This post is Day 14 in a series of studies about “Suddenly”. I strongly suggest you begin with the introduction to this study, please click here to read it.

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Suddenly – Day 14

Eventually Daniel, a faithful servant of the Most High God, was called to translate the words that the finger of God wrote on the wall! Those words did not please king Belshazzar. But he honoured his promise of gifts for Daniel, not knowing that he would die that same night!

Daniel 5:5

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote.

The Thought

We imagine that King Nebuchadnezzar had died, although we have no record of that in our Bibles. But there are references to him in other parts of this chapter (verses 11, 13, 18).

The new king, Belshazzar was holding a feast with many guests. But his pride led him to “overstep the mark”! He used the temple treasures that his predecessor had taken from Jerusalem. Items that had been dedicated for use in The Temple. These were holy things!

Suddenly God intervened in a surprising way with an event that is unknowingly referred to in many parts of the world today. When things, good or bad, that we have been expecting, become evident I have often heard people say “I saw the writing on the wall”! Meaning that that that person had foreseen what was coming. Most have no idea where that expression originates!

Eventually Daniel, a faithful servant of the Most High God, was called to translate the words that the finger of God wrote on the wall! Those words did not please king Belshazzar. But he honoured his promise of gifts for Daniel, not knowing that he would die that same night!

As many other Biblical prophets did, Daniel had come and spoken God’s truth into this situation.

Action

Think about what you hear prophets saying today. Are they just saying good things or are they telling the truth about what is happening in our world?

There is much to fear in many parts of our world, and it is good to remind ourselves that God sees it all and is speaking to us still through modern day prophets.

Read Daniel 5 and imagine yourself present at that feast with this rebellious Babylonian king who came to a quick end.

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