7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters [Pt. 6: Belshazzar]

WARNING: This part of our series, “7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters,” is probably going to be the most “heart-cutting” of all that we’ve studied over since the beginning of this series. I understand if some of you may feel insulted by what has been written in this particular post, but as a missionary blogger, I’m charged by God with these words from the book of Isaiah:

Cry aloud, spare not;
Lift up your voice like a trumpet;
Tell My people their transgression,
And the house of Jacob their sins.

(Isaiah 58:1)

As I see the events of the last days rapidly coming upon our world, God has laid a burden on my heart to discuss some core issues that need to be discussed–especially among the Christian youth of this generation. So, with simple and deep sincerity, I desire to speak “the truth in love,” that you, dear reader, “may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

It’s my hope, prayer, and desire that the Holy Spirit will open up our eyes to see the need to stand up and get ready for the soon return of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. And I pray that this post in particular will help open our eyes to see that the time to stand up and get ready is NOW.
Amen! Maranatha!

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We’re now on part 6 of our 7-part series on finding beautiful spiritual lessons from the lives of various Bible “villains.” Can you guys believe that we’re on part 6 now? It felt like only yesterday when we just started this series! Wow, time flies!

Anyway, for part 6, the Bible character we’re going to study into today isn’t exactly a Bible VILLAIN like the others we’ve been looking at like Haman, Jezebel, and Pharaoh. However, his life does have lessons that, I believe, are CRUCIAL for our spiritual well-being as modern day Christians.

So, let’s kick off our second-to-last study on the flaw-filled life of

BELSHAZZAR!

Who Was Belshazzar?

According to the Study Notes Section of my Andrews Study Bible, Belshazzar ruled the kingdom of Babylon along with his father, Nabonidus. My favorite writer, Ellen White, wrote in her book Prophets and Kings that Belshazzar was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar (see pg 522). And if you know of the story of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel chapter 4, Nebuchadnezzar was greatly humbled by God in a rather extreme way (if you’re not familiar with the story, just read Daniel 4:28-36).

Unfortunately, Belshazzar didn’t learn from his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar’s mistake. And as we progress through the 3 lessons from Belshazzar’s life below, let’s make sure that we OURSELVES learn from his own mistakes.

1. Belshazzar Got Drunk

In the very beginning of Daniel chapter 5, we’re immediately introduced to Belshazzar’s first flaw-filled mistake:

Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand.

(Daniel 5:1)

Ellen White, in the same book that I mentioned–Prophets and Kings–gives us a much broader insight into Belshazzar’s feast:

In his pride and arrogancy, with a reckless feeling of security Belshazzar “made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.” All the attractions that wealth and power could command, added splendor to the scene. Beautiful women with their enchantments were among the guests in attendance at the royal banquet. Men of genius and education were there. Princes and statesmen drank wine like water and reveled under its maddening influence.

~Prophets and kings page 523~

As the story progresses, God interrupts the revelrous feast in verse 5 by writing words of judgement on the palace wall.

They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.

(Daniel 5:4-6)

For Belshazzar, he got so drunk with wine he didn’t realize (nor even CARED to realize) that judgement was soon to come upon him and his kingdom through the invading armies of Medo-Persia.

How does this apply to us?

Before I give you the personal application, I wanna direct your attention to verses 2-3:

While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. 3 Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them.

(Daniel 5:2-3)

Listen to the insight Ellen White gives concerning the above verses:

With reason dethroned through shameless intoxication, and with lower impulses and passions now in the ascendancy, the king himself took the lead in the riotous orgy. As the feast progressed, he “commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which … Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.” The king would prove that nothing was too sacred for his hands to handle.

~Prophets and kings page 523~

So, again, how does this all apply to us as Christians and our modern lives?

Carousing Christians

It’s likely that most of us don’t drink wine like Belshazzar and get all crazy drunk. However, how many of us as Seventh-Day Adventist Christian teens allow ourselves to become DRUNK with worldly cares?

How many of us become DRUNK with academic ambition or occupational ambition, that we end up spending more time studying and working to the point where we have no time to study God’s Word and work for Him?

How many of us allow ourselves to become DRUNK with media and entertainment?

How many of us allow ourselves to become DRUNK with ungodly friendships and/or relationships?

