Sunday, September 12, 2021 AM

Well good morning. It is good to see you this morning. Welcome to Sunnyside Baptist Church.

We are glad that you are here with us today. Grateful that the Lord has given us this opportunity to gather together to glorify his name together this morning.

Would encourage you if you haven't already done so if you've got a cell phone to make sure it's silenced.

You don't have to turn it off but if you would just turn the ringer off that would be good just to not be a distraction should it should it go off in the service.

So appreciate you taking a moment to do that. Our Friday verse listed in your bulletin there for this week comes from 2nd

Corinthians chapter 9 verse 8 and in both chapters 8 and 9

Paul is talking about the blessing of generosity and that that the example for our generosity is

God himself and what he has given to us in his son the

Lord Jesus Christ. So 2nd Corinthians 9 8 and God is able to make all grace abound to you so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times that sounds rather all -encompassing you may abound in every good work.

So a good verse to meditate upon and to work to to hide in your heart to memorize.

Operation Christmas Child they're still collecting things the box is out there in the foyer big green box so if you've got items that you can contribute some of the things that are listed there for Operation Christmas Child that would be a blessing for those who will receive those gifts later this year.

Sewing ministry still has some needs for a couple of things bias tape and elastic so if you can contribute anything towards the sewing ministry that would be greatly appreciated as well.

A couple of things that are coming up this week next Saturday September 18th at eight o 'clock will be a deacon's meeting so so if you are part of that ministry we encourage you to be here for that meeting on Saturday next

Saturday the 18th at 8 a .m. and then in the course of this next week we are going to be blessed with some visitors

Vern and Denny Johnson are coming they will be here Wednesday evening to share in with our kids at tag but I'm sure they'll also be here for the meal so you'll have the opportunity to see them and talk with them and then they'll be here also in our morning worship service just to enjoy fellowship with us and worship the lord together and then

Sunday evening next Sunday evening the 19th for our evening service we will be meeting in a rather informal gathering

I think probably in the fellowship hall for some fellowship and probably just for them to share and to have a question and answer time so that will be next this

Wednesday and then next Sunday with with Vern and Denny Johnson as we kind of hear what the lord has been doing in and through their ministry in Ivory Coast Africa Cote d 'Ivoire so looking forward to having them here all right well we are here not to hear announcements necessarily but to worship the lord and that's the purpose for our coming together this morning and so encourage you to take a few moments here to just be still before the lord and draw near to to the lord this morning and then after that after a little bit few moments of of silence and prayer

Jerry Brown is going to lead us in prayer this morning and then and then we will be led in worship to glorify the lord together all right so let's let's draw near to the lord father thank you for this morning and for our time together just thank you for the opportunity to hear your word taught and to spend time together in christian fellowship just pray for our country and for our need to stand for what you stand for just help your people to stand and and fight the good fight just pray for those that are in medical need that you put your hand on them and encourage them and the doctors would be able to help them just thank you again for today and for the bright sunshine and the time we could spend together as brothers and sisters in the lord christ's name amen would you stand with me for our call to worship since brother ken was saying earlier we've come to worship the lord this morning and in spirit and in truth and so we're going to go to the truth of the word of god we'll be reading today in psalms chapter 70 continuing in psalm 71 we'll be reading verses four through six read with me together rescue me oh my god from the hand of the wicked from the grasp of the unjust and cruel man for you oh lord are my hope my trust oh lord for my youth upon you i have leaned from before my birth you are he who took me from my mother's womb my praise is continually of you and our first song this morning is in our psalms for worship himmel 71a in you oh lord oh stay and our next song is in our regular blue hymnals 268 god our father we adore thee oh god you can holy spirit from the savior we are well to open your bibles and turn with me to isaiah i'll be reading for brother dwight this morning whose voice is a bit scratchy so i hope mine will be better than his isaiah chapter 1 verses uh 21 through 31 we'll be finishing up this first chapter as one of the old professors used to say of the gospel of isaiah isaiah chapter 1 beginning in verse 21 how the faithful city has become a harlot it was full of it was full of justice righteousness lodged in it but now murderers your silver has become dross your wine mixed with water your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves everyone loves bribes and follows after rewards they do not defend the fatherless nor does the cause of the widow come before them therefore the lord says the lord of hosts the mighty one of israel ah i will rid myself of my adversaries and take vengeance on my enemies i will turn my hand against you and thoroughly purge away your dross and take away all your alloy i will restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness the faithful city zion shall be redeemed with justice and her penitence with righteousness the destruction of transgressors and of sinners shall be together and those who forsake the lord shall be consumed for they shall be ashamed of the terebinth trees which you have desired and you shall be embarrassed because of the gardens which you have chosen for you shall be as a terebinth whose leaf fades and as a garden that has no water the strong shall be as tender and the work of it as a spark both will burn together and no one shall quench them this is the word of the lord praise be to god let's pray father we give you praise for the clarity of your word and how it is that you see everything that goes on in our lives and the lives of everyone around the world as you do here as you saw exactly what was happening in the lives of your people israel the injustice and the corruption and the idolatry that went on lord we are so foolish to think that we can hide our sins from you simply because it seems to escape notice of our neighbors and our friends lord help us to fear you help us to recognize your perfect sight and that we would live before your face confessing our sins rejoicing in your grace and following our savior and king jesus christ it's in his name that we pray amen you may be seated we're going to continue with the medley of songs so if you would take your hymnals and turn to page 274 and then also we'll be singing ancient words and then there was a handout for become behold the wondrous mystery oh

