Seven Important Lessons From The Writing On The Wall

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.

King Belshazzar had a big party for his officials. As the party went on and they got drunk, the king did something to directly confront the God of heaven. The king ordered that temple utensils from Jerusalem should be brought to him. These were utensils that were holy to the God of heaven who is the God of Israel. These utensils were supposed to be used only in the temple for worship purposes.

When the utensils made of golden cups were brought, the king and his guests went ahead to use them to drink the beverages served at the party. Drinking from those cups was sacrilege. This was a terrible confrontation with a holy God.

As if that was not bad enough, the offenders went ahead to start praising other gods. They praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone. They are using utensils belonging to the almighty God of heaven but they are praising man-made gods? They had gone too far and now the good God of heaven sent a hand to write an executive judgment on the wall.

What warnings do we take from this story? How can we apply this story to our lives today? What lessons do we learn from the writing on the wall story?

The first lesson is that you are responsible for what you do while drunk. King Belshazzar made a decision while drunk, Daniel 5:2. Drunkards may be excused by the laws of the land for making mistakes under the influence of alcohol. When one is under the influence of alcohol or whatever else, they are excused since it is thought they were not themselves. However, the God of heaven will hold you responsible for what you do under the influence of alcohol or whatever else.

Secondly, we learn that God is very patient with us. God bears with our stupidity and doesn’t strike us dead instantly. God saw that the king ordered for the golden cups from His temple but He patiently watched. God saw them drinking and He didn’t kill them instantly. God only acted when they started praising other gods. God is indeed patient!

Thirdly, we learn that God’s silence doesn’t mean He is weak. The fact that God hasn’t killed you for the wrong things you do, doesn’t mean He can’t or even that He won’t. We must fear God even if He seems silent. It is safe and it is wise. Do not persist in sin simply because God is silent.

Fourthly, we learn that God’s silence doesn’t mean we are right. God was silent as the king ordered the golden cups. God was silent when they decided to drink from those cups. All that time they were wrong but God was silent. We really need to examine ourselves so that we do not misinterpret God’s silence for approval of the wrong things we do. You are still wrong even when God is silent.

The fifth lesson is that God will break His silence. God may silently observe sinners advancing deeper into sin, but He won’t be silent forever. God broke His silence by sending a hand to write on the wall. God will break His silence over the sins in this world. God will break His silence over the evil satan has meted upon this world. God will break His silence over the injustice going on in this world. God will break His silence and deal with perpetrators and comfort the victims. God will break His silence and grant us the answers to our deepest prayers.

Amplified Bible
Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing opposite the lampstand on [a well-lit area of] the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that did the writing.

Good News Translation
Suddenly a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster wall of the palace, where the light from the lamps was shining most brightly. And the king saw the hand as it was writing.

New Living Translation
Suddenly, they saw the fingers of a human hand writing on the plaster wall of the king’s palace, near the lampstand. The king himself saw the hand as it wrote,

The sixth lesson is that when God writes on the wall, He makes sure you can see it. God writes where you can’t miss it. God writes and the whole world reads. When God has a message for you, you will get it in the clearest way and you won’t doubt that this is from God. God strives to make Himself clear and prominent in a way you can’t miss His message. We too should be so clear and loving!

The seventh lesson is that one day it will be forever too late to do the right thing. The good you have postponed doing, will one day be undoable. When Judgment was read, Belshazzar was told he will die that same night. It was too late for him and indeed he died.

Dear God may these lessons abide with us in our hearts. May we apply these lessons in our day-to-day life, in Jesus’ name, Amen!

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