DANIEL 5

BABYLON FALLS

'Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.' Proverbs 16:18.

The wonderful lessons that God had taught to Nebuchadnezzar resulted in his spending the rest of his days worshipping the true God and being a good and merciful king to his people. He died in 561 B.C., and was succeeded by his son Evil-Merodach, who reigned only two years.

1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

Nabonadius, who became king in 555 B.C., shared the royal power with his son, Belshazzar. Nabonadius was away at war and the haughty young king Belshazzar was left to manage the great city of Babylon.

But although Belshazzar knew all about the happenings in the life of Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather, it made no impression on his pride. Defiantly he returned to the worship of idols and all the pagan festivals. Under his foolish rule, mighty Babylon, built at so great an effort by his fathers, was soon to fall.

It may be that Belshazzar, growing up when the kingdom was already conquered, surrounded by luxury, did not have to learn to work hard or to control his self. Maybe he was a spoilt child. Whatever the reason he ended up being known as one of the most foolish kings in history.

In this story we again see the ‘Watcher and the Holy One’ that Nebuchadnezzar trembled before in his dream. But for him there had been a second chance. Belshazzar would have no second chance. Why? Because he KNEW BETTER!

God expects us to learn the lessons of the Bible, history and even what our parents and grandparents have learned in their experience. When Nebuchadnezzar was king he did not know any better than to be just like all the heathen kings, and God gave him lesson after lesson until he got the point.

Belshazzar knew Nebuchadnezzar and he no doubt even told Belshazzar as a child, his stories about the True God and what He had taught him. He knew about the Watcher and Holy One. But he refused to obey God and just wanted to live for parties and fun! It is important to learn the lessons God makes available to us in our childhood and youth. There is not always a second chance.

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