and I
can say that hopefully you and I can say that is because we
have a good prospect of eternal life beyond the things of this
life and so what a mercy it is to have a good hope as we think
of the world at large how few there are perhaps who are wonderfully
blessed like that well it will be a wonderful favour if we are
blessed like that, and we can acknowledge the goodness of God,
the favour of God, the mercy of God toward us. Well, the king
at this time, he wanted to know what the writing was, and he
called for naturally all the people that he thought might
be able to expound it to him, but of course they were unable. And then there was the Queen,
the Queen wouldn't have been his wife, would have possibly
been the wife of Nebuchadnezzar. But anyway, the Queen, she came
in and she told Belshazzar that there was a man, a man, Daniel,
who was indeed able to tell what the handwriting meant. And so
they call for Daniel. and Daniel comes in before the
king. The king tells him what he would
give him, all these wonderful things, if he can interpret them. But you see Daniel was a man
of God and such gifts did not influence him and therefore he
said let thy gifts be to thyself. give our rewards to another yet
I will read the writing unto the king and make known to him
the interpretation and then Daniel then goes through
the position that occurred with Belshazzar's father Nebuchadnezzar
and how although Belshazzar would have been very aware of what
had occurred, yet it did not have an effect upon him. And that is a very solemn position,
is it not? And it would be very sad in our
lives if there had been those evidences, or perhaps our parents,
perhaps friends who have clearly been directed and moved by God
himself and yet such a recollection has no effect upon us. We carry on not believing in
the great and true God. Because Daniel goes through a
list of things speaking to Belshazzar and telling him what had occurred
And then he comes down to this and says, And thou, his son,
O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thy heart, though thou knewest
all this. It's a very solemn word. It's
a very solemn word to all of us, you know. It's a great blessing
if we can be humbled before God, as God brings to our remembrance
things which have occurred, brings to our remembrance things which
are spoken in the Word of God. and we turned away from them
and turned our back upon them. In this word here, Tikal, they
are weighed in the balances and found wanting. We might say,
and you young people might wonder, what are these balances? What
does it actually mean? Well, I believe the balances
are the scriptures of truth, the word of God, contained in
the books of the Old and New Testament. These are the balances,
we might say the sanctuary, in which persons, principles and
practices are weighed. So what it means is this. Our
life, just as Belshazzar's life, is weighed up in the light of
scripture, in the light of the Bible. That really means that
are we walking in accordance with the Word of God? Are we keeping the Word of God? Are we following the Word of
God? Do we love the Word of God? Does the Word of God describe
us? Are we thankful for it? Do we rejoice in it? Or do we
just count it as nothing of any importance? Now these balances
This balancing, these balances are of God. They're God's balance. They're not ours. And the great
thing is, are we wanting or are we not wanting? Well, I hope
to really go through these things like this to those like Belshazzar
who were wanting, were lacking. and those who are blessed who
are not wanting, those who are bought with a price, those who
are part of the true Church of God. Well, these balances then. Weighed in the balances. Or may
we look in our own lives to see whether we are wanting or whether
we are not wanting. Daniel told Belshazzar very clearly
he says he told him and thou his son Belshazzar has not humbled
thine heart though thou knewest all this but but has lifted up
thyself against the lord of heaven and they have brought the vessels
of his house before thee and thou and thy lords thy wives
and thy concubines have drunk wine in them And thou hast praised
the gods of silver, and gold, and brass, and iron, and wood,
and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know, and the God in
whose hand thy breath is, and whose are thy ways hast thou
not glorified. That's a very searching statement,
isn't it? It was a very searching statement
to Belshazzar. It was true, it was solemnly
true in the case of Belshazzar. And it will be so solemn if it
is true in our lives. These words are recorded for
our gracious instruction from our gracious God. And so to be
able to recognize, especially these last words, in whose hand
thy breath is. Our breath is in the hand of
God and that's so evident in the day and age in which we live.
