The Fall of the Fool
- Randall Brewer
- Mar 31
- 9 min read
‘Suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand came out and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand that did the writing. Then the splendor of the king’s face changed, and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack, and his knees were knocking against each other.’
- Daniel 5:5-6 -
When we come to Daniel 5, Nebuchadnezzar’s reign has ended after 43 prolific years. The new king is Belshazzar, Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson by his daughter, Nitocris. He was the last king of Babylon and only reigned a short time in the life of Daniel. Some commentators put this chapter more than 20 years after the close of Daniel 4. That may well be the case, as Belshazzar didn’t know Daniel personally. He was an evil king who we meet giving a drunken banquet for a thousand nobles. His pagan mindset said: “Let us eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we will die” (Luke 22:19). But for Belshazzar it would not be tomorrow.....it would that very day.
Daniel 5 is like seeing a catastrophic tsunami coming and being helpless to stop it. Sin would cost Belshazzar his life and his kingdom. While he was drinking wine, he gave orders to bring in gold and silver vessels stolen by Nebuchadnezzar from the Jerusalem temple. The holy vessels were brought in ‘that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them’ (Dan. 5:2). The one true God was being mocked. ‘As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone’ (5:4). The king was proof that when wine rules us, we act the fool. As Isaiah said: ‘Woe to those who rise early in the morning that they may pursue strong drink, who stay up late in the evening that wine may inflame them’ (5:11).
Belshazzar hoped to show the superiority of idols against the Hebrew God. His attempt at mockery would cost him dearly as God is never mocked (Gal. 6:7). When you praise gods of your own making, you abandon accountability and give yourself over to passing pleasures. This feast of wickedness and blasphemy revealed the gross sins of Babylon. Philippians 3:19 says idolaters ‘are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on the earth.’ Doom awaits them. Their god has possessed them and made them mute. Their boast is in their shameful lifestyles and their minds are in the dirt.
Belshazzar was about to have the surprise of his life. God is a patient, but He has holy limits. As James warns: ‘The Judge is standing at the door’ (5:9). Solomon said ‘because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil’ (Eccl. 8:11). In His mercy, God may allow men to continue in sin for a time, but then comes the judgment. Just as Paul said of the last days: ‘While they are saying, “Peace and safety!” their destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape’ (1 Thess. 5:3). With his gross sin of blasphemy, Belshazzar had crossed the line for good.
God is holy. He is repulsed by flagrant sin. Remember Ananias and Sapphira who lied to the Holy Spirit in front of the first church to seem more spiritual than they were. Their hearts were not right. God judged their sin by striking them dead and ‘great fear seized the whole church’ (Acts 5:11). God would have His church pure. Just because we now live under the mercy seat of Christ, doesn’t mean we should forget to fear God. Much like C.S. Lewis said of the great lion Aslan: God is good, but he certainly isn’t safe.
Suddenly, in the midst of this debauchery, ‘the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace’ (Dan. 5:5). God can and does communicate in unexpected and shocking ways. Here, a disembodied hand mysteriously appeared and began to write. ‘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’ (5:6). His color fled. He was pale with fright. How quickly did his swagger wilt in the presence of God. Matthew Henry said: “God’s written word is enough to put the proudest, boldest sinner in fright. In a moment God can make the heart of the stoutest sinner to tremble.”
This indulgent feast was suddenly one of gloom and panic. Belshazzar was scared out of his mind, so he summoned astrologers and soothsayers to read the writing on the wall and give its interpretation. They failed on both counts, which inspired the king to promise a great reward to anyone who could. Sinners panic in desperate times and search out men of God. Stay full of the spirit of excellence and God will use you. As the king was quaking, the queen remembered Daniel’s past feats and said: “There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the Spirit of the Holy God” (Dan. 5:11).
This was pagan testimony to Daniel’s excellent spirit and even more excellent God. She went on: “In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, were found in him” (Dan. 5:11). Even unbelievers recognize superior wisdom. As beacons of light in a dark world, we are told to lean on God’s wisdom. God encouraged the prophet Ezekiel, saying: “I am sending you to them who are impudent and stubborn children, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God.’ As for them, whether they listen or not – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet has been among them” (2:4-5). There is no higher wisdom than God’s. All we are called to do is deliver it.
In the midst of immoral darkness shone a man of excellence; a man who feared King Belshazzar little but feared God much. The queen said: “This was because an excellent spirit, knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, solving riddles and explaining enigmas were found in this Daniel” (Dan. 5:12). See how she called Daniel by his Jewish name, showing respect for his faith and heritage. His reputation was great even among pagans, just as 1 Peter 2:12 teaches: ‘Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles.’ We are to live honorable lives as we mix with unbelievers, even if they accuse us of being evildoers as Daniel and other true Jews were.
Summoning Daniel was a last resort. With useless advisers, the king was ready to even consult a Jew. Daniel was led before the king who asked: “Are you that Daniel who is one of the exiles from Judah, whom my father the king brought from Judah? I have heard of you, that the Spirit of God is in you, and that light, insight, understanding, and excellent wisdom are found in you” (Dan. 5:13-14). Belshazzar knew about Daniel’s power but he didn’t know Daniel personally, nor did he know his God. For sure, Daniel was ‘a vessel of honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work’ (2 Tim. 2:21). He was just the man for a desperate king to call upon.
