Measured, Weighed, and Found Wanting: Point by Point.

Daniel Series #5

Daniel 5:1-9

King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.

2 Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 So they brought in the vessels of gold that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

5 Immediately, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the wall of the royal palace, next to the lampstand. The king was watching the hand as it wrote. 6 Then the king’s face turned pale, and his thoughts terrified him. His limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.7 The king cried aloud to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the diviners, and the king said to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever can read this writing and tell me its interpretation shall be clothed in purple, have a chain of gold around his neck, and rank third in the kingdom.” 8 Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king the interpretation. 9 Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified, and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.

The Word of God before us this morning is Daniel 5—a chapter that stands as both a warning and a comfort, a display of divine sovereignty, and a summons to humble repentance. Please read the entire chapter in your favorite translation. This ancient account, of the son of King Nebuchadnezzar, King Belshazzar, and the mysterious writing on the wall, comes to us not as a distant Sunday school lesson but as a living testimony to the character and glory of our sovereign Lord. May the Spirit give us ears to hear and hearts to respond.

I. The Folly of Human Pride (Daniel 5:1-4)

King Belshazzar, secure within the mighty walls of Babylon, assembles a thousand nobles for a lavish feast. In a moment of hubris, he commands the sacred vessels taken from the temple in Jerusalem to be used for profane purposes. The wine flows, praise is offered to idols of gold and silver, and the living God is mocked by self-indulgent revelry.

Here, pride blinds the heart. Belshazzar’s act is not just disrespectful; it is a deliberate exalting of self over the holy things of God. Such pride is not foreign to us. The Scriptures remind us that “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Even in times of apparent security, God’s judgment is never far, even though we may have become apathetic to the obvious events. Here in our modern, post-Christendom world, we only have to turn on the news to see a world filled with judgment. Whenever we trust in our own strength, boast in our accomplishments, or treat the things of God lightly, we echo the folly of Babylon.

II. God’s Sovereignty in Judgment (Daniel 5:5-9)

Suddenly, the revelry is shattered. Fingers of a human hand appear, writing upon the plaster of the palace wall. The king’s face pales, his knees knock together, and his confidence evaporates. The mightiest ruler is rendered helpless at the literal hand of God.

This moment is a vivid reminder that God’s sovereignty is not theoretical. It breaks into human history, unsettling our illusions of control. No fortress, no human wisdom, no earthly power can shield us from the gaze of the Almighty. When God intervenes, He does so with perfect justice and irresistible authority. God has no problem knocking us down a peg or two when we get, as my grandmother would say, “Too big for our britches.”

III. The Witness of God’s Servant (Daniel 5:10-17)

The wise men of Babylon are confounded and perplexed by the writing on the wall, or maybe just once again too scared to tell the king the bad news. The queen remembers Daniel, a faithful servant of the living God, who had interpreted dreams for Belshazzar’s father. Summoned before the king, Daniel refuses the allure of royal gifts. He is not swayed by power or prestige but stands as a bold and uncompromised witness. He declares the truth of God’s revelation, no matter how unwelcome or uncomfortable.

Today, the world seeks answers from many sources, yet the wisdom of God is made known through His people—those who know Him, trust Him, and refuse to bow to the pressures of the age. As Christians, we are called to be such witnesses: to speak truth, embody faithfulness, and point to God’s unchanging Word. We see Daniel as the hero of this story, but that is indeed not the case. In fact, throughout this entire story in the book of Daniel, no human is the hero. Daniel, Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego are all champions of the true hero, God.

IV. The Warning from the Past (Daniel 5:18-23)

Daniel recounts the story of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar’s predecessor. Nebuchadnezzar, though mighty, was humbled by God until he acknowledged the Lord’s sovereignty. Yet Belshazzar failed to learn. Despite knowing these things, he did not humble his heart but lifted himself against the Lord of heaven, dishonoring God’s holy vessels and persisting in pride.

How easily we forget the lessons of the past! The warnings of Scripture and history are given not to condemn but to awaken us to repentance. Grace warns before it judges. Will we listen? Will we allow the humbling work of God to shape us, or will we stubbornly resist, courting our own downfall?

V. The Verdict of God (Daniel 5:24-31)

Daniel interprets the writing: “MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.”

·      MENE: God has numbered the days of your reign 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.

The verdict is swift and sure. That very night, Belshazzar is slain, and Babylon falls. God’s justice did not tarry forever. He is patient, but His judgment is unerring. Never presume upon God’s patience; let us not mistake delay for absence.

D.L. Moody gave a sermon once about this chapter of Daniel. He focused on one word, TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. As he walked in front of the church, he asked individuals, one by one, if they had been placed on the scales of God’s justice and judged, how would they be found? Someone in the front row (I guess trying to outsmart him) asked him the same question, “Mr. Moody, if you were to be placed in the scales of God’s judgment and weighed, how would you fare?” D.L. Moody replied, “No man is perfect. Scripture tells us that all have fallen short of the glory of God. I am no better than you, sir. But I will not be stepping into those scales alone. If I am called tonight to be judged, Christ will stand with me. It will be He and not I that balances those scales.”

VI. Christ Fulfilled — The Greater Daniel

A message of hope is embedded in the stern warning placed upon the wall. Unlike Belshazzar, who exalted himself and fell, our Lord Jesus Christ humbled Himself, taking the form of a servant and becoming obedient even to death on a cross. And for this, God highly exalted Him and gave Him the name above every name (Philippians 2:5-11).

We all have been measured and found wanting. “All have (indeed) sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” But in Christ, the judgment we deserved was borne by Him. By grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, we are no longer weighed and condemned but justified and made righteous.

VII. Application and Exhortation

How then shall we live? As Christians, we are called to be beyond reproach.

·      Humble yourself before God, recognizing His sovereignty in every aspect of life. Confess your pride. Acknowledge God’s lordship in your home, your work, and your ambitions.

·      Learn from the past—both the warnings and the promises of Scripture. Let every account of judgment drive you to the cross and every story of grace point you to hope.

·      Bear faithful witness. In a world intoxicated with self and forgetful of God, let us stand as those who remember, who speak truth, who love mercy, and who walk humbly.

·      Rest in the gospel. Christ has taken your “weighed and found wanting” and given you His perfection. Stand in this grace; let it shape your relationships, your labor, your worship.

Call to Action

Do not be found wanting. Instead, be seen standing in Christ, measured by grace, and secured in God’s sovereign hand. We must come before God in repentance, before judgment. Search your heart—where have you presumed upon His patience? Where has pride crept in? Lay it at the foot of the cross and receive God’s mercy anew.

As a church, let us be a community marked by humility, faithfulness, and gospel hope. Let us learn together, witness together, serve together, and remember together that our God reigns. May our life together bear witness to the world that the Lord is sovereign, His justice sure, and His grace more than sufficient.

In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Bibliography

NRSVue // Holy Bible w/ With Deuterocanonical/Apocryphal Books of the Old Testament. - Wahington D.C. : Zondervan, 2021. - Vol. Updated Edition. - National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America.

The Gospel Awakening / auth. Moody D. L.. - [s.l.]: Olive Tree Bible Software; Olive Tree, 2012. - Public Domain Creative Commons License..

The Harper Collins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version with the Apocryphal and Deuterocanonical Books // NRSV Bible/ed. Meeks Wayne A. [et al.]. - New York : Harper Collins Publishers, 1993.