Oh, let the ancient words impart. Words of life, words of hope,

Give us freedom from where we were wrong.

Ancient words will guide us home. Ancient words ever true,

Changing me, changing you. We have come with open arms.

Oh, let the ancient words impart. Holy words of our faith,

Lactate down to this ancient place.

Sacrifice, oh heed the faithful words of Christ.

Holy words long preserved, For our walk in this world.

They resound with God's own heart. Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Ancient words ever true, Changing me and changing you.

We have come with open arms.

Oh, let the ancient words impart. Sing again.

Ancient words ever true, Changing me and changing you.

We have come with open arms.

Oh, let the ancient words impart.

Come behold the wondrous mystery

In the dawning of the King.

He the theme of heaven's praises Wrote in frail humanity.

In our mourning, in our darkness, Now the light of life has come.

Look to Christ, who God descended, Took on flesh to ransom us.

Come behold the wondrous mystery

In the perfect Son of Man. In His living, in His suffering,

Never trace nor stain of sin. See the true and better Adam Come to save the hell -bound man.

Christ the great and sure fulfillment Of the law in Him we stand.

Come behold the wondrous mystery Christ the

Lord upon the tree. In the stead of ruined sinners

Hangs the Lamb in victory. See the price of our redemption.

See the Father's plan unfold, Bringing many sons to glory.

Grace unmeasured, love untold.

Come behold the wondrous mystery

Slain by death, our God alive.

But no grave could ever restrain

Him. Praise the Lord, He is alive. What a foretaste of deliverance!

How unwavering our hope. Christ in power resurrected

As we will be when He comes.

What a foretaste of deliverance! How unwavering our hope.

Christ in power resurrected As we will be when

He comes. Let's go to Lord in prayer together.

Father, I thank you for this day. I thank you for gathering us together and providing for our needs so that we could come here and rejoice together in the finished work of Jesus Christ and His atonement and His bringing glory to you.

And we rejoice that having been raised from the dead, He has now ascended and been seated at your right hand.

And even now He rules and reigns as you have given Him a name which is above every name and entrusted to Him all authority in heaven and on earth.

And so we thank you for this perfect King, your Son and our Savior who watches over us today as the perfect Shepherd.

And we are but your sheep of your pasture in need of your sustenance and your protection and your leadership and your love.

And I thank you that you have provided for all of these things in your Son and you have sent forth your Holy Spirit who indwells us and brings to us every good and perfect thing that you as our

Heavenly Father have ordained through your Son Jesus Christ. And now we ask that you would give us a clear view of your

Son as we look at your Word and as we look at Christ in this

Word I pray that you would help us to look like Him in this world. And we pray all these things in His name.

Amen. Daniel chapter 5 I'll be reading verses 13 through 31 here in a moment.

Daniel chapter 5 verses 13 through 31 continuing our look at this chapter

Title is The Hand Riding on the Wall Last week we talked about this famous phrase

The Riding on the Wall It's still very much in use but not as clearly stated

The Hand Riding on the Wall which was the majority focus when this event occurred.

You can read it for yourself in Daniel chapter 5 How impressed

Belshazzar the king and his lords were about the Hand.

The reason why they wanted to know about the Riding was because of the Hand. It was the

Hand that startled them. And so that should be our focus as well.