We see these people succumbing to this coronavirus and they
haven't got any ability to stop it. Medical profession do all
they can. You see many, many are dying. Many, many are dying quickly. It's a very solemn situation,
in whose hand my breath is, and it's a good thing if you and
I realise that God holds our breath in his hand. Our life
is in the hand of God. We cannot extend our life beyond
the time that God permits. We cannot extend our life. Never
think you and I can. You young people, you boys and
girls, never think Well, I shan't die today. I'm young. I'm all
right. I've got many years ahead. You
don't know. Baal Shaz has started off this
day, didn't he? In this wonderful day of feasting
and pleasure-seeking and enjoying himself, but it was so empty,
wasn't it? And we, having been told these sad and solemn truths
by Daniel, we then read, in that night, the same night, was Baal
Shazza, the king of the Chaldeans, slain. What a short 12 hours
or perhaps 24 hours it was. What a short time. His breath
was in the hand of God. Our breath is in the hand of
God. In whose hand our breath is and
whose are all my ways. All our ways. And he says this,
hast thou not glorified? Again, as I often say, I'm sure
most of you will remember, as I say often, our life is for
the honor and glory of God. And we should be very, very concerned
about this because here is a very solemn statement, whose are all
my ways Hast thou not glorified God? That's the whole purpose
of your life and my life, on this earth, to glorify God. And it would be a good thing
this morning if we perhaps just meditate and consider and wonder
whether our little lives are God-glorifying or if they're
not. Balazsas was not. The vast amounts
of the world today, their life does not glorify God. Their ways do not glorify God. But perhaps the Lord brings upon
us such situations to awaken us, to realize the reason that
you and I are on this earth. How sad it would be if we pass
out of this world without glorifying our God. That means bringing
glory to God. And that means that that glory
to God comes through being able to declare what He's done. Gloriously done for our never-dying
souls. That which we couldn't do for
ourselves. God does, and what a mercy it
is therefore when we have this wonderful favour and wonderful
blessing shown to us, and it causes us to really desire to
glorify our God. And it is a very wonderful evidence
of the life of God in our souls when we desire to glorify our
God. Now, the Lord looks at our hearts,
doesn't he? I, of course, don't know. God
knows what the position is. But may we have good cause to
glorify God. Now, see, those who are wanting,
those who are waiting to balance, remember the balance of Scripture,
and are wanting, you see, they do not have this evidence, they
do not have this testimony, and therefore their life is not God-glorifying. Well, this king was in that sad,
sad situation. You may remember in the Acts
of the Apostles, there was that case that we refer to as Simon
the Sorcerer, who thought that he could purchase the gift of
the Holy Spirit. But what did Peter tell him? He said, Thou hast neither part
nor lot in this matter, for thy heart is not right in the sight
of God. So that's the whole important
consideration, whether our heart is right with God, or whether
we are just carrying on like Baal Shazwaaz, living for time. And time disappeared so rapidly. My friends, may you and I be
found living for eternity. And if so, the blessing of God
will be our concern that our heart is right with God. Not like this statement of Peter's,
for thy heart is not right in the sight of God. And the only
person that knows that is God and you. You know whether your
heart is right with God or not, or whether you're far off, or
whether you're full of the world and satisfying the lust of the
flesh and the pride of life, or whether your concern is for
the glory of God, that your heart is right. You see, this king,
he naturally had all that his heart could wish for. But what
did he lack? He lacked the grace of God. He
lacked the free, unmerited favour of God toward him. So what a
blessing if you and I are favoured with true life in our souls. You see, he was wanting in the
things of God. Well, Jesus is the one thing
needful. My friends, if you and I are
concerned about the want of Him in our lives, and if we are blessed
with the evidence that He is in our life, then you see we
are amongst those who are not wanting, but those who are blessed
with the glorious gift of eternal life. And so the Then Daniel
tells us these words, whose are thy ways hast thou not glorified. And then he told him the meaning
of those words which were written and how solemn it was. What a solemn statement. And
it seems that Daniel said his part, as you might say, preached
the sermon, gave the definition, and then stopped. Nothing more
to say. Bar Shazza was condemned by it. He
had no life in his soul. He had no evidence of the grace
of God. So Tikal, that weighed in the
balances and are found wanting. You know in the epistle of Paul
to the Galatians we read for as many as are of the works of
the law are under the curse for it is written cursed is everyone
that continues not in all things which are written in the book
of the law to do them but that no man is justified by the law
in the sight of God it is evident for The just shall live by faith. Well, today, if you and I are
amongst those who, by the grace of God, are living by faith,
are believing the great and glorious truths contained in the Word
of God, then we are amongst those who are not wanting. And how important it is that
we are amongst those that we're not found condemned to be weighed
in the balances and aren't found wanting. When we come down to
the end of our life, and Balshazzar had come down to the end of his
life, he didn't realise it, but he was, he was at the end of
his life. And this was solemnly spoken to him, that weighed in
the balances and found wanting. Many people today are suddenly
coming down to the end of their life, And will this word be spoken
to them? I expect, sadly and solemnly,
the vast majority of those who are being ushered into eternity
will come under this word of condemnation. But a blessing
for us today, if we know the wonderful blessing and the wonderful
favour which is to be found in Christ, because if it is so,
we will be a new creature. And Paul in the second epistle
to the Corinthians, he speaks of this, and it's a very beautiful
word, chapter five, verse 17. Therefore, if any man be in Christ,
he is a new creature. That means a different person.
Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become
new. all those things like Belshazzar
was so totally taken up with are passed away and all things
become new. We see the light shining in the
face of Jesus Christ. We see a beauty in the Lord Jesus
Christ which we never saw before. It was just an historical account. But if we feel to be condemned,
like Daniel spoke of Belshazzar, if we feel that we are, this
condemnation speaks against us, what a mercy then to be able
to search our hearts and find, well, by the grace of God, I'm
not one of those who are wanting Because God has blessed me. God
has called me out of the darkness of nature. He showed me my sinful
condition. He showed me that I was no better
than Belshazzar left to myself. I couldn't throw any stones.
I couldn't say, well, I wouldn't be as bad as that. No, the true
child of God recognizes they're no better than the worst of sinners. But sinners can say, and none
but they, how precious is the Saviour." We have that wonderful
account really of Manasseh in the Word of God. Manasseh was
a most wicked king. He followed on from Hezekiah. He was a most wicked king, but
God in His wonderful mercy and wonderful grace had compassion
upon him. And what a change occurred in
that man Manasseh, and many today. I'm sure we all are, in essence,
thankful that we have such an account of Manasseh. And in the second book of the
Chronicles, in chapter 33, verse 12, Or perhaps we ought to read verse
11. Wherefore the Lord brought upon them the captains and the
host of the king of Assyria, which took Manasseh among the
thorns and bound him with fetters and carried him to Babylon. And
when he was in affliction, he besought the Lord his God and
humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. What
was that? That was none other than the
grace of God. And what a blessing if the Lord
has seen fit in our lives. to bring us perhaps into a time
of, it may be physical affliction, it may be spiritual affliction,
but to be able to bless God that in such a situation we prayed
to God, we besought the Lord, we prayed earnestly to him and
we humbled ourselves under his mighty hand, humbled himself
greatly before the God of his fathers and prayed unto him.
And he was entreated of him. You see, no one can be too bad. Doesn't matter how sinful we
may have been, no one is too bad. We thank God for the case
of Manasseh. And he was entreated of him and
heard his supplications and brought him again to Jerusalem, into
his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord
he was. God, now then, there was a good
effect, and there will be a good effect in our lives. There must
be the evidence of the work of God in our souls. It was clear
in Manasseh's life. There he was, the king, and now
he was a changed person. And what did he do? Now after
this he built a wall around the city of David. on the west side
of Gihon in the valley, even to the entering in at the fish
gate, encompassed about Ophel, and raised it up a very great
height, and put captains of war in all the fenced cities of Judah.
