Belshazzar's Intentional Mistake
Who was Belshazzar
During the 1800s, this question puzzled biblical scholars and historians. Many believed that Belshazzar never existed. They knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Nabonidus was the final king of the Babylonian Empire. Some biblical scholars thought Belshazzar was another name for Nabonidus. BUT in the Biblical account, Belshazzar died during the attack on Babylon. This hypothesis didn’t fit the unmistakable historical evidence about Nabonidus. The king surrendered and went to Persia as a prisoner of war.
In 1854, John Taylor discovered a series of clay tablets known as the Nabonidus Cylinders. One of the tablets contained a prayer from Nabonidus for his eldest son, Belshazzar. See the article from the Armstrong Institute of Biblical Archaeology for more information.
Based on the information above, Belshazzar was the eldest son of Nabonidus. I don’t understand the political intricacies of Babylonian government during this time. But it seems that Nabonidus made Belshazzar co-regent to prepare him to be the king of Babylon. He may have even given him control of all the daily affairs in their capital city. This would explain why Belshazzar made Daniel the third most powerful man in his kingdom. See Daniel 5:16 and 29. He didn’t have the authority to promote him further. It would have been foolish and ludicrous to give a foreigner more power than himself.
Belshazzar’s Intentional Mistake
The phrase “intentional mistake” may sound confusing. Yet people today make intentional mistakes. A young man decides to get drunk, knowing full well that he is going to drive home. He thinks that he can handle his alcohol. However, on his way home, he has an accident that kills another person. The next day, he realizes it was a terrible mistake and has to live with the guilt of what he has done for the rest of his life. Like the man in the accident, Belshazzar didn’t realize the severity of his actions until it was too late. He didn’t take the time to think about the implications of our bad decisions. If he had:
He wouldn’t have underestimated his enemies. That’s for sure. Belshazzar picked the wrong time to have a party. He had no idea that Darius the Mede and his army were coming to invade his palace. Everyone knew about the royal ball. The enemy knew this would be the best time to launch a secret attack. And unfortunately, it would cost him his life.
He wouldn’t have devalued and underestimated God. People today hear and know God’s message of salvation, but choose not to believe in Christ. Belshazzar knew about God’s miracles with Nebuchadnezzar but chose not to believe. However, he stepped across a line he never should have crossed. After tasting the wine for his party, he ordered his men to bring out the gold and silver vessels. He knew these beautiful and ornate items in his palace came from God’s temple in Jerusalem. Nebuchadnezzar brought them over to Babylon before he conquered the city.
“Bring the sacred vessels to me,” said Belshazzar. “I want to use them to praise the gods of our people.” (I can almost hear their evil laughs as they offered praise to each of their gods).
Belshazzar, was an arrogant and proud king. He chose to mock and defy the God of Heaven and learned a valuable lesson about the greatness of the God Most High. Many people in our world today don’t give a second thought about what they say about our loving Father. The name of the Lord should receive great honor and respect.
After Belshazzar’s foolish decision, a mysterious hand and finger appeared. It wrote a strange message on the wall. The young king watched as the hand continued writing: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN”(Daniel 5:25). Fear and anxiety filled Belshazzar’s heart. His knees started to shake and bump together, and he couldn’t stop them. He tried to regain his composure and yelled for his wise men and advisors. But they couldn’t interpret the writing on the wall.
Belshazzar’s mother came and told him about Daniel, a man who had the Spirit of God. Daniel came and revealed the mystery of the finger’s writing to him. God Most High gave Nebuchadnezzar this great kingdom, said Daniel. You knew how the God of Heaven caused him to live with the wild beasts until he acknowledged the God Most High. But you didn’t humble your heart before the God of Heaven. You chose to worship the gods of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, who can’t save you. The God Most High has your life in the palm of His hands. God has put an end to your kingdom. The Medes and Persians will come and take it away. That is why he sent you this message on the wall. (This paraphrase taken from Daniel 5:18-28).
Belshazzar promoted Daniel as he had promised. At least he got that right. Later that night, the young king died, and God’s prophecy came to pass. I also see a note of God’s Sovereign protection of Daniel in the events of this evening. The Lord may have used His royal garment to protect him. Also, when Darius saw the writing on the wall and then found out about Daniel. It may have caused him to promote Daniel in his kingdom. Of course, Daniel played his cards right and proved to be a valuable asset to King Darius. We’ll talk more about Darius and Daniel in chapter 6.
Oh, before I go, I have an announcement. I have been working hard, revising and rewriting my book about the Life and God of Abraham. It will be the second book in my Great People of the Bible Series. Jesus and His Early Life was the first. I am going to give you a sneak preview of the first chapter next week. I will resume our study of Daniel in two weeks. I am excited about next week. Happy Easter weekend.
Blessings to you and your family