Daniel 5
Jason Martin
Daniel / Responsibility / Daniel 5
Accountability
Accountability is a major part of the Christian life.
We are taught about it very early in Scripture;
• In the beginning, God created, and His creation was good.
• It was so good, He put mankind in it and told them to multiply and rule the Earth and steward it as His image bearers to all of creation
• Now God’s creation was VERY GOOD
• Adam and Eve were told to enjoy all of the blessings of creation, but to not eat from that one tree
• Instead, they were to trust that God knew what was best for them
• That it was actually better for them to NOT have that thing
*Knowing that God is real does not automatically produce obedience
The serpent lied
Adam and Eve ate
God confronts them and held each of them accountable for their actions
From the beginning, God has given mankind both blessings and responsibility.
He holds us accountable for what we do with what He’s given to us
And that’s what Daniel 5 is about - accountability:
Disobedience and arrogance
Daniel 5:1–4 “1 King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. 2 Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”
1. Here, father = forefather (some say grandfather, some say father in law through marriage - not the point)
2. They took the vessels from God’s Temple and used them to toast to false gods
a. Psalm 115:4–8 “4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths, but do not speak; eyes, but do not see. 6 They have ears, but do not hear; noses, but do not smell. 7 They have hands, but do not feel; feet, but do not walk; and they do not make a sound in their throat. 8 Those who make them become like them; so do all who trust in them.”
3. There are millions of people around the world everyday breathing God’s air and using it to ask images, and carvings, and trinkets, and statues for help - instead of the God that put that breath into those lungs.
a. Exodus 20:4 “4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.”
b. People know that these things can’t see, hear, or help in any way. - they represent some other being that people want to help them - instead of the God that provides every good and perfect gift
The Finger of God
Daniel 5:5 “5 Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote.”
1. Being opposite the lampstand will make the hand more visible.
2. This is not the first time we see something like this
a. Exodus 31:18 “18 And he gave to Moses, when he had finished speaking with him on Mount Sinai, the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.”
3. Like Nebuchadnezzar being stopped mid-sentence when he was praising himself in chapter 4, this judgment arrives quickly.
a. If we saw this, we would probably be terrified as well
b. The saying ‘the writing is on the wall’ comes from this
Fear exposes
Daniel 5:6 “6 Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together.”
1. What happens when somebody that acts like the strongest person in the room - realizes that Somebody infinitely stronger is watching?
a. Fear exposes what pride tries to conceal
b. Daniel 2:1 “1 In the second year of the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadnezzar had dreams; his spirit was troubled, and his sleep left him.”
c. Daniel 4:5 “5 I saw a dream that made me afraid. As I lay in bed the fancies and the visions of my head alarmed me.”
i. But fear itself isn’t repentance
1. You can be scared of hell without surrendering to Christ
2. You can feel guilty without repenting
3. You can know judgment is coming without turning to the Judge
a. James 2:19 “19 You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!”
b. 2 Corinthians 7:10 “10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
The details
Read Daniel 5:7-17
1. Nobody can read the writing so the Queen mother advises him to call in Daniel
2. Daniel isn’t interested in compromising truth for rewards
a. According to 2 Corinthians 5:18, we have ALL been given the ministry of reconciliation
b. As ministers, our job isn’t to tell people what they want to hear in exchange for approval, or money, or influence, or popularity
i. 2 Timothy 4:2–4 “2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. 3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
c. Every Christians job is to speak truth
i. Truth stands all on it’s own - it doesn’t require flesh and bone
The Reminder
Daniel 5:18–21 “18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. 19 And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. 20 But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. 21 He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will.”
1. God gave, God gave
2. God humbled him
3. The Most High God rules the kingdom of men
a. ....and you knew all this..........
Open rebellion
Daniel 5:22 “22 And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this,”
*Knowing that God is real does not automatically produce obedience
Daniel 5:23 “23 but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.”
1. You don’t even own the breath you use to mock God with
a. If God holds your breath in His hands, He holds your life in His hands
b. If He holds your life in His hands, you are accountable to Him
c. **WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE BREATH THAT GOD HAS GIVEN TO US?
2. Knowing that God is real does not automatically produce obedience - Belshazzar knowingly mocked God
a. This is around 20 years after chapter 4 and there have been several kings since then through various circumstances and assassinations
b. The elders are aware of what happened and would have talked about it.
c. Belshazzar knew what happened to Nebuchadnezzar
i. He had received the testimony and still chose to rebel in pride
ii. He took the vessels from God’s Temple and used them to toast to false gods
Held Accountable
Daniel 5:24–28 “24 “Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. 25 And this is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. 26 This is the interpretation of the matter: Mene, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; 27 Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; 28 Peres, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.””
