Daniel 5:9

Daniel 5:9 says, Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.  Belshazsar was greatly troubled.  His appearance astonished his lords.  Belshazzar had looked to worldly advisors to interpret God's word, and naturally they failed.  Unless a person has a relationship with God, or asks someone who does for help, they can never understand God's word.  Had Belshazzar recognized that God was the author of the writing and had acknowledged Him, I believe that he would have known what the writing meant.  This is what happens when a lost person acknowledges God.  That person begins to understand God's word.  Verse ten adds, Now the queen, by reason of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banquet house: and the queen spake and said, O king, live for ever: let not thy thoughts trouble thee, nor let thy countenance be changed:  The queen heard about what had happened and came to the banquet hall, which would imply that she wasn't there when all this was happening.  Still, she wished for the best for Balshazzar.  She told him to cheer up.  She had good news for him.  When we encounter lost people today, we should tell them to cheer up, because we have good news for them.  Though our good news, the gospel, brings everlasting salvation and not just a temporary solution as the queens did.  Verse eleven continues, There is a man in thy kingdom, in whom is the spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of thy father light and understanding and wisdom, like the wisdom of the gods, was found in him; whom the king Nebuchadnezzar thy father, the king, I say, thy father, made master of the magicians, astrologers, Chaldeans, and soothsayers; She said there was a man in the kingdom who could interpret the writing.  At least she remembered the God given ability of Daniel.  Verse twelve states, Forasmuch as an excellent spirit, and knowledge, and understanding, interpreting of dreams, and shewing of hard sentences, and dissolving of doubts, were found in the same Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar: now let Daniel be called, and he will shew the interpretation.  Evidently, Daniel did not associate himself with these other wise men, whose purpose was to tell the king his future.  There are those today who want to be around the source of power and will say anything to keep the person in power happy, but they can never change the coming judgment of God.  Verse thirteen adds, Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought out of Jewry?  Evidently, Belshazzar was familiar with what Daniel had done during Nebuchadnezzar's reign.  He said that Nebuchadnezzar had brought Daniel out of Jewry, which meant that he didn't understand everything about Daniel.  Daniel and his friends were still committed to the Jewish faith and the God of the Jews, the only true God.  Knowing the good works of a follower of Christ is not enough to save a person without knowing Christ Himself.  Verse fourteen continues, I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom is found in thee.  Belshazzar still did not acknowledge that Daniel served the only God but thought that the spirit of the gods lived in Daniel.  Had Belshazzar acknowledged God, he would not have profaned the things of God.  Then he wouldn't have been in this position.  Ultimately, we will be held accountable for our actions, and our only hope is through salvation made available by Christ.  Verse fifteen says, And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in before me, that they should read this writing, and make known unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not shew the interpretation of the thing:  Belshazzar may have been surprised by the failure of the so-called wise men, but I doubt that Daniel was.  We should not be surprised that those who are not followers of Christ cannot answer questions related to God.  Verse sixteen adds, And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations, and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt be the third ruler in the kingdom.  Belshazzar thought that he could buy the interpretation.  There are still people today who want to buy themselves into a right relationship with God, but salvation is never about money and power, but only about faith.