Testimonies

“TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.” (Daniel 5:27)

That first word in this Scripture verse means weighed, a way of saying you’ve been considered carefully. God had considered King Belshazzar’s actions. In this incident, King Belshazzar had a feast for all his friends but used the gold and silver vessels that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem. These vessels were sanctified or set apart for use in God’s temple. But in this feast, the king and his friends were drinking from sanctified vessels and praising gods that were made of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and of stone (Daniel 5:1-4) King Belshazzar was tempting God and He let him know. “In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” (Daniel 5:5-6)

The king was found wanting, in other words deficient and imperfect. After the king called all the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers who couldn’t interpret the words the hand had written on the wall, the queen suggested that Daniel be called. (Daniel 5:11,12) The king offered Daniel scarlet clothes, a gold chain and a position as third ruler in the kingdom. But Daniel did not want those things. He tells the king all that God reveals to him and gives God all the glory for the interpretation. “Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: 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 ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.” (Daniel 5:17-24)

There was no excuse for King Belshazzar. He knew about the One True God because of what happened to his father Nebuchadnezzar, yet he had not acknowledged Him. And Daniel gives him the interpretation. “And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it. TEKEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. PERES; Thy kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.” (Daniel 5:25-28)

What is the Lord saying to us in these Scriptures? Our testimonies and the testimonies of others should be very important to us. They remind us of what God has done and what He can and will do. God is not a respecter of persons. What He did for one brother, He will do for another. The Lord showed Peter that His mercy, salvation and the gift of the Holy Spirit was also for the Gentiles. “Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons:” (Acts 10:34). God blesses those who love Him. And God expects us to be a blessing to others including our enemies. “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;” (Mattherw 5:44) God made Abraham promises, but also told him, he would be a blessing to the nations, those who didn’t know God. “And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:” (Genesis 12:2) So God not only blesses us, but blesses those who are separated from Him through us.

In summary, testimonies are important in reminding us of God’s Goodness and His faithfulness. Unfortunately, King Belshazzar didn’t remember his father’s testimony. When we are in crisis, we can remember how God helped us or others. We can be assured that the Lord will help us because He is faithful and not a respecter of persons.