Ray Pritchard said: “We never know our influence until a crisis comes. Soon enough life will come tumbling down and the people who have no time for you will turn to you for answers. You may not be invited to every party, but you will get the call when trouble comes. Never underestimate the power of a godly life.” When called, men of excellence should come forth fearlessly, only seeking to be a vessel by which divine wisdom may be shared. Belshazzar told the problem to Daniel; that his wisest men couldn’t decipher the supernatural writing. This was because ‘a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him’ (1 Cor. 2:14).
The king said if Daniel could give an interpretation he would be “clothed in purple and wear a necklace of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom” (Dan. 5:16). Daniel replied: “Keep your gifts for yourself or give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make the interpretation known to him” (5:17). Daniel was focused and assured when he dealt with the miraculous, ‘for God is not a God of confusion but of peace’ (1 Cor. 14:33). In him was a devout, heavenly spirit; a spirit zealous for the glory of God and the good of men. As Dietrich Bonhoeffer said: “To be simple is to fix one’s eye solely on the simple truth of God at a time when all concepts are being turned upside down.”
Daniel’s wisdom from above was pure, peaceable, and gentle (James 3:17). He refused a royal reward as he hated selfish ambition. We too must look to ‘Christ Jesus who made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men’ (Phil. 2:5-7). When we seek simplicity and shake off selfish ambition, we gain a heart to serve the Lord who will use us mightily. Daniel wasn’t interested in temporal rewards from a king who mocked God. One is reminded of Abram refusing gifts from the king of Sodom (Gen. 14:21-24) or Elisha denying Naaman’s payment (2 Kings 5:15-16). God’s men can’t be bought with pleasures of this present evil age, and like Daniel, they won’t be deterred from speaking divine truth.
With God as our audience and Christ as our companion, we have no need to fear. ‘I will also speak of Your testimonies before kings and shall not be ashamed’ (Ps. 119:46). Daniel gave Belshazzar a brief history lesson followed by a prophetic warning. It was short but not sweet. Daniel told the king how the Most High God had given Nebuchadnezzar his kingdom, “but when his heart was lifted up and his spirit became so proud that he behaved arrogantly, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken away from him” (Dan. 5:20). The lesson was this: thanks to pride, Nebuchadnezzar had gone raving mad for seven years and lived like the cattle of the field.
All who forget history are doomed to repeat it. Daniel warned Belshazzar that he was acting like Nebuchadnezzar before him. He said: “But you, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart even though you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven” (Dan. 5:22-23). The king should have known better. All men must honor God according to what revelation they have. Romans 2:5 says: ‘But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.’ God expects us to respond to the light He gives. When we don’t, judgment is the only alternative.
Belshazzar knew about God but in his pride rejected Him. Belshazzar was exposed to the light of Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and exaltation of God, so Daniel charged the king with exalting himself above the Lord, drinking wine from holy vessels and worshipping idols. The final charge was the most severe: “The God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified” (Dan. 5:23). It was time for judgment. ‘Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written. And this is the inscription that was written: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN. This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end’ (5: 24-26). God was saying: “I’ve got your number!”
Spurgeon said: “No man is out of the reach of the arrows of God.” MENE appears twice for emphasis, much like the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream in Genesis 41. Belshazzar had crossed the line and there was no more time for repentance. He was an irresponsible, reckless monarch who had hardened his heart with pride. Daniel’s interpretation went on. ‘TEKEL: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting’ (Dan. 5:27). God had weighed Belshazzar’s life on the scales of justice and he came up short. Hannah prayed in 1 Samuel 2:3: “Boast no more so very proudly. Do not let arrogance come out of your mouth, for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and with Him actions are weighed.” Even Job knew God would one day weigh our thoughts, words, and deeds, saying: “Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, and let God know my integrity” (31:6).
Belshazzar was found wanting, having not fulfilled what God expects of monarchs. He abused his position and didn’t glorify God. Then came: ‘PERES: Your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians’ (Dan. 5:28). Notice Daniel speaks as if it had already happened, God’s judgment is that certain. Sadly, Belshazzar still didn’t repent. He merely honored Daniel by giving him the rewards he originally offered for a true interpretation. He clothed Daniel with a purple robe and gold necklace. He even gave him authority as third ruler in the kingdom (5:29).
Most people aspire to promotion and authority, but worldly rewards are fickle. Daniel held his new position for just a few hours as ‘that very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old’ (Dan. 5:30-31). God’s justice and judgment was sure and swift. Sinners like Belshazzar imagine God will never punish them or, if He does, it will be far off in the distant future. They pretend they have plenty of time to contemplate repentance and get ready to meet the Lord.
What sinners don’t realize is there may come a time when God says: “Time is up. You’ve been weighed and found wanting!” God isn’t obligated to send His Spirit to convict the lost of sin forever. As Hebrews warns: ‘If we continue to persist in deliberate sin after we have known and received the truth, there is not another sacrifice to be made for us’ (10:26). May we all learn from Belshazzar’s dramatic fall and realize ‘it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God’ (10:31). So repent while there is time and pass on the good news of salvation in Jesus Christ to any and all.
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