“I can see the writing on the wall.”
When people use some version of this expression, more often than not, they use it to communicate that something has become apparent or obvious. As in, “We can already see where this is headed, because the writing is on the wall.” Generally speaking, the expression is used to indicate clear signs of something that’s perceived to be inevitable, and most often that “something” is negative and unwelcome.
I find the expression fascinating – and in fact full of application for today – when we consider the original context in the Word of God. As it’s recorded for us in Daniel 5, King Belshazzar is hosting a lavish dinner party. Just as the King of Babylon was known to inscribe important words on statues or walls, God decides to write on the wall some important words for the king. The Lord does this in a miraculous way via “the fingers of a human hand,” and Belshazzar – as we find in the original Hebrew – suddenly recognizes that “the knots of this legs are loosed.” There are a number of ways that we could go with that, but suffice it to say that the king was absolutely terrified. His knees knocked together. His limbs gave way. He needed the nearest restroom, and fast. Or some combination of all of the above. And the Scriptures tell us that Belshazzar was white as a ghost. The king was sobered in a second.
Now, prior to the writing on the wall, the party had gotten way out of hand. It appears that there had been way too much mindless revelry, and that there had been at least one round of intentional mockery of the one true God. Using the vessels that had been ransacked from the Jerusalem temple, Belshazzar and his guests – including his family, his concubines, and his court – “praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.”
And, as has been substantiated earlier in Daniel during King Nebuchadnezzar’s chaotic reign, not one of the royal advisers is worth a dime. These men include the most educated scholars, but they have no idea what the handwriting means. The queen steps in and suggests that Belshazzar man up. Though no one else remembers, the queen recalls something big. In a bit of humorous wordplay in the text, she declares that Daniel is wise enough to “loosen knots” – whether knees or intestines. In fact, he’s just what a knee-knockin’ king needs right now. So Daniel is brought in to fix what’s now a public embarrassment on multiple fronts. God’s servant makes it clear that he wants none of the rewards which the palace has offered.
This is where it gets really interesting to me. We often use the “writing on the wall” expression when something is obvious, but exactly the opposite is the situation in the original story. The meaning of the writing isn’t obvious at all. No one can decipher it, except Daniel of course – when the time is right. But, until Daniel makes sense of all of this, this is a great mystery for even the brightest minds in the room. It is completely not obvious!
“Mene. Mene. Tekel. Parsin.” There are four words. They’re not Hebrew words, but they’re written in Aramaic. They’re all monetary weights. They’re common coins. But they’re all nouns. There are no verbs to connect the words to each other, nor are there modifiers of any kind to help anybody connect the interpretive dots. So wise Daniel does his thing, yet again. He takes the words as passive participles and builds the incredible interpretation. Like Hebrew, Aramaic can be written without vowels. When the vowels are supplied, the word may be a noun, a verb, or another word completely.
“Mene, mene” means that God has numbered King Belshazzar’s days, and it’s a finite number. The noun “mene” is taken as a verb which means “to count” or “to number.” “Tekel” means that God has weighed the king in the balance – morally speaking – and found him sorely wanting. God has a perfect standard, and Belshazzar does not measure up. The privileged king lacks what he most needs. The root of the word “shekel” means “to weigh.” “(U)Parsin” means literally “split up” or “divided.” So Daniel reasons that the Babylonian kingdom will be divided between the Medes and the Persians. Of further interest to us may be the fact that the Aramaic root “prs” – which means “to divide” – sounds very much like the name of the Persian Empire.
And Belshazzar doesn’t make it through the night. According to the Greek military leader and historian, Xenophon, the city of Babylon was captured without much resistance while the inhabitants were celebrating a festival. By ways nothing short of spectacular, the head of gold had come down.
Friends, there is no way for us to look back on history without recognizing that our God is completely in control. There was never a random day, or a meaningless moment. The One who sits on heaven’s throne “works – orders – all things according to the counsel of his will” (Ephesians 1:11). Not some things, but all things. You and I ought to fear this great God – we ought to worship Him with reverence and with awe – for He alone is awesome beyond our wildest imaginations.
And we, even in the messiness of 2024, should find Daniel’s story deeply comforting. Behind the history that is unfolding before our eyes on a daily basis is a God who’s writing and orchestrating the larger and most important story. At a time which He has determined and which only He knows, our Sovereign Lord will bring human history to a close. Absolutely nothing will stop Him. Yes, a Day of Judgment is coming. Each one of us will be weighed on God’s scales. And we – were it not for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ – would be found on the wrong side of that balance. But, for our good and for His glory, Christ has triumphed for us! His cross and His tomb are empty!
We need wisdom and discernment to walk through these challenging days. Unless the Holy Spirit graces us with both, we will fail to see what we desperately need to see and understand. We will be like the party guests staring at the wall, punch-drunk and stupefied.
In a world of flickering starlight, where the loudmouthed allure of idols wins over sin-soaked hearts and minds on a regular basis, let’s remember how blessed we are not to be traveling this road of life alone. We who are in Christ have a Shepherd. A Guide. A Friend. One who sticks closer than a brother. How immeasurably loved are we! The Light of the world has come to us, and made Himself known to us. You and I don’t have to stare blankly any longer, for we’ve received a vision so breathtakingly gorgeous that angels are stirred to holy jealousy.
A greater King – a King of kings – has come, and He will outshine and outlast every government, every ruler, and every Presidential administration. So you and I need not fear the future, or any of its chapters between now and eternity, because we – purchased at an extravagant price – belong now and forever to none other than the celestial Champion.
Some things are so obvious that they’re not.
Pastor Charles
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