Fri.’s Devo - The Writing on the Wall

Read: Daniel 5:1-31; 2 Peter 2:1-22; Psalm 119:113-128; Proverbs 28:19-20 Belshazzar, Nebuchanezzar’s successor was recorded in history as being a very cruel king. He killed a fellow hunter simply because he killed the animal before he did. In another story, he had one of his servants castrated because one of the women called him handsome. We can tell by the way Daniel spoke to him that Daniel had no respect for him. Belshazzar had a banquet for 1,000 of his nobles and was drinking from the golden cups they had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem. They were praising their gods of gold and silver and bronze, etc., when a hand began writing on the wall. It wrote the words Mene, Mene, Tekel, Parson. The king was brought to his knees in fear. *** None of his magicians could interpret what the words meant. The king’s wife told him about the fame of Daniel and he was brought in. Belshazzar told Daniel all the honors and gifts that would be given him if he interpreted the words. Daniel told him he could keep his gifts or give them to someone else, but he would tell him what the words meant. *** This is what he told him. His days were numbered. God had measured his life and found it meaningless so it would end and his kingdom would be given to the Medes and the Persians. Surprisingly, the king gave Daniel all the things he had promised: promotion, royal robes and a gold chain. That very night, Belshazzar was killed and Darius the Mede took the kingdom. Once again we see how God controls the course of human events. He promotes who he wants and brings down who he wants. *** Peter taught that there were false prophets in the past that taught lies just as there are false teachers in their present time. They would deny Jesus as the Messiah and teach immoral, evil doctrine to con people out of their money. *** They were not to worry because God judged the angels who disobeyed him and put them in pits in hell. He judged the people of Noah’s days and destroyed them with the flood because they were so evil. But, he saved Noah and seven members of his family. God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah with hail and fire because of their morality and wickedness. But, he saved Lot and his two daughters. So, God knows how to save righteous godly people out of their trials, while punishing the wicked and saving them for the judgement. *** Peter compared these wicked false teachers to those who God destroyed. They were deceptive, evil and preyed on the innocent. They loved bribes and extortion like Balaam who was offered payment to curse Israel. God stopped Balaam with his talking donkey who rebuked him. God would not allow him to curse Israel whom he had blessed. *** It would be the same for these people of Peter’s day. They would get their full reward. They were slaves to sin and corruption. *** We are also slaves to whatever controls us. So we are not to get entangled in sin and let it control us. If we do get entangled in sin after we have believed, we will be worse off than before. *** Lord, thank you that we are no longer slaves to sin. May we walk free and stay free. May we bring every evil thought captive and not entertain doubt or shame. Thank you for the blood of Jesus that has power to cleanse and keep us clean.