So verses 1 through 12 of Daniel 5 we saw that God's Word interrupts the fool.

God's Word interrupts the fool. Belshazzar the king of Babylon is drunk in the dark blind in the light far from the truth.

Christ writes the truth of God with his own hand and puts it upon the plastered wall of Belshazzar's palace banquet hall.

He interrupts the fool. Why? Because we don't know our doom unless God reveals

His Word to us. We don't know our doom unless God reveals

His Word to us. This is what happens here in chapter 5.

We pick up the reading in verse 13. If you are able, I encourage you to stand with me as we give honor to Christ, our

Savior and our Sovereign, who through His Holy Spirit speaks to the prophet Daniel in this text.

Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel, who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah?

I have heard of you that the Spirit of God is in you and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

Now, the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not give the interpretation of the thing.

And I have heard of you that you can give interpretations and explain the enigmas. Now, if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you should be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another.

Yet I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the

Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar, your father, a kingdom and majesty, glory, and honor.

And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before Him.

Whomever He wished, He executed. Whomever He wished, He kept alive. Whomever He wished, He set up.

And whomever He wished, He put down. But when His heart was lifted up and His spirit was hardened in pride,

He was deposed from His kingly throne. And they took His glory from Him, that He was driven from the sons of men.

His heart was made like the beasts, and His dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed

Him with grass like oxen, and His body was wet with the dew of heaven. Till He knew that the

Most High God rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over it whomever He chooses. But you,

His son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.

And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you.

And you and your lords and your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them.

And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know.

And the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.

And the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written.

Mene, mene, tekel ufarsin. This is the interpretation of each word. Mene, God has numbered your kingdom and finished it.

Tekel, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. Perez, your kingdom has been divided and given to the

Medes and the Persians. Then Belshazzar gave the command. And they clothed

Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom that very night.

Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the

Mede received the kingdom, being about 62 years old. This is the word of the

Lord. Thanks be to God. You may be seated. Few scenes are more chaotic, messy, and snarled than that of a wrecked passenger airline just past the 20 -year anniversary of 9 -11.

It's in our minds, the pictures we've seen. Twisted fuselage, sprayed debris, broken trees, collapsed buildings, the scorched and scattered and shattered pieces.

On average, it takes anywhere from 12 to 24 months for investigations to be completed of a single airline crash.

It takes a long time to sort through all the clutter of a calamity to discern the important causes and effects related to a disaster.

We live in the debris field of Paradise Lost. We live in the debris field of sin.

We live in the debris field of the sin of Adam and our own sin.

But by the light of God's word, we see the reason for and know the trajectory of that disaster.

Because in the light of God's word, we can make sense of what is going on in our world.

By the light of God's word, we make and are to make investigation into the mess all around us and within us so that we may be brought into confession.

Confession is saying the same words that God says about us, our sin, and the world.

Saying the same words He says about His Son. That's what confession means.

It's to say the same thing. To be in agreement. The Greek word is hamamegeo. The same word.

Same word. Saying the same thing that God says. And we can do that by the light of God's word.

So that we may find forgiveness and cleansing for ourselves. And point others to forgiveness and cleansing in the work of Jesus Christ.

So that we will have hope in this world as Jesus promises. So He does.

And He makes all things new. God's word not only interrupts the fool, but interprets the folly.

God doesn't simply say, hold up and stop. He also says, here's what's really going on.

God in His word interrupts the fool, but also interprets the folly. As we noted last week, many spy the writing on the wall and cry pitifully to their gods.

But we are to fear the Lord, because He's the one who's putting graffiti all over our grandeur. We don't know our doom unless God reveals

His word to us. And He reveals His word here to Belshazzar through His prophet

Daniel. God's word interprets the folly.

In the muddled fear and the mangled wreck of our world, the word of God shines independently of man's manipulations.

God's word remains the primary source of instruction and powerfully indicts all men, irrespective of their situation or circumstances or status.

The word of God illuminates the darkness of sin. In other words, God's word is the standard by which all human experience is judged.

God's word is the standard by which all human experience is judged.

It is through God's precepts that we gain understanding and learn to spy every false narrative and hate every false directive.

We may feel like we are wanderers in the world, but God hasn't hidden the map. He has not left us in the dark.

His word is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path.

When He opens up our eyes, we see wondrous things, wondrous things from His law.

First of all, God's word, God's word that interprets the folly of men, God's word is independent.