How many of us, like Belshazzar, allow our hearts and minds to become so GREATLY INTOXICATED with the trends, wants, and cares of this world that we CAN NOT discern that the time of judgement is KNOCKING?

How many of us are SO DRUNK that–like Belshazzar in Daniel 5:3–we become CARELESS toward the sacred vessels of God’s truth?

Dear friend, are you drunk?

I mean, Christ Himself warned us as His followers to not allow the drunkenness of worldly care to seep into our hearts and minds:

But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly.

(Luke 21:34)

2. Belshazzar Didn’t Call For The Chief

Okay, now for this second lesson there’s gonna be some Bible verse bouncing.

In verse 7 of Daniel 5, we read:

The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.”

(Daniel 5:7)

Now, let’s jump to verse 8:

Now all the king’s wise men came, but they could not read the writing, or make known to the king its interpretation.

(Daniel 5:8)

Now, we’re gonna body-slam onto verse 10, along with verse 11:

The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came to the banquet hall. The queen spoke, saying, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts trouble you, nor let your countenance change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God. And in the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him; and King Nebuchadnezzar your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers.

(Daniel 5:10-11)

Just in case you’ve gotten dizzy from all that Bible verse bouncing, but not drunk hopefully, let me give you a basic summary of what we’ve just read.

So, Belshazzar is so shocked with terror over what’s been written on the wall he gets all of his “wise men” to come and try to interpret the writing on the palace wall. But they couldn’t figure what it said. However, the queen (most likely Belshazzar’s grandma) tells him about Daniel, his ability to interpret divinely supernatural things, and that–don’t miss this–Daniel is the CHIEF of all the wise men.

Now, let’s pause here.

Here’s Belshazzar, terrified over what’s just been written on the wall, he calls EVERY WISE MAN he could think of…..EXCEPT THE CHIEF?!?

Now, how does Belshazzar’s pathetic mistake apply to us?

Forgetting The Best

In Isaiah 30, we read the core application of this second lesson from Belshazzar:

“Woe to the rebellious children,” says the Lord,
“Who take counsel, but not of Me,
And who devise plans, but not of My Spirit,
That they may add sin to sin;
Who walk to go down to Egypt,
And have not asked My advice….

(Isaiah 30:1-2)

God is the CHIEFEST among all the ten thousand wise advisers and counselors we could ever look to and go to in this world.

I mean, God tells us this in Psalm 32:

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;
I will guide you with My eye.

(Psalm 32:8)

God is the CHIEF of all wise advice and counsel. Don’t copy Belshazzar and forget to ask the Chief for wisdom, counsel, guidance, and advice when facing a problem.

I honestly just love how Ellen White put it in her book, Christ’s Object Lessons:

Whatever may be our situation, we have a Guide to direct our way; whatever our perplexities, we have a sure Counselor; whatever our sorrow, bereavement, or loneliness, we have a sympathizing Friend.

~Christ’s Object Lessons page 173~

3. Belshazzar Only Had Head Knowledge

Remember in the beginning of this post, I mentioned that Belshazzar didn’t learn from the mistake of his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar?

Well, in this third and final lesson, we’re going to delve deeper into that.

Before interpreting the writing on the wall, Daniel tells Belshazzar how his grandfather learned a humiliating lesson from God on how horrid pride is. But, he didn’t learn from his grandfather’s mistake!

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

(Daniel 5:22)

Belshazzar KNEW what happened to his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar! But he didn’t take the personal application of his grandfather’s mistake to HIS HEART!

To Belshazzar, it was all just head knowledge!

But what about us?

Do we personally apply the lessons we learn from the Bible, from church, from others’ mistakes, from our own mistakes, and from the experiences of others as just mere head knowledge?

Or, do we allow them to go down to our hearts?

Are the deep spiritual and moral truths we’re gathering day by day, week by week, touching our hearts–or are they just touching our heads?

An Appeal & A Prayer

Dear reader, if you feel convicted by the Holy Spirit that you’ve been copying one, or two, or all three of Belshazzar’s mistakes, I wanna appeal to you to just pray:

Amen! Maranatha!

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Stay tuned for part 7 of this series on “7 Good Lessons From 7 Bad Bible Characters,” where we’ll explore several lessons from a Surprise Bible Character!
{***UPDATE: You can now view Part 7 by clicking HERE***}