He took away the strange gods and the idol out of the house
of the Lord, and all the altars that he had built in the mount
of the house of the lord and in jerusalem and cast them out
of the city and he repaired the altar of the lord and sacrifice
thereon peace offerings thank offerings and command in judah
to serve the lord god of israel well what a wonderful change
isn't it What a wonderful thing it is in our lives if the Lord
causes us to be changed like this. He got rid of all that
which was on the flesh. He got rid of all those things
which detracted from the things of God and he was numbered amongst
those who were the true worshippers. It's good in our lives when we
see the blessing work of God in our hearts, the work of God
in our soul. And it brings us really to a
statement we can read in Mark's Gospel, chapter eight, verse
36. For what should it profit a man
if he shall gain the whole world and lose his own soul? Belshazzar
had really everything that he wanted, but his soul was lost. And that for eternity. Very,
very solemn situation. Very, very solemn situation. You see, this man had not taken
warning by the judgments of God upon his father. That which so
clearly stated, Thou is son of Belshazzar has not humbled thy
heart, though thou knewest all this. And note this. It is a
great offence to God if our hearts be not humbled before him to
comply both with his precepts and with his providences. Humbled
by repentance, yes, humbled by repentance, my friends, it's
a great blessing. And then obedience, obedience to God's gracious commands
and patience. Yes, to be patient, to see God's
way being worked out before us, patience. And don't forget, our
God is the one who does the weighing. Our God is the person that divides. You know, these words, meenie,
meenie, teekle, Euphrasian, or meenie, meenie, teekle, perhaps
Peres, they can really be spoken of like that. The first is numbered,
and then weighed, and then divided. It can also be described like
this, signifying, easily be made to signify death. meaning, teakle,
judgment, and peres, hell. Oh, my friends, at death, the
sinner's days are numbered and finished. After death, the judgment,
when he will be weighed in the balance and found wanting. And after judgment, you know,
the sinner will be cut asunder and given as a prey to the devil
and his angels. This account is very solemn and
yet there is, we thank God, the other side. There is hope in
what Christ has done. Hope in nothing less for the
converted sinner than Jesus' blood and righteousness. Well, what does the blood of
Christ mean to you and me today? If we haven't been convinced
of our sin, it won't mean anything to us. No, it won't mean anything
to us. But if the Holy Spirit convinces
us of our sin, like he did Manasseh, it'll mean a great amount to
us. And we shall bless God for the
wonderful words that Peter was able to state redeemed with the
precious blood of Christ. And it will be, and it will be
of great value. It has an eternal dimension,
because it saves our soul from hell. So let us have hope in
nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness, and to be
found amongst those who feed upon Christ. Not feed upon all
the things that Belshazzar was enjoying, but a feed upon Christ.
And the Blessed Saviour tells us what that is. In the sixth
chapter of John, he says, verse 51, I am the living bread which
came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread,
partakers of Christ. He shall live forever, not die,
not go to hell, live forever. And the bread that I will give
is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Well, this chapter is perhaps
one of the most solemn chapters in the Word of God. But as we
may ponder it and think about it, may we be concerned to find
the evidence that we are weighed in the balances of scripture
and we are able to discern that God in his infinite love and
mercy has come and called us out of darkness into the glorious
light of the everlasting gospel. That the Holy Spirit has revealed
to ourselves our sinful nature, our evil, our wickedness, and
has caused us to flee to Christ, to cry unto Him, to repent of
our sins, and to seek for mercy, and then to be brought to the
cross, there to see the suffering Saviour, dying upon the cross, in order
that you and I might receive the glorious gift of life, eternal
life, that gift which will never be removed, once in him, in him
forever. It's a truth so great and glorious,
isn't it? We should go on our way today
thankful to know there is a saviour, a saviour of sinners, a saviour
who has not thrust us away, a saviour who has not cast us away. the
Saviour who we know hears and answers prayer. And so may we
not be found like Belshazzar, weighed in the balances and found
wanting, but may we be found weighed in the balances and being
able to give glory to God for his wonderful grace and mercy
which has come to us and which has found us. Yes, the Lord finds
us like he did Jacob of old. He found him in a desert place
in a wasteland in wilderness. He led him about. He instructed
him. He kept him as the apple of his
eye. What a wonderful blessing. What
a wonderful favour. Well, may we all know something
of that today, and in this dark day in which we live, realise
that nothing comes by chance, but yet may we be enabled to
truly seek unto him that in these solemn days we may be found looking
to the Saviour, looking for that eternal hope and blessing, and
praying the Lord would come and reveal Himself to us each more
and more as the days pass by, as it is not unto the world,
so that we may know the glorious love of Christ, that love which
supersedes everything else this world can bring about, that love
which melts, that love which moves, May we rejoice in it today
in the love of Christ, the love of Christ which brings that glorious
freedom in the gospel. May we rejoice in it today and
bless our God for his mercies which endure forever. Well, may
God bless his word. Amen.