Independent. We see that in verses 13 through 17.

God's word is independent. It's a lot of value placed on an independent news media.

A lot of value placed upon an independent news media to the health of our republic.

And while that is greatly felt, you may have noticed that it is built upon the myth of neutrality.

You realize, don't you, that an unbiased journalist is about as common as a married bachelor? Neutrality is a myth.

The issue we have is that what we all really do desire is objective truth.

We do really want to know what's going on, even if we find someone who's not a

Christian, who's not a believer. They have it in their makeup, in the way that God designed them to want to know truth.

They want to know what the true facts of the matter are, even if they would suppress the stuff they don't like.

They do want something to explain it. We desire being made in God's image.

We desire not just a thing explainer, but an everything explainer.

And everybody's trying to find an everything explainer that makes sense to them.

We don't find it in the encyclopedia. We don't find it in the mainstream media.

We don't find it in Google. What we find time and again are corrupt sources that are not independent.

They do not speak from the outside in. They are merely the echoes of the cacophony that is in the asylum.

So how rare then and precious is the word of God? Certainly not neutral in the least, but independent, yes.

Independent, yes. This is the objective standard that categorizes and clarifies, encounters, and even brings cleansing to the human insanities of sin.

So notice what Daniel says to the king, or what the king says to Daniel. Verse 13. Then Daniel was brought in before the king.

The king spoke and said to Daniel, Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah whom my father the king brought from Judah?

I have heard of you that the Spirit of God is in you and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you.

So Belshazzar was told by the queen in the previous passage here in Daniel 5.

He was told by the queen, Don't despair even though all of your experts can't tell you what's on the wall. There is one man in your kingdom who can,

Daniel. So Daniel is the man who can tell you what's going on.

So the king does some checking and he discovers that Daniel is like one of these vessels laying all over the tables in his banquet hall.

Spoils of war from back when Nebuchadnezzar had taken the city.

And so Belshazzar brings him in as a resource.

Oh yeah, I've got dishes that I use from Jerusalem and they serve as cups of wine for me and my friends.

And here you are. You're a vessel from Jerusalem as well. And now you're going to serve me by telling me what's going on.

And he explains the problem in verse 15. Now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me that they should read this writing and make known to me its interpretation.

But they could not. They could not give the interpretation of the thing. And I have heard of you that you can give interpretations and explain enigmas.

Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you should be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be a third ruler in the kingdom.

This had been offered to everybody, by the way. When the writing first showed up and Belshazzar soiled himself and everyone was scared and out of their minds, he immediately said, if somebody can tell me what this is, these are the rewards

I'm going to offer him. Anybody, anybody. Nobody could. Which is really a strange thing, seeing that it was written in Chaldean, but nobody could figure it out.

Written as large as life, as plain as day, there in the wall, in their own language, and nobody knew what it meant.

And yet everybody would want to have said what it means because they all wanted the rewards, but nobody could.

There's a blindness upon them that is hard to explain outside the sovereignty of God. So Belshazzar says, all right, you're up.

You're up to bat. If you do it, you get the rewards I promised. Verse 17. Then Daniel answered and said before the king, let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another.

I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. It's important to remember that Daniel has already seen this play run by the other team.

He's already seen this before, back in chapter one. It happened in Nebuchadnezzar's re -education camp.

Oh, you poor exiles. We'll feed you from the king's table. We'll give you the king's delicacies.

We'll, you know, as we're trying to change everything about the way you think, we're also going to change and give you everything and you're going to live on the king's generosity.

So Daniel, Daniel having, knowing this play, seen it before, he dials up the perfect defense.

He's like, no, thanks. I'll do what I'm supposed to do, but I'm not going to take the stuff from you.

He's going to remain unbought so that the message he declares will be independent, untainted.

Daniel knows that the delicacies of this ruler are deceptive and he'll put a knife to his throat before he takes it willingly.

Think of it this way. If Daniel accepts these delicacies non -discerningly, then what confidence should

Belshazzar have in Daniel's discernment ministry? If he can't figure out this most basic political ploy, then what good is he to revealing what the truth of God is?

Was there not wisdom in Abram refusing anything from a thread to a sandal strap from Sodom's king,

Genesis 14, lest the pagan would boast, I have made Abram rich. So also there is wisdom in maintaining an independence from the subsidizing and sanctioning of the world.

Our independence is not some sort of libertarian whoredom for autonomy.

