Post Exilic
The King Who Knew Better
Daniel 5:1-31
Edward Rangel · September 6, 2026
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Belshazzar knew what God had done but refused to humble himself.
Jesus humbled Himself at the cross and will be confessed as Lord.
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Belshazzar gave a feast on the night he died.
A thousand nobles watched him drink.
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He drank from vessels taken from God’s temple.
He praised gods of metal, wood, and stone.
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Then a hand wrote on the wall.
The king went pale. His knees knocked.
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Daniel 5 returns to Babylon
The kingdom fell before the exiles returned.
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Babylon’s last night
The feast ended with the kingdom.
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Belshazzar knew what God had done.
He would not humble his heart.
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I
Belshazzar Dishonored God
He used God’s vessels to honor idols.
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Belshazzar the king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.
Daniel 5:1 · NASB
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When Belshazzar tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them.
Daniel 5:2 · NASB
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The vessels belonged in God’s temple.
They had been used in the worship God commanded.
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Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them.
Daniel 5:3 · NASB
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They drank the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
Daniel 5:4 · NASB
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Belshazzar used God’s vessels to honor idols.
He exalted himself against God.
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God stopped the feast
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Suddenly the fingers of a man's hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king's palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing.
Daniel 5:5 · NASB
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Then the king's face grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his knees began knocking together.
Daniel 5:6 · NASB
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The king could not hide his fear.
His knees knocked as his strength failed.
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The king called aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of Babylon, "Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck, and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom."
Daniel 5:7 · NASB
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Then all the king's wise men came in, but they could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king.
Daniel 5:8 · NASB
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Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.
Daniel 5:9 · NASB
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The king wanted the writing explained.
Daniel first told him why God sent it.
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II
Belshazzar Knew What God Had Done
He still would not humble himself.
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The queen entered the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen spoke and said, " O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or your face be pale.
Daniel 5:10 · NASB
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"There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners.
Daniel 5:11 · NASB
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"This was because an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned and he will declare the interpretation."
Daniel 5:12 · NASB
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"But I personally have heard about you, that you are able to give interpretations and solve difficult problems. Now if you are able to read the inscription and make its interpretation known to me, you will be clothed with purple and wear a necklace of gold around your neck, and you will have authority as the third ruler in the kingdom."
Daniel 5:16 · NASB
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Then Daniel answered and said before the king, "Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription to the king and make the interpretation known to him.
Daniel 5:17 · NASB
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"O king, the Most High God granted sovereignty, grandeur, glory and majesty to Nebuchadnezzar your father.
Daniel 5:18 · NASB
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"Because of the grandeur which He bestowed on him, all the peoples, nations and men of every language feared and trembled before him; whomever he wished he killed and whomever he wished he spared alive; and whomever he wished he elevated and whomever he wished he humbled.
Daniel 5:19 · NASB
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"But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him.
Daniel 5:20 · NASB
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"He was also driven away from mankind, and his heart was made like that of beasts, and his dwelling place was with the wild donkeys. He was given grass to eat like cattle, and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven until he recognized that the Most High God is ruler over the realm of mankind and that He sets over it whomever He wishes.
Daniel 5:21 · NASB
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"Yet you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this,
Daniel 5:22 · NASB
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Daniel does not tell us how he learned it.
He tells us that Belshazzar knew.
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Belshazzar refused to honor God
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but you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines have been drinking wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which do not see, hear or understand. But the God in whose hand are your life-breath and your ways, you have not glorified.
Daniel 5:23 · NASB
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His gods could not see, hear, or understand.
He praised what had no life.
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Belshazzar held the vessels. God held Belshazzar’s breath.
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God gave Belshazzar his position and every breath.
Belshazzar used both to dishonor God.
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III
God Judged Belshazzar That Night
The writing gave God’s sentence.
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"Now this is the inscription that was written out: 'MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.'
Daniel 5:25 · NASB
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"This is the interpretation of the message: 'MENE'--God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it.
Daniel 5:26 · NASB
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" 'TEKEL'--you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.
Daniel 5:27 · NASB
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" 'PERES'--your kingdom has been divided and given over to the Medes and Persians."
Daniel 5:28 · NASB
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God did what He said
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Then Belshazzar gave orders, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a necklace of gold around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he now had authority as the third ruler in the kingdom.
Daniel 5:29 · NASB
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The text records no repentance.
That same night, Belshazzar died.
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That same night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain.
Daniel 5:30 · NASB
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So Darius the Mede received the kingdom at about the age of sixty-two.
Daniel 5:31 · NASB
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IV
Jesus Is the King We Must Obey
He humbled Himself and went to the cross.
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Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
Philippians 2:8 · NASB
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Jesus humbled Himself and died on a cross.
He obeyed the Father and gave Himself for our sins.
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For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
Philippians 2:9 · NASB
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so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
Philippians 2:10 · NASB
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and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Philippians 2:11 · NASB
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Belshazzar would not humble himself before God.
We must humble ourselves before Christ.
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What has God told you to do?
What are you still putting off?
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Hearing the truth does not equal obedience.
God calls you to change.
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Your breath is in God’s hand.
Use your time to repent and obey.
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Belshazzar knew, but he would not humble himself
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He knew what God had done.
He would not humble his heart.
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Jesus humbled Himself at the cross.
God exalted Him as Lord.
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Do not postpone your obedience.
God has given you time today.
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"Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you crucified."
Acts 2:36 · NASB
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Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "Brethren, what shall we do?"
Acts 2:37 · NASB
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And Peter said to them, "Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38 · NASB
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Hear, believe, repent, confess, and be baptized.
Rise to live faithfully with Christ.
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Humble your heart today.
Daniel 5:22
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Created with Ed Slide Gen · Keeping the Faith