Daniel 5:22-23a

The Danger of Refusing to Learn

Key Verses:
Daniel 5:22-23a NIV
But you, Belshazzar, his son, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven.
1 Peter 5:5 NIV
In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.”

Devotional
Belshazzar's downfall wasn't ignorance—it was arrogance. He knew his father Nebuchadnezzar's story of humiliation and restoration, yet chose pride over humility. God can work with those who admit they don't know, but must use other means to reach those who refuse correction. Today, examine your heart: Are there areas where you've hardened yourself against God's instruction? Perhaps you've watched others experience consequences of sin, yet find yourself drifting toward similar patterns. The difference between spiritual growth and spiritual death often lies in teachability. Proverbs 9:10 reminds us that "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." Humble yourself before God today. Ask Him to reveal blind spots and give you a teachable spirit. Don't wait for judgment to learn what grace is trying to teach you now.
God can work with humility but not with pride.

Make it Personal 

• God can work with someone who admits they do not know. Why is humility such a critical component of spiritual growth?
• Is there an area of your life where you've been resisting God's instruction? What makes it hard to remain teachable?

Check the Context: Daniel 5 NIV
1King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. 2While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father a had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. 3So they brought in the gold goblets that had been taken from the temple of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.
5Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. 6His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.
7The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers b and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around his neck, and he will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
8Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. 9So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled.
10The queen, c hearing the voices of the king and his nobles, came into the banquet hall. “May the king live forever!” she said. “Don’t be alarmed! Don’t look so pale! 11There is a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods in him. In the time of your father he was found to have insight and intelligence and wisdom like that of the gods. Your father, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, enchanters, astrologers and diviners. 12He did this because Daniel, whom the king called Belteshazzar, was found to have a keen mind and knowledge and understanding, and also the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles and solve difficult problems. Call for Daniel, and he will tell you what the writing means.”
13So Daniel was brought before the king, and the king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the exiles my father the king brought from Judah? 14I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. 15The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. 16Now I have heard that you are able to give interpretations and to solve difficult problems. If you can read this writing and tell me what it means, you will be clothed in purple and have a gold chain placed around your neck, and you will be made the third highest ruler in the kingdom.”
17Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts for yourself and give your rewards to someone else. Nevertheless, I will read the writing for the king and tell him what it means.
18“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendor. 19Because of the high position he gave him, all the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Those the king wanted to put to death, he put to death; those he wanted to spare, he spared; those he wanted to promote, he promoted; and those he wanted to humble, he humbled. 20But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. 21He was driven away from people and given the mind of an animal; he lived with the wild donkeys and ate grass like the ox; and his body was drenched with the dew of heaven, until he acknowledged that the Most High God is sovereign over all kingdoms on earth and sets over them anyone he wishes.
22“But you, Belshazzar, his son, d have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. 23Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. 24Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription.
25“This is the inscription that was written:
mene, mene, tekel, parsin
26“Here is what these words mean:
Mene e : God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.
27Tekel f : You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.
28Peres g : Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29Then at Belshazzar’s command, Daniel was clothed in purple, a gold chain was placed around his neck, and he was proclaimed the third highest ruler in the kingdom.
30That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, h was slain, 31and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two. i
Footnotes:
a 2 Or ancestor; or predecessor; also in verses 11, 13 and 18
b 7 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 11
c 10 Or queen mother
d 22 Or descendant; or successor
e 26 Mene can mean numbered or mina (a unit of money).
f 27 Tekel can mean weighed or shekel.
g 28 Peres (the singular of Parsin) can mean divided or Persia or a half mina or a half shekel.
h 30 Or Chaldeans
i 31 In Aramaic texts this verse (5:31) is numbered 6:1.

Talk to God
The whole point of Scripture study is to get closer to God by getting to know him better and becoming more like him. Prayer is the part of our devotional time where we connect with God, acknowledge and respond to what he has shown us, ask him for further help or direction, and participate with him in his work. But sometimes we all struggle to know how to pray. Here are some ideas that may help you express your response to what God has shown you in your Bible reading today.

• What part of God’s character do I want to praise him for?
• What do I want to thank God for?
• Do I have any unconfessed sin?
• What do I need God’s help with?
• What questions do I have?
• Do I need direction? Do I know how God wants me to serve him today?

Choose an Action Step

• Identify one area where I've been unteachable and ask God to give me a humble heart to receive correction.
• Start a daily habit of asking God to show me anything in me that grieves him.