Daniel 5: God Writes on a Wall Daniel 6: Daniel in the Lion’s Den Daniel 5 and 6 Daniel 5: God Writes on a Wall Daniel 6: Daniel in the Lion’s Den

Daniel 5 October 12, 539 B.C. – Belshazzar staged a huge banquet for his government leaders This was 23 years after Nebuchadnezzar had died; Babylon had steadily been declining in greatness

Daniel 5 After Nebuchadnezzar these were the kings: Son: Evil-Merodach (assassinated by brother in law – 2 years) Brother-in-law – four years His young son (assassinated immediately) Nabonidus (one of the assassins)

Daniel 5 Nabonidus decided to move the headquarters from Babylon to Tema (an oasis in Arabia) He entrusted the kingship to his son – Belshazzar in Babylon Nabonidus required even the wealthy to work in forced labor, the economy got very bad, and he became very unpopular

Daniel 5 Meanwhile, Cyrus the Great, the Persian king had conquered the Medes and Lydia and was becoming very powerful Nabonidus, alarmed at the growth of Persian power, came back to Babylon in 540 B.C. (after a 10 year absence) However, it was too late to get support

Daniel 5 Nabonidus met the forces of Cyrus at Opis (185 km. North of Babylon) – his own people rebelled against him Oct. 10, 539 B.C. Nabonidus surrendered Sippar (80 km. North of Babylon) without a fight Darius the Mede had taken some troops south to Babylon and they were surrounding the city

Daniel 5 This was the background for the feast that Belshazzar gave on that fateful night He was only trusting in the magnificent walls that Nebuchadnezzar had built and the storehouses of food in the capital city

Daniel 5 It was at this moment, when the guests had already gotten drunk reveling in the victory over the god of the Hebrews (same metals as Daniel 2), when God wrote a message for Belshazzar on the wall

Daniel 5 The king and his advisors could not interpret this message The king’s wife (Nebuchadnezzar’s wife – Nitocris) however, remembers Daniel and she has him called in (he is about 80 years old at this time)

Daniel 5 Daniel interprets the message for the king – that he has been found wanting by God and that the king would have his kingdom taken away from him

Daniel 5 Mene – numbered Tekel – weighed Parsin – Persians It was in the Aramaic language

Daniel’s Explanation 4 words in each explanation 4 kingdoms in Daniel 2’s image In extrabiblical literature cycle of 4 is also observed – oracles of Babylon and Persia depicted 4 kingdoms – there was no 5th He was 4th king after Nebuchadnezzar His kingdom was at an end

Daniel 5 What was the cause of the downfall of the kingdom? Belshazzar had not honored God – a lesson that Nebuchadnezzar had learned (23) Daniel used language of creation (v. 23)

Daniel 5 That very night Daniel was honored with “the third position in the kingdom” Belshazzar was killed when Darius the Mede entered Babylon and took over the capital city

Daniel 5 How did the Medes and Persians enter Babylon? The river Euphrates was low normally then; they diverted the water away from Babylon and walked on the river bed into the city

Daniel 5 Two and a half weeks later, Cyrus led the main army into Babylon where he was welcomed by crowds of people throwing leafy branches in his path He then established Darius as ruler over Babylon

Daniel 5 Why did this happen to Babylon? Jeremiah 50:9, “Behold, I am stirring up and bringing against Babylon a company of great nations, from the north country, and they shall fight against her.” Jeremiah 51:36, “I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry.” Jer. 50:39, “she (Babylon) will never be inhabited again.”

Daniel 6 Darius (“he who holds the scepter” – Gobryas or Cyarxes II) set up 120 regional leaders in Babylon – and put 3 leaders over those 120 (Daniel was one of the 3 – he was respected even after the conquest) Daniel was so good (even though he was old) – he wanted to promote him to be the one ruler over the 120 This desire of Darius’s did not make Daniel popular with the other rulers

Daniel 6 They tried to find some fault with him, but he was trustworthy and not corrupt or negligent They knew the only thing that they could find any charges against Daniel would have to be in regards to the “law of his God”. (5) They devised a new law forbidding people to pray to anybody except the king for 30 days; any violator would be put to death.

Daniel 6 Daniel had a habit of praying towards Jerusalem 3 times a day

Daniel 6 Even though the king respected Daniel, he agreed to the law Medo-Persian law – once it is put into effect, it is impossible to annull it Immediately, Daniel’s enemies went to the king and charged Daniel with violating the law The king was forced to throw Daniel into a den of lions

Daniel 6 The king hoped that the God of Daniel would save him

Daniel 6 Daniel spent the night with the lion’s while the king didn’t sleep or eat at all while he was there

Daniel 6 Early next morning the king ran to the lion’s den to check on Daniel He was alive!

Daniel 6 The king rejoiced, and had the enemies of Daniel thrown into the lion’s den (along with their families) They were completely devoured before they even hit the floor of the den Darius then wrote a beautiful psalm to God and decreed that all should worship the God of Daniel!

Daniel 6 Who else had to die for the transgression of the law? John 3:16 – God (the King) gave us His Son, so that we should not die

Daniel 6 Who else came out of a “tomb” after being condemned to death?

Daniel 6 Does God protect His people in times of trouble? Psalms 34:7 – The angel of the Lord encamps around those that fear Him. Psalms 46:1 – God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

Next lesson: Daniel 7 What would happen to the church after Christ’s resurrection?