Judgment and Deliverance: God's Sovereignty - From Judaism’s Holy Tanakh: Book of Daniel Chapters 5 – 6, Part 1 of 2

Today, it is a pleasure to share selections from Chapter 5 of the Book of Daniel about Divine judgment.

“[…] ‘Whosoever shall read this writing, and declare unto me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom.' Then came in all the King's wise men: but they could not read the writing, nor make known to the King the interpretation.

Then was Daniel brought in before the King. The King spoke and said unto Daniel: 'Are Thou Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the King my father brought out of Judah? I have heard of Thee, that the spirit of the gods is in Thee, and that Light and understanding and surpassing wisdom is found in Thee. And now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof; but they could not declare the interpretation of the thing. But I have heard of Thee, that Thou can give interpretations, and loose knots; now if Thou can read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, Thou shall be clothed with purple, and have a chain of gold about Thy neck, and shall rule as one of three in the kingdom.'

Then Daniel answered and said before the King: 'Let Thy gifts be to Thyself, and give Thy rewards to another; nevertheless I will read the writing unto the King, and make known to Him the interpretation. O Thou King, God Most High gave Nebuchadnezzar Thy father the kingdom, and greatness, and glory, and majesty; and because of the greatness that He gave Him, all the peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before Him: whom He would He killed and whom He would He kept alive; and whom He would He raised up, and whom He would He put down.

But when His heart was lifted up, and His spirit was hardened that He dealt proudly, He was deposed from His kingly throne, and His glory was taken from Him; and He was driven from the sons of men, and His heart was made like the beasts, and His dwelling was with the wild donkeys, He was fed with grass like oxen, and His body was wet with the dew of Heaven; until He knew that God Most High rules in the kingdom of men, and that He sets up over it whomsoever He Will.

And Thou His son, O Belshazzar, has not humbled Thy heart, though Thou know all this; but has 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 lords, Thy consorts and Thy as touching the kingdom; but they could find no occasion nor fault; fore Thee, and Thou and Thy lords, Thy consorts and Thy concubines, have drunk nectar in them; and Thou has 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, has Thou not glorified; then was the palm of the hand sent from before Him, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed. MENE MENE, TEKEL UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE, God has numbered Thy kingdom, and brought it to an end. TEKEL, Thou are weighed in the balances, and are found wanting. PERES, Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.’ […]”