Daniel 5:17-31

At the bar of God.

"The God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified" ( Daniel 5:23 ). In this tremendous scene Daniel may be regarded as counsel for the crown—for the everlasting crown, for the throne of eternal righteousness, against the unhappy prisoner placed by these awful events at the bar. As such he is the representative of all earnest preachers of righteousness. He was marked by zeal for the right of the crown; fidelity to the position; sympathy for the arraigned; fearlessness ; and absolute disinterestedness (verse 17, Any honours given and received might have been recognized by any new king). All these should make every one that pleads with man or against man (ultimately to win the man to the right side) for God.

I. THE INDICTMENT . In order to make forcible modern applications, it will be better to formulate the indictment in the most general way. Belshazzar's particular sins may not be just ours; but he and we both commit sins that fall under like categories.

1 . Infidelity to accorded revelations. (Verse 22.)

2 . Substituting shadows for God. (Verse 23.) In the king's ease there had been inflation of himself against God; sacrilege; indecency; drunkenness; prostration before idols, which are "nothing in the world." The inflations, profanities, improprieties, sensualisms, and idolatries of the nineteenth century differ in form, but are quite as real as those of Belshazzar.

3 . Failure in man ' s prime duty ; viz. to glorify God.

II. THE AGGRAVATIONS OF GUILT . The king's guilt had been aggravated by what he had been permitted to see of the way of the Divine mercy and of the Divine judgment.

1 . The vision of the Divine goodness , in his grandfather ' s prosperity. (Verses 18, 19.)

2 . The vision of sin , in his grandfather ' s misuse of position. (Verse 20.)

3 . The vision of judgment , in his grandfather ' s punishment. (Verse 21.)

4 . The vision of mercy , in his grandfather ' s restoration. (Verse 21.) Note:

III. THE ABSENCE OF DEFENCE . The sinner dumb at the eternal bar. No defence possible. Judgment goes by default. There is no counsel for defence; for there is no defence. Sentence must pass. The only thing that can be done, can be done them , viz. show ground for free pardon. This the atoning Saviour undertakes. But—

IV. THE JUDGMENT OF THE COURT . Of the supreme court—the court of heaven—the judgment of God against the sinner; in this case written with the very finger of God—the same finger which traced ages before "the Law of the ten words." In the "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin," read these permanent truths:

1 . The day of probation is limited. "Numbered!" and numbered to the end!

2 . The character of the probationer is exactly estimated. "Weighed!" Yes, and found light. "God does as perfectly know a man's true character as the goldsmith knows the weight of that which he has weighed in the nicest scales." Note the moral import of phrases like this: "a man of weight and character; …. a light and frivolous man."

3 . Deprivation of endowment is the punishment of infidelity to trust. "Divided!" Given away (see parable of the talents).

V. EXECUTION . It was:

1 . Swift upon the climax of a life of sin. "In that night."

2 . Sure. By an agent long prepared ( Isaiah 45:1-6 ).

3 . Sudden. Utterly unexpected.

VI. A GLEAM OF HOPE . The king died sober: did he die penitent .? The way in which he received the awful words of Daniel look very like it (verse 29). A star of hope shines above the dark cloud in the horizon.—R.

HOMILIES BY J.D. DAVIES