Independence in the church is submission to our King Jesus. Jesus never needed the subsidy of the state and he never needed the sanction of the elites.

Christ did not come to be served but to serve.

He came as the light of the world without having ever received anything from those who came to save. In this, his covenant of grace delivers from slavery.

We have no slavery to man, no slavery to death. We owe everything to Christ who is our master and so our obligations are all under his authority.

Yes, we have an obligation to the world. Absolutely we do. We have an obligation to the world but we are not bound by the world even the same.

Our obligation pertains to Christ as we manifest his truth and his love and his righteousness as the salt of the earth and the light of the world in the city on a hill.

So we cannot be the salt of the earth. We cannot be that light on the hill. We cannot be the light of the world.

We cannot be that unless we remain committed to bringing the independent, unsullied, cannot be bribed, word of God to bear as the standard, this as the everything explainer.

And its eternal truth remains ever instructive. And Daniel begins to instruct Belshazzar in verses 18 to 21.

He does not immediately clarify the writing on the wall. He doesn't offer the translation immediately like he's been asked to.

He takes Belshazzar to school. And he takes

Belshazzar to school on his favorite subject. Remember from the first 12 verses, the emphasis that Belshazzar insists upon that Nebuchadnezzar is his father.

Well, he does that for political purposes but it doesn't have any biological truth to it.

He wants everyone to believe and affirm this clear succession of power from Nebuchadnezzar, the greatest king

Babylon has ever known, to Belshazzar, who ever basks in the glow of Nebuchadnezzar's approval, though Nebuchadnezzar's not around to affirm that or counter that.

And so the party line is Belshazzar is the son of Nebuchadnezzar and everybody has to say so over and over and over again.

Nebuchadnezzar is Belshazzar's favorite subject. He talks about him all the time.

He references him all the time. He named drops it. You're my father, Nebuchadnezzar. He drops that name all the time.

And so Daniel says, all right, let's go to school. Let's talk about Nebuchadnezzar. And he teaches

Belshazzar what Belshazzar should have known, in fact, did know and failed to learn.

Verse 18, O king, the most high God gave, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father.

Wasn't Marduk? Wasn't Marduk? No. The most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, honor, glory and honor.

And because of the majesty that he gave him, because of the majesty that the most high

God gave to Nebuchadnezzar, because of that, all peoples, nations and languages trembled and feared before him.

Footnote here, Jeremiah 25. Whomever he wished, he executed.

Whomever he wished, he kept alive. Whomever he wished, he set up. Whomever he wished, he put down. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened in pride,

Daniel chapter 4, he was deposed from his kingly throne and they took his glory from him.

Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys.

Daniel is quoting or paraphrasing the royal edict that Nebuchadnezzar himself had issued.

These are basically the same words that Nebuchadnezzar had said in his most famous edict of all time.

How does Belshazzar not know this? Verse 21.

Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the most high

God rules in the kingdom of men and appoints over whomever he chooses. You talk about Nebuchadnezzar a lot,

Belshazzar. But here is the truth about Nebuchadnezzar. It was the most high

God that lifted him up. It was the most high God who brought him down. It was the most high

God who gave him the authority. It was the most high God who gave him the glory. And because he didn't learn that lesson,

God humbled him. But then he did learn that lesson and he declared it to everybody. This is the truth about Nebuchadnezzar.

So Daniel schools Belshazzar in the lessons that his father had learned the hard way. The lessons so obviously absent from Belshazzar's life.

As God had interrupted the fool Nebuchadnezzar, so he has interrupted the fool Belshazzar. God's word exposes the folly of fools and instructs man in those truths that he has ignored and suppressed.

Psalm 10 verse 4 tells us,

The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek

God. God is in none of his thoughts. Oh no, what do we do?

What do we do? What about the wicked who don't think about God? How do we broach the subject?

Well, we do not tell them that God is their biggest fan.

You've got to be interested in God. He's got a crush on you. No, we bring the word of God to bear upon their lives.

Belshazzar is a pagan king with all authority. His world has been made for him. He's got everything he ever wants.

And he is a dedicated pagan. He is deadly dedicated to Marduk because the political winds told him to be.

He's at the top of his game. He's got everything he's ever wanted. More wine and more sycophants than he could ever shake a fist at.

And doesn't think about God. Doesn't have any loyalty or any reference to the

Bible at all. Any kind of scripture, any revelation from the one true God. He is as pagan as pagan can be.

