WOULD YOU BE FOUND WANTING?
Daniel 5:26-28 This is what these words mean: Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end, Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting. Peres : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had died and a descendant of his by the name of Belshazzar had taken over the empire. The record of his reign in the Bible is very short. It begins with him giving a great banquet for a 1,000 of his nobles. At this time he made a terrible mistake. He decided to exalt his gods over the Lord God of Israel, so he ordered the gold and silver goblets that had been take from the temple of the Lord to be brought to him. With the consecrated goblets of the Lord, he and his wives and concubines praised the idols that they served. Suddenly the fingers of the Lord appeared and wrote on the plastered wall. It said Mene, Tekel, Peres. None of his wise men could read what it said. Finally King Nebuchadnezzar's wife to him about Daniel. When Daniel arrived he told King Belshazzar that he had not humbled himself, and he had set himself up against the Lord of heaven. With that he told him of his upcoming doom. God had numbered King Belshazzar’s reign and it would be given to the Medes and Persians. All this happened because he was judged and found wanting. Belshazzar had not measured up to what was expected of him.
We really don’t know how good of a ruler King Belshazzar was, but we do know from what we read in this chapter that he was arrogant and hardened in his pride enough to mock the Lord. When he, his wives and concubines blatantly drank from the consecrated cups of the Lord, and praise their idols as they were, he was basically saying, “our idols are greater than you. What can you do about it!” Well, God certainly had the last word didn’t he! God may have used King Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon to punish Israel, but God was not weak in doing it. King Nebuchadnezzar knew the Lord had called him to conquer Israel, and he humbled himself before the Lord. If King Belshazzar would have learned from King Nebuchadnezzar his life and reign it would have been much different for him. God is unchanging in his nature or character. Anyone that thinks they can mock the Lord today will find themselves sadly mistaken. They too will find that they chose poorly and will have come up wanting. They will have found themselves wanting and needing a Savior that would intercede for them on judgment day. LIke with King Belshazzar they will find death waiting for them.
Jesus said in John 14:6 that, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” There is no other way, but with the help of Jesus Christ. When a person says there are many ways to God as those in the Interfaith movement, they are lifting the cup of idol worship like King Belshazzar. They mock the terrible beatings, mocking and crucifixion Jesus went through to provide forgiveness. When a person thinks that they can be good enough or do enough good works to atone for their sins, they are lifting up their own cup. Jesus was very clear in that only through him can anyone find forgiveness and reconciliation with God. At the wedding banquet of the Lord, there will be only one cup that can be lifted up to exalt God and that is the cup of Jesus.
If you were to be weighed on the scales of God today like King Belshazzar was, how would you be found? Think of it like this. you think you would be seen be God and all the holy angels of heaven? If God would have you stand beside Jesus and compare yourself to him, how do you think God and his holy angels would see you? Well, if you are not sure let me help you. You would be very lacking in every area! Everyone would! There has never been one person certainly not you or I that has lived a sinless life as Jesus did. We sin every day by not loving God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Not a day goes by even for people like Billy Graham or the Pope that do not sin. Who do we think we are when we think we can tell God how we will be acceptable before him? In reality we are worse than a slug! A slug as undesirable as they are, don’t know right from wrong but we do. Yet God so loved you, myself and the world that whosoever would turn to Jesus and seek his forgiveness could find it.
Have you become a lover of Jesus? Have you humbled yourself, and asked him to be your Lord and Savior? If not you really need to do it right now. The longer you wait the harder your heart will become like King Belshazzar’s. All you have to say is, “Lord Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and please come into my heart,” and he will. You are the reason why he went to Calvary’s cross. He loves you and wants you to be able to be with him, the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit for all eternity. Then find a good church where you can worship him, read you Bible and talk to him a lot every day. If you do this you will find that the scales of God’s judgment will always be tipping in your favor.
Prayer: Thank you Lord Jesus for providing for our forgiveness and eternal life with you. Please help us to life our life in such a way as to always be a blessing to you and never a curse. We ask this in your holy name.
