The Fall of Babylon

We should learn from history, especially history that we have experienced. Nebuchadnezzar learned not to boast himself above God; but the king’s son didn’t learn that lesson from his father’s mistakes.

Daniel 5

• It was an elaborate state dinner with at least 1000 guests.
• To boast themselves they used the golden vessels from Jehovah’s temple in Jerusalem to drink toasts to the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood and stone (v. 2-4).
• Jehovah did not take lightly this profanity, and He interrupted the celebration and wrote, as with a man’s hand, upon the wall (v. 5).
• King Belshazzar, reminded by the queen of his father’s dreams, called for Daniel to interpret the writing after the Babylonian charlatans could not do so (v. 6-16).
• Daniel, refusing all worldly honor, explained that the writing foretold the downfall of Belshazzar and his kingdom (v. 17-28).
• The king, true to his promise, rewarded Daniel; and lost his kingdom the same night (vs. 29-31).

Daniel 6

• The new king, Darius the Mede, appointed Daniel to one of three presidencies under the new monarch (v. 1-2).
• Others, jealous of Daniel, sought to have him removed from office. To do so, they plotted to make Daniel choose between faithfulness to his God and obedience to the king (v. 3-9).
• Daniel, of course, did not deny his faith nor change his habits of worship (v. 10-13).
• The king was not able to out-maneuver Daniel’s political opposition; and Daniel was cast into a den of lions (v. 14-17).
• God delivered Daniel from the lions; and King Darius delivered Daniel’s enemies to the hungry lions (v. 18-25).
• Once again, a pagan king extolled the glory of Jehovah (v. 26-28).

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