Good Morning! (Originally posted March 20, 2009. Edited Oct. 15, 2009)
Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords,
and drank wine before the thousand. (Dan 5:1)
In 538 B.C. Belshazzar threw one of the most unusual parties in known history. He was a tag-along on the coat tails of his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar who had died 23 years earlier. A strong, well organized kingdom can coast along several years on its own unless it corrupts from within or is ruled by a nut. Of course, if a competing kingdom is on its way up, an incompetent king may decide to throw a party and pretend everything will be OK in the morning. Alcohol helped him and his high level lords to forget they were about to die.
It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: Lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted. Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts (Pro 31:4-6). And…
Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. (Pro 20:1)
You don't have to be at Belshazzar's party to know how loud it was or how hard the servants had to work to keep the booze coming. It was party time! Time to get drunk! And so they did. It's hard to keep a party smelling good when sour breath is overtaking the perfume and those who can't hold their wine have lost their dignity. But if you're drunk, who cares if …..
I've never enjoyed flying on Sunday night domestic flights. The party people are returning home on the milk run and it usually smells like they've had a great time. The lights of Atlanta and its runway never looked as good as on Sunday night. The most wonderful smell in the whole world was that first breath of fresh air at the door of the plane. It was always like that. I've never seen anyone who was smarter or more interesting in conversation because they were boozed up.
All wine in the Bible is not alcoholic. Sometimes it was a reference to grapes in the wine press, unfermented (Isaiah 16:10) or still in the field. See the book: WINE in the BIBLE by Samuele Bacchiocchi. I eat a lot of red grapes, mostly in the middle of the night. They are very good for you without being soaked in alcohol. All alcohol is toxic to the liver without exception and is best limited to medicinal purposes in extracting the strength of herbs. Several million people concur that alcohol as a beverage is not a good idea. This is reflected in church covenants posted on the walls of churches for over a hundred years. Some specialists are now pointing to the genetic disposition of some children toward alcoholism and only a few drinks will lock them in. Not a good idea for parents to nudge them into alcohol by their well-meaning but misguided example. It often takes the power of God to deliver alcoholics from their prison. Many do not want to be delivered, just another bottle of cheap wine or a bottle of shoe polish.
Daniel was an old man now. He didn't tell us where he was when the party was cranking up, but God had him in the wings until the right time. It wasn't the kind of a feast any man of God would want to attend and the party animals would not want a genuine prophet among them as a wet blanket. Of course there are reverends that can join right in and be one of the clowns, but not the man of God. Historians have written enough about these feasts to let us know that parties and alcohol haven't changed much in 2,500 years. It was sometimes the morality of a barnyard. Got to be real empty to think that's a good time.
While they had lost their minds, Cyrus the Persian and his army were getting ready to run them through with a sword. Days earlier, the army had encircled the city of Babylon. They brought tools with them to re-channel the Euphrates River and dry up the moat. They were about to crash the party. The guards in the 250 guard towers had to know what was going on but were helpless to do anything about it. There's no indication that they gave any warning. Perhaps they thought the Persian army could not penetrate their defenses and never thought they would reroute the river. Actually, God can do anything but fail. He can even help you if you want Him to. He will walk with you if you want Him to. (Psalm 90:1,2 – Hebrews 11:6 - James 4:8)
Memory Verse
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2Ch 7:14)
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