And Daniel doesn't skip a beat but then begin to preach God's word to Belshazzar.

He doesn't warm him up for six months before he broaches the subject that there's a Bible out there. Or there's a holy

God out there. He just starts right in. The word of the

Lord is not to be ecclesiasticized. Meaning the

Bible is not just for the church. The Bible is not to be restricted to Christians.

The Bible should not be kept tame and contained within the worship life of the church.

The word of the Lord is for scornful men. Look here.

Scornful men are called to hear and heed the word of the Lord. Jesus said to his disciples that the nations were to be taught everything that he had commanded.

The nations are to be discipled to be instructed according to the authority of Jesus Christ. Why? Because heaven is his throne and earth is his footstool.

What? You may ask. Even those who have clearly stated their preference to be distant from God and his word.

Yes. Yes. Well, I'm a

Muslim. Or I'm a Jew. Or I'm a Buddhist. And you have your stuff and I have mine.

I don't really relate to that. The word of God is for them too. What else do you have to say?

Even those who have made a covenant with death. Those who convocate with the grave. Those who ignore their coming destruction.

Those who make lies their refuge and hide themselves under the veils of falsehood. The word of the

Lord is for such as these. And are we not all in the very same state?

Lest the grace of God pierce our iron curtains. The word of the

Lord is for Belshazzar. It is for Balaam. It is for Nineveh.

It is for Rome. It is for the uttermost parts of the earth. It is for you. And it is for me.

For the whole earth is under the authority of Christ. And to be instructed according to his word.

This is the way things are. And this is the way things are to be. The word of God is instructive.

And it is indicting. Verses 22 and 23. Indicting. Verses 22 and 23.

But you his son Belshazzar have not humbled your heart. Although you knew all this.

And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of his house before you.

And you and your lords and your wives and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold.

Bronze and iron. Wood and stone. Which do not see or hear or know. And the

God who holds your breath in his hand and owns all your ways. You have not glorified.

Daniel still delays the translation and interpretation of the text on the wall. There is still yet something else that needs to be said.

Otherwise that message on the wall is not going to make any sense. Belshazzar must first be called to account for all of his sins.

He has not confessed his sins. He has not humbled himself as his father had. Saying the same words about himself as God says.

Now notice what direction these humbling words are coming. They should have been coming from his own mouth.

Yes, from his very own heart. Declaring his sins before God. But because he won't say them.

Because he won't confess his sins humbly seeking forgiveness. These words do not come from him.

But at him. From God's messenger. And these aren't humbling words because he's not repentant.

These words are shaming words. These are the facts. You are the creature of the most high

God. And here's what you've done against him. For all his claims to be

Nebuchadnezzar's son. Belshazzar did not walk in his father's footsteps of repentance. He knew all the information.

He had the truth. But he had suppressed it. What a grace that Nebuchadnezzar's conversion had come late in his reigns.

That Belshazzar would have been alive. To have witnessed the seven years of misery and insanity.

That Nebuchadnezzar had suffered. And witnessed his miraculous restoration to the throne.

Heard his mighty edict about the most high God. Belshazzar knew all that information.

He had the truth. He had learned this in the days of his youth. Before the difficult days had come.

But rather than learn from his father. Who strongly and loudly and famously advocated for the fear of the

Lord. Belshazzar shook his fist at God. And sinned against God with a high hand. He suppressed the truth.

That those who do the things that he does are deserving of death. And he went even further and gave hearty approval.

To all who joined him in his profanity. Here is Belshazzar made in God's image.

But rather he turned to God's made in man's image. And he took the breath that was given to him by the creator.

And he lavished it on mute, blind, dead idols. The insanity of man is put on display in Belshazzar's ingratitude.

It is put on display in the ingratitude of all mankind. Who live without the saving grace of God.

Now this very same indictment that Daniel brings against Belshazzar.

Although you knew this. That very same indictment

God brings against all mankind. In his word. Romans 121.

Because although they knew God. They did not glorify him as God.

Nor were thankful. And in this ingratitude notice what happens. They became futile in their thoughts.

And their foolish hearts were darkened. Professing to be wise. They became fools.

And changed the glory of the incorruptible God. Into an image made like corruptible man.

And birds and forfeited animals and creeping things. You see even though man has all the right information.

Even though he has a lot of information. Even if it was, you know. It's not like it's completely utterly false.

