9 “Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished. 10 The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. 11 “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers. 12 “Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.
5:9
Then King Belshazzar was greatly troubled, his countenance was changed, and his lords were astonished.
Not only did this shake the theologians, but it also shook the political leaders. Their wild party turned into a very troubling scene. The clever and learned men of the Royal State Department could not offer an answer to the writing on the wall. Divine intervention stumped them. Belshazzar’s brawling party turned to terror. Fear immobilized them.
5:10
The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change.
The queen here may be the queen mother and may have been a wife of Nebuchadnezzar.
5:11
“There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.
The queen mother suggests that they bring Daniel to interpret the event. Nebuchadnezzar used the phrase “in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God” years prior (4:8-9,18). This is Daniel’s spirit, not the Holy Spirit.
5:12
“Inasmuch as an excellent spirit, knowledge, understanding, interpreting dreams, solving riddles, and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, now let Daniel be called, and he will give the interpretation.
Three terms describe Daniel: excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding. “Excellent spirit” refers to his attitude. The other terms describe his mental facility and discernment.
Daniel dives directly into the interpretation of the writing on the wall and gives details about the fall of the Babylonian Empire. The interpretation has to do with the fall of the Empire.
PRINCIPLE:
Our conscience governs our norms and standards.
APPLICATION:
God gave each of us a conscience. The word “conscience” means to know with. Each of us has standards of life, some valid and some not valid. We measure ourselves by these standards. Sometimes our conscience condemns us.
“Conscience does make cowards of us all.” The person living in sin is afraid of things unknown. As Belshazzar’s knees knocked together, so many knees knock today.
