57. Exaltation of the Righteous (2)

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Hymns: 43 God is Still on the Throne 538 In the New Jerusalem 539 Beyond the Sunset                                         

Isaiah 14:21-22

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities. 22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

Exaltation of the Righteous (2)

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  • Glory Departed (v16-20)
  • The LORD’s Hand (v21-23)

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  • The LORD’s Hand (v21-24)

21 Prepare slaughter for his children for the iniquity of their fathers; that they do not rise, nor possess the land, nor fill the face of the world with cities.

The LORD’s wrath came upon the Babylonish spirit in destruction.

Prepare slaughter for his children, These words are directed to the Medes and Persians, to prepare instruments of slaughter, and make use of them; and prepare themselves for the slaughter of the whole royal family, Belshazzar and all his children. So it is threatened to Jezebel, or the Romish antichrist, that all her children should be killed with death (Revelation 2:23).

Revelation 2:23 (KJV) And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. [Gill]

for the iniquity of their fathers; they imitating and following them in their sins, partaking of them, and filling up the measure of their iniquities:

that they do not rise, nor possess the land; stand up and succeed him in the government of the land, as their inheritance:

nor fill the face of the world with cities; as their ancestors had done, which were built by them to perpetuate their name and glory, and to keep the nations in awe subdued by them – “with wars”; to the great disturbance of the peace of the world, and to the disquietude of the inhabitants of it; which is a great plague to the world, and a judgment in it. [Gill]

22 For I will rise up against them, saith the LORD of hosts, and cut off from Babylon the name, and remnant, and son, and nephew, saith the LORD.

For I will rise up against them, saith the Lord of hosts – That is, against the children of the Babylonish monarch; and therefore they shall not rise and possess the earth, and disturb it, since He who is the Lord of armies in heaven and earth, and has all power in both worlds, and has everything at His beck and command, will rise up, who seemed, as it were, asleep, and unconcerned about the affairs of this world, and will set himself against them, and exert his power in their destruction:

and cut off from Babylon; the king of Babylon, and the inhabitants of it:

the name; not of the city, which is mentioned long after, and still is; but of the king and his family:

and remnant; his flesh, or those that were akin to him.

and son, and nephew; his son, and son’s son, the whole family was destroyed with Belshazzar, after whom none of that race was ever heard of any more.

Wantonness of Evil Men (Daniel 5:1-4)

The king hosted a great banquet for a thousand of the most honoured lords in his kingdom. In this feast, Belshazzar showed off his power and might by belittling the God of the Jews. He ordered that the vessels taken out of Israel’s Temple in Jerusalem be used to serve wine to his guests. This act demonstrated his superior power and might. It was a time of utter wantonness. Yet we know that they are already a city under siege for the Median king Darius will take over the kingdom by the time we finish the chapter. The last bastion of the once glorious Babylonian empire is now the city of Babylon itself. Ironically, they were living luxuriously like the frog in his bathwater under a slow-burning flame. By the time, he felt the heat, he was cooked.

The time of deliverance for Israel in captivity is approaching. The year is 539 B.C. Remember, Jeremiah told Judah that their captivity would be for 70 years and Isaiah (Isaiah 44:28) told them that in the time of Cyrus, they would be allowed to return to their homeland. By now, Daniel is well over 80 years old.

Isaiah 44:28 That saith of Cyrus, He is my shepherd, and shall perform all my pleasure: even saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thy foundation shall be laid.

This time is approaching.

Jeremiah 25:12 And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are accomplished, that I will punish the king of Babylon, and that nation, saith the LORD, for their iniquity, and the land of the Chaldeans, and will make it perpetual desolations.

Our Lord was not oblivious to the ease of the wicked. We see how God’s people must be pleading for relief and justice as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, waiting upon the LORD until He will have mercy on them. Indeed, the proud, the scorning, the men at ease were wicked men. Will they get away with blasphemy? God Himself will vindicate His name.

Psalm 123:1-4 A Song of degrees. Unto thee lift I up mine eyes, O thou that dwellest in the heavens. Behold, as the eyes of servants look unto the hand of their masters, and as the eyes of a maiden unto the hand of her mistress; so our eyes wait upon the LORD our God, until that he have mercy upon us. Have mercy upon us, O LORD, have mercy upon us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt. Our soul is exceedingly filled with the scorning of those that are at ease, and with the contempt of the proud.

These drunken men praise the gods they worshipped, these dumb idols, gods of gold, silver, wood and stone (v4).