Maybe there's some right information in the treasure trove of information. But he's got more and more and more information.

Even though a man has all this information. It does not mean that he's going to respond in the right way. And just the mere possession of the information.

Just the mere possession of the knowledge. Does not save him from being a condemned fool.

We need to say that and recognize this in Belshazzar's life. Who had so much information.

He had all of these wise men. All of these Chaldeans who could tell him all sorts of information.

And he had all the information about his father Nebuchadnezzar. He knew all this. He had all the information.

Did that save him? By the mere possession of information? We live in a pagan culture.

One in which Gnosticism very much is the gospel of our day. If you just Gnosticism.

Gnosis. Having the special knowledge. If you just have the special knowledge. Then you will be saved.

If you have special knowledge. Special knowledge you can only get from certain sources.

But if you have the special knowledge. Then you will be saved socially. You will be saved politically.

If you have the special knowledge. You will be saved medically. You will be saved politically.

If you just have the special knowledge. You just need to buy into the special knowledge. And once you have the special knowledge. You will be saved.

That's Gnosticism. Gnosticism is most abundant in our culture in two forms.

Wokeness. And red pill. Just because you have a bunch of knowledge about critical race theory.

Intersectionality. Social justice and so on. Does that mean that you're saved now that you have all that information?

No. And if you're red pilled. If you see all the conspiracies. And you see how it all is being worked together.

For the higher ups. Who are planning on ruining everything.

And killing as many people as they can. And so on. And it's all disaster. And right on the edge of the great conspiracy taking form.

Does that save you? Does that save you if you took the red pill? And drink deeply of it?

No it doesn't. Do you know what's the same about both of these? Beyond the fact that I just need more and more information.

And more and more knowledge. Both of them are as pagan as pagan can be.

And you know how you know that? Both of them end in despair. Despair is the religion of paganism.

And this Gnosticism does not save. The woke are despairing.

Oh we can never fix it. Injustice forever. We're all doomed. The red pilled are in despair.

Oh there's nothing we can do to fix it. There's no way we can stop the conspiracy. We're all doomed. That is paganism.

That is not Christianity. That is not the hope of the gospel. A man can only be saved by Jesus Christ.

And God laughs at those who rage against him. And in Psalm 2 verses 10 through 12.

Now therefore be wise oh kings. Be instructed you judges of the earth. Serve the

Lord with fear. Fear the Lord. Don't fear man. Don't fear death. Fear the Lord. And rejoice with trembling.

If we don't know what that means let's learn. Rejoice with trembling.

Kiss the Son. Kiss his ring. Bow at his feet. Honor him as Lord of Lords and King of Kings.

Kiss the Son. Lest he be angry and you perish in the way. He's the one you should fear. When his wrath is kindled but a little.

Blessed. Happy. Rejoicing. Blessed are all those who put their trust in him.

That's the gospel. That's the hope. So the word of God indicts us.

Instructs us. It's independent from us. And it illuminates our situation. We finally come to the writing on the wall.

And we see that in verses 24 through 31. And the fingers of the hand were sent from him.

And this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written. Mene, Mene, Tekalufarsin. This is the interpretation of each word.

Mene. God has numbered your kingdom and finished it. Tekel. You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting.

Perez. Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians. Then Belshazzar gave the command.

And they clothed Daniel with purple. And put a chain of gold around his neck. And made a proclamation concerning him. That he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

That very night, Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the

Mede received the kingdom of being about 62 years old. Daniel clarifies after saying, now about your father.

Who had a face plant before the most high

God. It was the most high God who put your father in charge. And put him down and brought him back up. This is the same most high

God who has written these words on the wall. Now that you know where the source is. Now let's talk about what it means.

Mene. Mene. It's repeated. The word means to number. And since it's repeated, then to finish the numbering.

To complete the accounting. You finish the accounting. Finish working out all the sums and the books are complete.

God has numbered the kingdom of Babylon. And now it's at an end. We're done. He had said back in Jeremiah 25, it would be 70 years.

And so it was. 70 years from the day that Babylon conquered Assyria and became the world power.

To the day that it fell. Tekel means to weigh. Means to place upon the scales and make an assessment.

So Belshazzar and his kingdom are placed upon God's scales, not man's scales. God's scales where there is no opportunity for counterfeiting.

And Belshazzar came up light. He'd been embezzling glory.

So he's in trouble. Upharsin. Which you see the P and the R and the S.

