But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.”
Ruth 3:18
Dear HBIC Family,
The story of Daniel is perhaps one of the most well studied and, perhaps still, one of the most confounding narratives in all of Scripture. Some read these stories as the history of God’s people Israel and local empires of Babylon, Medes, and then Persia. Some read the book as apocalyptic, prophesying the end of the world and very tied into the Book of Revelation. Yet all in all, each reading renders God showing up on the side of Israel, and working for their good even amidst some deep darkness.
In Daniel 5, we get one of the most famous stories in the book. There’s a great banquet hosted by a king, a surprise guest with a message out of thin air, confusion among elite nobles and “prophets”, a queen’s bold proclamation, an unearthing of the true prophet Daniel, and finally…interpretation and then implementation of the message. The story even lives in popular culture today, with an idiom (“the writing on the wall”) that suggests some doom or misfortune is on the way.
As we have walked through our God at Midnight series, we have seen midnight come due to disobedience and hardened hearts, people taking consistent steps in the wrong direction, and enemies that come at weakest points. We have seen midnight come in the great unknown. Some of these themes show up in Daniel 5 at Belshazzar’s feast. However, the overwhelming lesson seems to be that even in the darkest midnight of oppression, God shows up in power to save and redeem.
As you prepare for this week’s service, I would like to invite you to read and meditate on Daniel 5. As you reflect, I would like to ask you to focus on the following questions:
In what ways are you like Belshazzar, ignoring God to celebrate things of this world?
Where has God surprisingly shown up in your life most recently?
Are there any ways that God is calling you to boldly speak or act for the sake of the kingdom?
What is one thing you learn about faith in this chapter?
Why do you think God has asked this story to be passed on to future generations?
I love that Daniel’s story is about faithfulness. There is war and strife, oppression, subjugation, and plenty of opportunities to turn from God throughout his life, yet Daniel remains faithful. His faithfulness has been shared for generations. Although we sometimes get caught up in the miracles or oracles of Daniel, his story is really about a life of faithfulness and always trusting and putting his faith and fate in God.
Sisters and brothers, I pray that this is the same for us. I hope that with every breath, each day, and all the time, we are being faithful to God as God is faithful to us. May the Lord our God bless you and keep you, may the Spirit always live inside of you, and may Jesus continue to be your light. God bless you all!
Love in Christ,
Pastor Hank (Daniel 5:20-21)