Of High Places

Daniel 5:11-20

There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.

This is the king's wife speaking now. She is telling King Belshazzar all about what a wonderful man his father was. She clearly had some knowledge of this man along with the rumors about him. She says that in the days of his father, they had found "light, understanding, and wisdom" in the person of Daniel. Now, I realize she is referring to Daniel here at first glance. Because of Daniel's service to the king, in that day, she would have been speaking of King Nebuchanezzer as well. How many of you know that when God is in you it will be obvious to everyone else around you. His light in Matthew 5:15-16 cannot be hidden under a bushel or a basket. It must sit upon the candlestand of your life, amen. Then it can give light to the whole house. Neither Daniel nor the former king were like lights hidden under baskets and boxes. They showed the whole house what the Lord had to say to, about, and for them. There are several things to notice here about when the light came. First, it made Daniel master of the rest of the wise men. You might have been forgotten by man, but God has not. He is a master here because of the certainty that good triumphs over evil in the end. The light of Christ casts down all others. Every knowledge exalted against Christ will be no more per 2 Corinthians 10:5.

This brings me to my second point and that is, that the kingly father, is still on the throne. It may look and sound like King Belshazzar has taken over. It may look like King Nebuchanezzer has died and gone away. He might be driven away and living among the beasts of the field. It may look like God is no longer with them anymore or that the kingdom of Satan is reigning. However, God is still on the throne. He sits on it then, now, and forever. Even the tribulation period will be temporary in the light of the glory of God. See, John 12:46 tells how quickly the darkness will flee before him. This wife quickly corrects herself from saying the king to his father. Next, the wife begins to praise the things she loved found in Daniel: "an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts." My, this woman surely does value these qualities highly which no doubt were lacking in King Belshazzar. She even knew his Chaldean name of Belteshazzar. Have you ever wondered how Daniel came to have such qualities? These were not found in himself nor any other naturally. Rather, he came by them by the Spirit of God. Therefore, what she is praising here is the fruits of the Spirit found therein. There is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith," and meekness found here. She knew about the Spirit gifts before Galatians 5:22-23 of Paul's day was even written. Might I suggest that the Spirit of God has been in her ear as well.

Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.

Here, King Belshazzar is asking questions to which he should already know the answer. He was just told that this was Daniel. How come he is asking for his identity? This sounds just like another of the devil's tactics. Notice how Daniel's entire identity is in question. It is less of a Garden of Eden situation and more of a Job one. I can hear the king saying here, 'my father brought you here as a captive.' Not only that, but the king also is insulting his ethnicity, his trials, his spiritual gifting, and his qualifications as well. The attack is less about who Daniel is as a person and more about who he was in Christ. Next his spiritual authority is questioned. Finally, the king wonders what position he had been chosen to occupy. So, we see the attack is always along the lines of the person, the power, and the position. Satan is very insecure about all of these for his rebellion challenged them. Was not this rebellion what brought him down from his lofty position in Isaiah 14:12. Therefore, what he now attacks are the children of God. Those areas he once had failed in and been made to serve are now his weaknesses. Hence after he goes on his belly for all eternity according to Genesis 3:14. Someone might wonder, why Satan does not just attack himself rather than the people of God. Notice John 10:10 says how he would like them to join him in his rebellion. If Jesus had fallen prey to the devil's temptation in Matthew 4:1, then Satan would have won. The story would have been over and done. However, such is not the case. Notice the temptation here to blame God for all he has suffered. Yet had it not been for the situation, Daniel would not be who, what, nor even where he was that day.

And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.

The tone has changed. King Belshazzar is correct about several things. The wise men should have been able to read the writing since it was mixed Chaldean, anyway. This test, I might add, was to make it clear that the wise men knew nothing even of the things they should. How they kept their positions at all is anyone's guess. In future texts we will see this in action. Now there is a king partying with the divine handwriting on the wall: "God has numbered your days and brought your kingdom to an end." The worship of something other than God himself in his father's kingdom triggered the change. His daddy had to have trained him well. But spiritual lineage means more in the kingdom of God than that of the physical. These are the fingers of a human hand. This king may have thought his father came back to haunt him. His father's spirit would never have stood for this sort of behavior. This hand wrote near the lamp stand. Revelation 1:12-13 opens with Jesus walking among his churches' lampstands in an almost identical location.

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:

When Daniel is found he doesn't want rewards. He accepted it from the first and refused the second. Note the shift. First, comes a brief recounting of ancient history. King Belshazzar grew up knowing his daddy had left. He knew the words of the Lord and how his daddy worshipped God but now his daddy is gone. His father cannot be found. How is his baby going to now look after a kingdom by himself after daddy is gone? So it seems he felt a certain kind of way, and hosted a giant middle finger party to God and his daddy. There are forces greater than himself which the young king does not understand. Daniel is reminding him of his father's history with God and with man before pride took over the kingdom. There is a lot I can say about what is coming; however, King Nebuchanezzer does not need that right now. His spiritual sight is dimmed not allowing him to see even what God had in store for him or his kingdom. Not everything is bad. Some people get mad at God and judge him because of one thing that happened they did not understand. See how God works? He wrote in handwriting not known by any of these people, yet there came along another that night. After the cross, God had not yet set up his earthly rule spoken of in Acts 1:6. The fallacy the Israelites and disciples fell into was thinking that when Jesus came, he would set up his earthly kingdom. This would be to end all others because they knew the prophecies. God is still trying to get his will done among the kingdoms of men. God had planned for King Nebuchadnezzar to be away until he acknowledged the Most High reigns over all kingdoms and that he rules in the affairs of men. Baby Belshazzar cannot see this yet nor does he desire to.

And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

The king was gone from the kingdom but not for long. Since the interpretation of Isaiah 14, seen in prior texts, was to the king's enemies, this is a prophecy continued to the next generation. Sometimes your foes can be of your own house as in Matthew 10:34-35. Look, his son is following in what he thinks are his daddy's footsteps. Notice he does not completely understand the spiritual legacy left by such a man as his father. He understands the physical one certainly but little else. This is because he is a natural man of 1 Corinthians 2:14 that cannot understand the things of God. Here we are with the prophecy of chapter four continued. The son is reigning in the father's stead but under his own name. Hence, we see that the sins of the father and of the son are linked by the third and fourth generation of Exodus 34:7. The son thinks they are the same, but they are not. Notice, this is how the son viewed not only his father but the Lord. See how Daniel is careful not to tell the son more for he does not understand such things. No matter what else happens in this section, you should always keep in mind how the Lord is strong to save anyone found in such a situation. God has come to deal with the whole house. How many of you know he is the just and good Heavenly Father, even today.