The Handwriting Is On The Wall

Here dear reader, is a little known truth: the idiom, the handwriting is on the wall, comes directly from a rather sordid and spooky Bible recounting of a self-indulgent arrogant king and his courtly cohorts. Do remain with me, as we travel back in time to disembodied human fingers poised, mid air, armed (yes, I am being punny here, an attempt to lighten my own spirits, as I go into the fray) with a message of warning.

Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine with them. While Belshazzar was drinking his wine, he gave orders to bring in the gold and silver goblets that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from them. So 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. As they drank, they praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and stone.

Suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the lamp stand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking (Daniel 5:1-6).

Not long ago

Why am I sharing this story with you dear reader? It is because today, I used the phrase the handwriting is on the wall with someone I care deeply about. With background information shared, I could clearly envision what is to be; sympathetically, I could also see and feel the fear that drained the colour from my companion, for whom the message was written. Not long ago, I had read a similar message to the one I was interpreting… some messages can appear catastrophic in their cruelty

The king summoned the enchanters, astrologers, and diviners. Then he said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whosoever 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 (Daniel 5:7).

The king, as you recall from looking again, above, had become so frightened that his knees went weak and were knocking together. This state is a far cry from the scene in which we were introduced to his majesty. He went from banqueting and royally regaling, to quaking in his shoes at the sight of the floating fingers and their noteworthy well lit writing.

When we pay attention

Foreboding is a hint of what will be: we all have this gift, when we pay attention to our gut, our instinct, our intuition, our discernment, and sometimes, our family history. The king had some experience, foreknowledge of odd and wonderful things. He was unable to determine what the writing meant, but he thought he knew some people capable of deciphering its message. All the king knew for certain, is that he should be afraid, in fact, he couldn’t help but be afraid; terrified.

Then all of the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or tell the king what it meant. So King Belshazzar became even more terrified and his face grew more pale. His nobles were baffled (Daniel 5:8-9)

The Spirit writes messages on our hearts

Warning signals of impending doom

Sometimes, the undeniable truth can be so painful, that we need someone else to deliver the death blow message. Was the king being obtuse? I don’t think so. I believe his body sent him warning signals of impeding doom, but he did not speak the language of The Spirit, the One that can write on hearts, minds, souls, and walls with fingers that appear and scribe freehand (yes, guilty of being punny again dear reader, you caught me)

He will tell you what the writing means

The queen, 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! There 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. He 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” (Daniel 5:10-12).

The kings queen, perhaps the first of his wives, came to aid the king with historical information that could assist her husband in decoding the wall writing. Little did she know, that reading of the handwriting on the wall, would not bode well for her man of many women. She remembered someone of stature, of standing, of wisdom and intelligence. Insightful with trouble shooting abilities. He should be called in honey, not to worry, she suggests!

Are you Daniel

So 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? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you and that you have insight, intelligence and outstanding wisdom. The wise men and enchanters were brought before me to read this writing and tell me what it means, but they could not explain it. Now 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. 

Then 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 (5:13-17).

Noble by birth

Daniel, a man displaced, living in exile, is called into place now. He is noble by birth and earthly rewards have no appeal. As a servant to the king, he does what no one else can do for this human lover of all things unholy and fleshly: he translates an inscription on the wall. Daniel gives the king a little history lesson too, a reminder that learning from those that go before us is true wisdom. From here, I will let the story unfold uninterrupted dear reader.

“Your Majesty, the Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar sovereignty and greatness and glory and splendour. Because 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 humble, he humbled. But when his heart became arrogant and hardened with pride, he was deposed from his royal throne and stripped of his glory. He 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. 

“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. You had the goblets from the temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and 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 honour the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways. Therefore he sent the hand that wrote the inscription. 

“This is the inscription that was written:

                   MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN

“Here is what these words mean:

    Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end
    Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting
    Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians

Then 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. 

That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two (Daniel 5:18-30).  

Like a donkey

Daniel did his job. Debauchery followed by redemption were witnessed by Daniel in the years that proceeded this moment in time, this historical pinnacle. The son of a king did not learn from the frivolous frolics of his father, he simply followed, like a donkey, in his fallen footsteps.

What we really want to do

We all have moments, highlighted in the reels of our memories, monumental moments they are, of life altering demarcation lines being drawn in the sand. A hand, poised, has a message to write for our eyes only. Once it is written, we don’t want to read it, the language appears foreign and sounds harsh. We want someone to read it for us, to interpret it, in our weakened state; what we really want to do though, is cover our ears and yell stop, please stop, I cannot take what you are telling me.

Today I was Daniel to someone, a role I do not relish playing. I did my job, just like someone before had done for me, when I needed an interpreter. It is painful reading the handwriting on the wall, but it is far more painful for the receiving ears, the one for whom the message is meant.

Do you need an interpreter 

Now, dear one, it is your turn… do you need an interpreter, someone you trust to read you a message you cannot understand? You don’t have to be alone in your pain, people that know and love you, will stay by your side as the dawning of truth settles into your soul. You are never alone. God, and his people, are always near.