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The Chaldeans believed that the gods had rivalries

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The Chaldeans believed that the gods had rivalries

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  1. Daniel 5:1. Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 2. Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. 3. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in them. 4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. 5. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. 6. Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. • I want to start with some things you probably know, but I want to go over them. • Until 1853 the critics of Daniel contended that this chapter was proof that Daniel was a fraud. • The last king of Babylon was Nabonahid • In the annals of Nabonahid found in 1853 • From 7 to 11 years Nebonahid was in retirement in Tema. • Even when the kings mother died, the mourning was carried on by his son, Belshazzar. • Now we not only have a criticism cut out, we have a confirmation of the historicity of the book. • If this was written some 3 to 400 years after the fall of Babylon, surely the king in the story would have been Nebonahid, not Belshazzar. • Please get the picture in your head. • There are hundreds of nobles gathered together to celebrate with the acting regent. • There is a set of writings by the Chaldeans. • Bear in mind that the Chaldeans are the priests of the Babylonian religion • These are the Sumerians brought forward. • These Chaldeans write after the fall of Babylon that it was a judgement against the king, Nebonahid • A judgment of what? • Nebonahid had gone throughout the kingdom • He had gathered all of the gods from the temples in the kingdom. • They brought those gods into the kingdom • They were building a parthenon for the gods • A temple dedicated to all of them

  2. The Chaldeans believed that the gods had rivalries • They believed that each of the gods had there place to reign • Now this man brings them all under the same roof. • An author I read likened it to the bringing together of wives into a house and giving them all reign together. • That to bring them together placed them under their Babylonian god Muradock. • They had devalued each one of them and therefore as the protector, like zues of the gods, muradock brought in Darius. • Realize that these were gods, that were picked up, carried into Babylon and were mad about it. • Here at the palace, Belshazzar is having a celebration and what is he doing • Then they brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. 4. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone • When I read this originally, I thought this was saying that these were the gods of stone, etc... • Like The god of fire, or the god of fertility so on. • But it is not • These are adjectives • Not god al stone • But stone god • These are gods made out of stone, gold, silver. • Why does it matter? • These are the gods from all of the kingdoms • This is exactly what was written in the conuform tablets. • They are worshiping all of the gods together • Two things • Yahwey, the only true god is missing • But they are worshiping them with the temple articles. • Notice that the text says It was over against the lampstand • Which lampstand. • The talmud says it was the golden lampstand from the temple.

  3. Look at the reaction of the king that is in the middle of worshiping these idols. • Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. • He had picked up, thrown a bunch of idols in the trunk of his car and toted them to Babylon. • He sets them up • They were not going to respond • They are sticks and stones and bone and steel. • All of a sudden something is going on. • Something is stirring in the darkness. • What is the difference? • Something is alive! • Daniel 5:18. O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour: 19. And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he set up; and whom he would he put down. 20. But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him: 21. And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever he will. 22. And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this; • Daniel starts by pointing out that this truth was evident to Belshazzar • He had the truth in his grasp and went down this path. • Do not loose that, because you are in his shoes. • You know the truth and are as responsible for it as he is. • Daniel 5:23. But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified: • You are worshiping the gods “which see not, nor hear, nor know:” • Against what? • the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified

  4. The God who holds your breath • Look with me, • Genesis 2:7. And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. • NJB 7. Yahweh God shaped man from the soil of the ground and blew the breath of life into his nostrils, and man became a living being. • Look at this, God blew into his nostrils what, the spirit of life, the breath of life • God placed in man the living spirit, the soul of man. • Anu: the god of the highest heaven • Marduk: national god of the Babylonians • Tiamat: dragon goddess • Kingu: husband of Tiamat • Enlil: god of weather and storms • Nabu: god of the scribal arts • Ishtar: goddess of love • Ea: god of wisdom • Creator • Enki was considered a god of life and replenishment, and was often depicted with streams of water emanating from his shoulders. Alongside him were trees symbolizing the male and female aspects of nature, each holding the male and female aspects of the 'Life Essence', which he, as apparent alchemist of the gods, would masterfully mix to create several beings that would live upon the face of the Earth. • Enurta: god of war • Anshar: father of heaven • Shamash: god of the sun and of justice • Ashur: national god of the Assyrians • Kishar: father of earth • In the pantheon of gods, the creation is one of sex or war or alchemy, • But God formed man and breathed in his a breath of life that distinguished him from fish or elephants or birds.

  5. God points out to Belshazzar • You are busy collecting gods that cannot see or hear or speak • If Christ had showed up and asked “What is life?” • Belshazzar would have replied • Wind, rain, sun, fertility, food, love • LIFE IS THE SUM OF THE PARTS! • Jesus would reply, that is living, not life. • Living is not life, living is the spinning of that hampster's wheel. • How do you measure life, • How many loops have I made... • WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO DO? • Lifeless gods of the created world • Gods that supposably control wind and rain and sun and disease. • And yet, you have neglected the only God that holds life in His hand. • Realise that when God stooped down and breathed that life into you, you became an eternal being. • The bible says that God wrote eternity on the hearts of man • Because we not exist as spirit and not mearly nature. • The sun can fade • The earth can pass away • The universe can melt as if never created • And nothingness can prevail • But God says that you will remain. • That your spirit will remain • And he holds life in His hands. • And this is eternal life, Said Jesus in John 17:3...that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent • That we might know, be joined with, to be one with Jesus Christ and the one that sent him. • For God so loved the world that He gave His begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should have everlasting life. • God says I am the author of life.

  6. Is your life defined by the sun of the parts? • Is this your life? • Is your life defined by living? • 25. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. 26. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. 27. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. 28. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. • Now Mene is a weight as in scales and measures • Tekel is a sheckel • A weight in the balances • And Peres was a part of or a divided shekel. • Now this makes sense with Daniel, but I realized this we use, • Mene - Your mouth is writing checks • Tekel – That your body can't keep • Peres – I am here to collect. • 30. In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain. • I want you to realize something. • If God is the author of life, • What He is telling Belshazzar, is that if he was the author of life, then it is His to take. • Look at this, • Hebrew 9:27. And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: • The judgment • 1 Thes 5: 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, 10. Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. 11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. • REVELATION 20:13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

  7. LIFE VS DEATH: • Revelation 2:10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 11. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. • Revelation 20:6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. • Luke 12:22. And he said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. 23. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment... 30. For all these things do the nations of the world seek after: and your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. • Matt 10: 28. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. • 32. Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 33. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven. 34. Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword... 37. He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. 38. And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me. 39. He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it. • Choose life!

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