1. Everybody gets weighed - God will someday hold each of us accountable
a. Romans 3:23 “23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”
2. The question
a. isn’t whether we will acknowledge Jesus
i. Philippians 2:10-11 tells us that EVERY knee WILL bow and acknowledge Jesus - either in repentance or in judgment.
b. is when we hear about Christ, will we humble ourselves we exchange our judgment for life - like Nebuchadnezzar did.
i. Daniel 4:37 “37 Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, for all his works are right and his ways are just; and those who walk in pride he is able to humble.”
Daniel 5:29–31 “29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. 30 That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. 31 And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.”
1. Accountability is personal, National, and global. This is the end of the mighty empire of Babylon in Scripture - and the judgment came that very night.
a. Sometimes judgment is delayed, but it is always certain
2. Human kingdoms rise and fall - God’s Kingdom remains
a. Remember how Nebuchadnezzar's first dream ended
i. Daniel 2:44 “44 And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever,”
b. Jesus shows up a few hundred years later and keeps saying this;
i. Mark 1:15 “15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.””
1. Daniel tell us that God’s Kingdom is coming
2. Jesus tells us it’s at hand
The decision
1. We can ignore God, but we cannot escape Him
a. Belshazzar knew about God - refused to humble himself - judgment came
i. *Knowing that God is real does not automatically produce obedience
b. Romans says that all humanity knows enough to be held accountable
i. Romans 1:18–21 “18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.”
c. The problem isn’t a lack of information. It’s that sinful hearts suppress truth and refuse to honor the Author of life
i. The resurrection is the evidence that Jesus will hold the world accountable in righteousness and He commands us to repent
1. Acts 17:29–31 “29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man. 30 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.””
2. James 1:22–25 “22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”
Spiritual Babylon
Spiritual Babylon continues to this day and we are told to be separated from it
Scripture describes it as a symbol of human rebellion against God
A world system characterized by idolatry, pride, immorality, wealth, and opposition to God
LET HIM WHO HAS EYES TO SEE AND EARS TO HEAR RECOGNIZE THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN!
1. Our culture celebrates pride and immorality and idolizes things like wealth and fame
2. What God calls good and blessed in His Kingdom - the world calls weak;
a. Poor in spirit and recognize their need for God (Matthew 5:3)
b. Mourning and sorrowful for their own sins and the sins of the world around them (Matthew 5:4)
c. Meek and humble - willing to submit to authority, which comes from God - the Ultimate Authority (Matthew 5:5)
d. Craving righteousness both out in the world, and especially in our own lives (Matthew 5:6)
e. Merciful and forgiving to others, acknowledging God’s surpassing mercy and forgiveness to us (Matthew 5:7)
f. Purity of heart (not sinless, but forgiven), leading to a closer relationship with God (Matthew 5:8)
g. People that actively pursue peace between themselves and God and others (Matthew 5:9)
3. We live in a culture that wants us to sacrifice what God calls good, and ignore the accountability that we’ve been called to
a. We sacrifice our children on the altar of convenience and prosperity
b. We don’t speak out against pride
c. We make peace with sin instead of God
4. We are to be separate from the culture
a. Turn to Revelation 18:4–10 “4 Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues; 5 for her sins are heaped high as heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities. 6 Pay her back as she herself has paid back others, and repay her double for her deeds; mix a double portion for her in the cup she mixed. 7 As she glorified herself and lived in luxury, so give her a like measure of torment and mourning, since in her heart she says, ‘I sit as a queen, I am no widow, and mourning I shall never see.’ 8 For this reason her plagues will come in a single day, death and mourning and famine, and she will be burned up with fire; for mighty is the Lord God who has judged her.” 9 And the kings of the earth, who committed sexual immorality and lived in luxury with her, will weep and wail over her when they see the smoke of her burning. 10 They will stand far off, in fear of her torment, and say, “Alas! Alas! You great city, you mighty city, Babylon! For in a single hour your judgment has come.””
b. You aren’t promised your next meal - today is the day of salvation
i. 2 Corinthians 6:1–2 “1 Working together with him, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. 2 For he says, “In a favorable time I listened to you, and in a day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”
Exported from Logos Bible Study, 6:51 AM October 5, 2026.