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March 25: Daniel 5-6
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After the death of Nebuchadnezzar, several of his descendants took the throne only to be assassinated shortly thereafter. Eventually, Nabonidus became king and expanded the kingdom greatly. Near the end of his reign, he turned the administration of Babylon itself over to his son Belshazzar.
History records that the Medo-Persian armies were surrounding the city at this time. Yet, the Babylonians were mocking them, certain that their city was impregnable. They were said to have shouted “Till mules foal you will not take our city.” To show his utter contempt for the siege going on around him, Belshazzar called a feast, and even brought out the silver and golden vessels captured from the Temple in Jerusalem. The entire night was a time of mocking Babylon’s enemies as weak.
How surprising it must have been for the king to read the “writing on the wall” declaring the imminent collapse of both the city and the empire. As his ancestor had before him, Belshazzar called for Daniel who preached a sermon of sorts to the young king. He had not learned the lesson of Nebuchadnezzar but had, instead, pursued his own way, awash in arrogance. He had not followed the God of heaven, but had promulgated idolatry. As a previous dream had predicted, the great empire of Babylon was about to be thrown down and destroyed. Belshazzar had been put on the scale and found unacceptable when judged by God’s standards.
Chapter 6 chronicles the transition from the Babylonians to the Persians as rulers over the lands of that day. As the dreams in chapter 2 and 4 had predicted, the regal rule of Nebuchadnezzar and the strength of his Babylonian/Chaldean kingdom would be brought to an end by combined armies of the Medes and Persians.
It is important to see that, even with a change in the power structure, Daniel was still appreciated as a man of integrity and ability. His character and ability, granted him by God and demonstrated through his faithfulness to God, made him valuable to the new rulers. This, however, caused others to become quite jealous of Daniel and his privileged position. They conspired against him and got the king to sign legislation making prayers to any god but the king a crime punishable by death.
Here we see a story that parallels the one in chapter 3. In that case the three Israelite youths remained faithful to God in the face of dire consequences. Here Daniel exhibits the same faith. His daily prayers would not stop. Rather, his pleading to God on behalf of his people because the very thing his enemies hoped would bring about his end.
We all know the story of Daniel in the pit, surrounded by hungry lions. Yet, his commitment to God did not waver. He was committed to honor God either by life or by death. It is also interesting to note that, just as Nebuchadnezzar had come to extol the God of heaven, so also Darius extols God because of what he had done for Daniel.
Prayer: Father, the example of Daniel’s faith in you means he must really have known you and been convinced of your love and power and faithfulness. Lord, help me to understand just how great you are, how mighty, how faithful, and how deserving you are of my uncompromised trust and obedience, through Jesus my Lord, Amen.
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