Daniel 5

The Writing on the Wall

Daniel 5 confronts us with a sobering picture of pride, warning, and judgment. This sermon unfolds in three movements. First, the insult, as King Belshazzar openly defies God by using the sacred vessels from the temple to praise lifeless idols, revealing a heart that refuses to honor the God who gives him breath. Second, generational sin, as Daniel reminds the king that he knew the story of Nebuchadnezzar’s humbling and restoration yet repeated the same pride, showing how knowledge alone does not save and how unaddressed sin can pass from one generation to the next. Third, the end, as the mysterious writing declares that God has numbered the king’s days, weighed him in the balance, and found him wanting. The fall of Babylon that very night reminds us that earthly power is fragile and that every life will one day be weighed. The passage urges us to seek humility before God now, to learn from the warnings placed before us, and to rest not in our own worth but in the mercy of the One who alone is truly righteous.