Daniel 5
This chapter is about the famous "writing on the wall" incident. It starts with King Belshazzar hosting a banquet for a thousand of his nobles. These nobles were considered people with godly character, but they were drinking from the goblets that his father had taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem. They used those sacred vessels to praise false gods made of gold, silver, bronze, wood, and stone. This was an outrageous act of disrespect toward the Almighty, especially since the goblets came from His temple. Such an act of dishonor! While they were indulging in their blasphemy, a human hand appeared and wrote on the wall near the lampstand in the royal palace. Why do you think God did this? Well, He wanted to make sure they saw it, so He wrote it in a visible spot. When the king saw the writing, he was terrified—his face went pale, his legs went weak, and his knees started knocking.
Belshazzar immediately summoned his enchanters, astrologers, and diviners, promising a great reward for anyone who could interpret the writing. Whoever succeeded would be clothed in purple, given a gold chain, and made the third ruler in the kingdom. A very high honor. However, when the wise men saw the writing, they were baffled and couldn’t explain it.
Then, the queen, hearing about the commotion, reminded the king about Daniel. She told him that Daniel had a history of solving mysteries for Nebuchadnezzar, so he should call him. Daniel came in, and the king, now desperate, promised him gifts if he could interpret the writing. Daniel, however, refused the rewards and instead reminded Belshazzar of the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s arrogance, how he lost his glory and was driven to live like an animal. He regained his sanity only when he acknowledged that the Most High God rules over all kingdoms.
Daniel then told Belshazzar that he had not humbled himself and had defied God. His actions—drinking from the holy cups—were a direct insult to God. That’s when Daniel explained the meaning of the writing: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN.
MENE means God has numbered the days of Belshazzar’s reign and brought it to an end.
TEKEL means Belshazzar has been weighed and found lacking.
PARSIN means his kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
Belshazzar honored Daniel with the gifts he promised, but that very night, Belshazzar was killed, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom at the age of 62. The lesson here is clear: anyone who defies God will face sudden consequences. Disobedience to God carries a heavy price, no matter what position or power you hold in life.
Daniel 6
This chapter tells the story of Daniel in the lion’s den. After Belshazzar’s reign, Darius became king and appointed 120 satraps to govern the kingdom. Daniel stood out among them because of his exceptional qualities. However, the other satraps were jealous and tried to find faults in Daniel’s leadership, but they couldn’t find any corruption or incompetence in him. He was trustworthy and had high integrity. This should be a challenge to us as Christians: can we be trusted with authority and integrity when we are in positions of power? If people tried to accuse us, would they find any fault, or would they have to look for something against our faith in God?
The satraps then came up with a plan. They convinced King Darius to issue a decree that no one should pray to any god or man except the king for 30 days. They knew Daniel would continue to pray to God, and they planned to use this against him. When Daniel heard about the decree, he continued to pray three times a day, just as he always did. The king didn’t want to punish Daniel, but because of his own decree, he had no choice but to throw Daniel into the den of lions, saying, "May your God, whom you continually serve, save you." It's remarkable how the king, while condemning Daniel to a death sentence, still held out hope that his God might save him.
Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den, and the entrance was sealed with a stone and the king’s signet ring to ensure no one could release him. The king couldn’t sleep all night, tormented by what had happened. As soon as the sun came up, he rushed to the den, calling out for Daniel. To his relief, Daniel was alive! He explained that God had sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, keeping him safe because he was innocent before God.
The king, overjoyed, ordered that the men who had falsely accused Daniel be thrown into the den instead. The lions immediately devoured them. The lesson here is clear: it's never good to scheme against God’s people. The king also issued a decree that everyone in his kingdom should fear and honor the God of Daniel, for He is the living God.
In the end, Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and Cyrus the Persian. This chapter serves as a reminder that when we serve God faithfully, He will deliver us, no matter how dire the circumstances. God’s protection and favor are always with those who honor Him.
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