And you see the same thing. The P, the R, the S in Perez. The vowel pointings are different from one to the other.

Same word. Means to divide. Means to divide. To separate into proper portions.

So since Belshazzar's kingdom is done. And it's been found lacking, counterfeit.

He's guilty of embezzlement. Now it's time for a division. It's going to be divided to who? The Medes and the

Persians. The Medes and the Persians. As we said last week, unbeknownst to Belshazzar and the

Queen and the Lords and so on and so forth. The Medes, the armies of the

Medes and Persians had redirected the flow of the Euphrates that went through Babylon. And they redirected the flow of the

Euphrates so that the water level going through the gates, the water gates of Babylon had begun to lower and lower and lower.

To the point where the soldiers could now wade in the river and walk underneath the gates and into the city full of drunken, prideful people.

That very night. That very night, Belshazzar was slain. He didn't believe a word that Daniel told him.

He didn't believe a word that Daniel told him because he said, well, thank you very much for the interpretation. Here is your gold chain and here is your purple robe and we'll get you set up in your corner office later on this week.

Remember that the Chaldeans received the dreams or the visions or the interpretations as things that they could manipulate and control and turn back and change.

So he thought he had time. He didn't have time. It was done. It was over.

He didn't believe it. In the light of scripture, we see things for what they really are.

Look at these kingly delicacies. They did not last a single watch in the night.

The gold chain, the purple robe, the third command. They didn't last a watch in the night.

Babylon is like blockbuster. It failed and all the rewards programs went with it.

It's done. We are rather to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.

His rewards last forever. And his official declarations are eternal. They are not limited to the sigh of man's authority.

The might and passing of nations, the historical registry of bankrupt empires serve in no way as our standard.

If Nazi Germany had succeeded brilliantly and stood as the undisputed power of the world, that would not make it the standard.

That would not make it righteous. That would not make it correct. So also with our nation.

God declares the standard by his word through his mediator.

The passing of kingdoms brings us back to this interpretation of the vision in Daniel 2. Remember in Daniel 2, one kingdom after another?

Well, here is the first transition from the golden head to the silver chest and arms, the

Medes and the Persians. The kingdoms of men are transitory. They are not permanent. The kingdoms of men are put in their proper perspective, you see, in the light of Scripture.

How did Daniel respond when he saw the course of the world history in orbit around Christ? When he went to go pray and say,

God, please tell me, show me the vision that Nebuchadnezzar had. Show it to me and explain it to me.

Oh, God, help me. And when he saw that the entire history of the world is in orbit around God's Messiah, this was his response.

Daniel 2, verse 20. Daniel answered and said, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever.

For wisdom and might are his. Let us say this when we see the world powers transitioning and being against each other and one falling and one rising.

Let us say with Daniel, Blessed be the name of God forever and ever. For wisdom and might are his.

And he changes the times. Who changes the times? God changes the times and the seasons.

He removes kings and raises up kings. He's the one who does it, not any body politic.

He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding. He reveals deep and secret things.

He knows what's in the darkness, and light dwells with him. And that light is

Jesus Christ, and his hand is written upon the wall. Not only our doom to tell us who we are in the sight of God, but also our salvation.

Our salvation. That we would come to him and know God as our Heavenly Father.

Let's pray. Father, we come before you today. We thank you for the power of your word.

It's clarity. It's truth. The way that you convict us, and you challenge us, and you change us, and you turn us.

All according to your word. We thank you that we are not without a map in the wilderness.

But you have shown us what is going on in the light of Christ. And I pray that you would teach us to trust you.

To fear you. And to give you praise. We pray these things in Jesus' name.

Amen. Would you stand with me for our song of addiction?

One of the themes of Psalms chapter 119 is in the word of God. I think of verses 11, 97, 98, verse 105, different ones.

The importance of the word of God. So, our song tonight is out of our

Psalms for worship hymnal. Page 119L. Evermore, O Lord.

Here we go. Evermore, O Lord.

In heaven ever stands.

You are faithful through all ages. A stand firm set by your hands.

All things stand as you determine. Doing all that you decide.

If your law had not enthroned me. In distress

I would have died. I will not forget your precepts.

You have been my life renewed. I belong to you.

O save me. I have sought your precepts true.

Though the wicked plot to kill me. All your words

I meditate. I seem bound to all perfection.

Your common man's breath is great. May the love of the

Father and the grace of the Son and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with us all. We are dismissed.