Where was Daniel, doubtless, he was not a part of this wanton gathering, he was in his room praying and resting. He was a misfit in such a party. Daniel was careful to keep himself from the wanton, immoral pleasures of this life.

Belshazzar was living like the rich man, in Luke 16, clothed in purple faring sumptuously every day till one day he died. And found himself in the torments of hell fire because of his sins. Then in that account, there was the beggar Lazarus, who did not have the good things of this life. But he believed God and has received forgiveness of sins. When he died, he was taken to heaven. Question – would you rather be the rich man or Lazarus? You may tell me I want to be like the rich man in life and like Lazarus in death! Dear friends, you cannot have both.

Warning to Evil Men (Daniel 5-29)

God’s warning came through God’s own hand. The Jews must have felt so helpless when they might have known how the heathen desecrated their Temple vessels. God Himself acted by the fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote a message on the wall in the king’s palace.

It sent fear into the heart of Belshazzar. God can subdue the most wicked and self-confident of men. God is in charge of His created world, not these. He summoned the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers and threatened them to unravel the mystery. The queen mother (who is the mother of Belshazzar) who has known of Daniel and his ability to unravel deep mysteries proposed to the king to summon Daniel.

11 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;

The king promised Daniel great riches and power which Daniel rejected. He was a true servant of God. He served God in the fear of God and not for any filthy lucre.

17 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.

He pronounced God’s judgment upon the king. He reminded the king how Nebuchadnezzar his predecessor was humbled to acknowledge the God of the Jews. And now he Belshazzar has spurned that knowledge.

22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

Here is the judgment:-

25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. 26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27 TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

These mysterious words were God’s indictment that Belshazzar’s reign was over, his life would soon end, and his kingdom would be divided and given to someone else.

Like the scorner in the Proverbs who refused reproof and counsel whom he Lord declared His judgment.

Proverbs 1:25-33 But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: 26 I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh; 27 When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you. 28 Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me: 29 For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the LORD: 30 They would none of my counsel: they despised all my reproof. 31 Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices. 32 For the turning away of the simple shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them. 33 But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Proverbs 10:25 As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more: but the righteous is an everlasting foundation.

The unrepentant sinner faces God’s wrath. Whereas Daniel, God’s servant, was preserved and honoured in the new kingdom of the Medes and Persians.

Judgment on Evil Men (Daniel 5:29-31)

As soon as the warning came, the judgment came swiftly and surely. His iniquity was full. The time has come that he is judged. The besieging army of the Medes and Persians was encamped near the Euphrates River. Historical records showed that Babylon fell in a surprise attack made by the Medes and Persians. We know that the city of Babylon was an impregnable fortress. But the enemy diverted the river into a nearby lake and with the river dried up, the way was open into the city. When the Medes and Persians entered the city, it was recorded that the Babylonians were still feasting in drunken stupor. Babylon fell without a fight. By sunrise, Belshazzar was dead and the Babylonian Empire collapsed under God’s judgment.[1]

Why did this happen? Pritchard said well, “Babylon became great because of the sovereign blessing of God. When they became great, their pride made them forget God. When they forgot God, they began to take him for granted. When they took him for granted, God judged them and they were no longer a great nation.”[2]

As God’s children, we can see how the heathen blaspheme and reject God. Does it mean that God is not on the throne? No. God sees and God knows. He will act. Let us wait upon Him.

By way of application, we are living in the days before Christ’s Second Coming. A time of reckoning is coming. Jesus says the days before His Second Coming will be like the days of Noah where men will be enjoying them wantonly refusing to acknowledge their Creator.

Matthew 24:37-40 But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

Our worldly friends would encourage us to buy a second and third property, an overseas villa and throw wanton parties. May we see the signs of the times and be watchful and sober and not be a part of the world’s system ripe for God’s judgment.

This is the plight of men void of God. They lived on in their world of make-believe. They do not realize that there is a judgment coming where God would severely judge them for their act of rebellion against Him.

The king Nebuchadnezzar who humbled himself received God’s pardon and his kingdom was prolonged (Dan. 4) but Belshazzar was judged for his arrogant pride and blasphemy against God (Dan. 5). The bible tells us that man is appointed once to die and after judgment. None can escape. The most powerful and most influential people on earth must kowtow to the Almighty Creator God and receive pardon from His Son Jesus Christ if he is to escape eternal hell fire. May the Lord have mercy on those outside God’s kingdom who not only reject Him but blaspheme His Name.

To be continued…

[1] http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/2000-01-16-Gods-Graffiti/

[2] http://www.keepbelieving.com/sermon/2000-01-16-Gods-Graffiti/