Cyrus conquers Babylon.
Lesson 5 - Life's Greatest Mistake
The Divine Interruption: Questions 5-9
The king was shocked. His countenance changed. His stomach muscles tightened. He was seized with terror. His entire body shook nervously. His thoughts raced with fear. He knew something had gone terribly wrong, but he wasn’t sure what it was. “What terrible event,” he wondered, “does the writing on the wall foretell?”
Belshazzar failed to learn from the past. The so-called wise men of Babylon had failed Nebuchadnezzar, and they would fail him, too.
Some translations say, “Queen-Mother.” Evidently she was not Belshazzar’s wife. She was an older woman—a mother figure in the empire—most likely Nebuchadnezzar’s wife. She knew from personal experience the life-giving power of God. She also knew that God had used Daniel in the past and that He would use him again.
Daniel served as a statesman in Babylon for seventy years. His sterling reputation was well known. His wisdom in political affairs had influenced the nation repeatedly. In view of all this, Belshazzar, in a drunken stupor, attempted to demean Daniel by implying that he was merely an Israelite captive. In a desperate attempt to understand the mysterious writing, Belshazzar offered Daniel lavish rewards if he could explain the significance of these strange words.
Daniel could not be bought! His services were not for sale. His one motive was to serve God. His one ambition was the honor of God’s kingdom. Daniel took this opportunity to review God’s attempts to save Babylon. Throughout Babylon’s history, God gave it repeated opportunities to know His will. In a variety of ways, God knocked on Babylon’s door. Those opportunities were now quickly coming to a close; the door of mercy, open for seventy years, was soon to shut. The Babylonians had hardened their hearts, and there was little God could do except to give them up to their own selfish desires.