SERMON: “Feast of Fools” (Dan. 5:1–12)
“Feast of Fools” (Dan. 5:1–12)
Series: “Daniel:
God’s Sovereign Plans” #12 Text: Daniel 5:1–12
By: Shaun
Marksbury Date: August 31, 2025
Venue: Living Water Baptist Church Occasion: PM Service
I.
Introduction
We’ve heard the term “fool” thrown around as an insult, but
what does it really mean? Sometimes, we
think of a fool is not merely someone who lacks intelligence or is simple of
mind. We insinuate of a lack of
capability, of someone who may struggle with understanding due to limitations. Perhaps we think of someone who lacks
knowledge, but if that person is open to learning, biblically speaking, he’s
not foolish.
In the Bible, a fool is someone who willfully rejects truth.
For example, consider a driver who
ignores clear warning signs of a dangerous road ahead, speeding recklessly
despite the flashing lights and posted cautions. This is what people do spiritually; as Proverbs
1:7 tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, but fools
despise wisdom and instruction.” A fool
is defiant, choosing pride or rebellion over humility and obedience to God,
endangering himself and possibly even others.
This is what makes foolishness in leadership especially
dangerous. A foolish leader, blinded by
arrogance or self-interest, can lead a family, organization, or nation to ruin.
He drags others down with them. Such foolishness ripples outward, causing
chaos and suffering.
This brings us to Belshazzar in Daniel 5, a man whose
foolishness as a leader sealed his fate and toppled an empire. We’re no longer talking about Nebuchadnezzar,
who had died by this point. There’s a
history of names following him which intersects with Scripture; Nebuchadnezzar’s
son Evil-Merodach then ruled (2 Kings 25:27–30; Jer. 52:31–34) until he was assassinated
by Neriglissar/Nergal-Sharezer (cf. Jer. 39:3, 13). His son briefly ruled until he was assassinated
by Nabonidus, who ruled for seventeen years.[1] This means that Daniel is in his eighties by
the time of Daniel 5.
Nabonidus is the actual ruler at this point. He was focused on restoring and expanding what
Nebuchadnezzar had, except in one regard.
As one commentary notes, “Nabonidus’ mother was the highpriestess of the
moon god at Haran. Perhaps because of
her influence, he had great interest in restoring and expanding the Babylonian
religion and did much to restore abandoned temples.”[2] So, Nabonidus was not interested in bowing to
the God of heaven.
Meanwhile, Nabonidus spent ten of his seventeen years away
from Babylon.[3] As a result, he installed Belshazzar his son as
a co-regent in Babylon,[4]
where Belshazzar ruled until the final days of the Babylonian Empire in 539 BC.
Yet, despite Nabonidus’s efforts, the
Persians had defeated his army and now encircled Babylon.
Belshazzar chose to respond to this threat in the most
foolish way imaginable. This account warns
us of the peril of foolishness, especially when it defines those who hold
power. We see five marks of a fool in
this king this evening for us to avoid. First,
the foolish ignore danger (v. 1). Second,
the foolish defy God (vv. 2–4). Third,
the foolish fear but don’t repent (vv. 5–6).
Fourth, the foolish seek in the wrong places (vv. 7–9). And fifth, the foolish hear but don’t listen
(vv. 10–12). Let’s operate with wisdom
as we consider each of these.
II.
First, the Foolish Ignore Danger (v. 1)
Belshazzar the
king held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles, and he was drinking wine
in the presence of the thousand.
Here, the text introduces us to “Belshazzar the king.” We’ve already considered some things about
him. It’s worth noting that, at the beginning
of the nineteenth century, skeptics doubted whether he existed. In fact, “some critics declared Belshazzar to
be fictional. However, during the past
150 years abundant evidence has come to light (at least 37 archival texts)
demonstrating that Belshazzar was a real person, the son of Nabonidus and ruler
of Babylon during his father’s extended absences.”[5] The truth is that Belshazzar’s name quickly
disappeared from history,[6] and
Daniel’s knowledge of it proves he penned this book in the sixth century,[7] like
believers have always believed. There
are many cases where the Bible is doubted and later vindicated.
You might also notice that Belshazzar’s name is very similar
to Daniel’s Babylonian name, Belteshazzar, and both names mean “Bel, protect
the king.” Yet, unlike Daniel, he was
involved in pagan worship. He seemed to
support his father’s efforts to exalt the old gods.
Yet, that was not the most pressing concern at the
moment. The Medo-Persian army had the
great city of Babylon under siege, much as Jerusalem had before been under siege
by an imposing army. The people were
nervous, and perhaps prophecies of doom were circulating.
How does a king respond to such a scenario? One might think he plans for battle. He might conscript an army to defend the
city, calling on young and old to take up arms.
He might secure provisions and those who couldn’t fight, while choosing a
narrow pass in the city’s impenetrable walls through which to engage the
enemy. He might place archers along the
walls to increase his city’s defensive capabilities. But Belshazzar didn’t have the example of King
Théoden, who faced the Uruk-hai when they besieged Helm’s Deep in Tolkien’s The
Lord of the Rings.
What did Belshazzar do instead? He held a massive feast. Since the city had provisions for 20 years
and a river flowing through it, he must not have felt any urgency about the
matter.[8] He was foolish.
There’s no doubt he told himself that this was an important
act; perhaps he thought it necessary to calm the officials in the city, and maybe
he was showing contempt for the army outside.
This was no small gathering; it was for “a thousand of his nobles” or “lords”
(ESV, KJV, NKJV). Archaeologists have
excavated a large hall in Babylon, 55 feet wide and 165 feet long, with
plastered walls, which would have been perfect this event. The Greek historians Herodotus and Xenophon “testified
that a banquet was in progress on the night Babylon fell.”[9] Such feasts were common in the Ancient Near
East.[10]
We also read that, instead of holding court with sobriety
and decorum, “he was drinking wine in the presence of the thousand.” While the Bible doesn’t condemn the
consumption of alcohol, it does condemn drunkenness and the inordinate use of
wine by kings, and the terminology here suggests continuous drinking.[11] This opening gives us an instant contrast
between the spiritual sobriety of Nebuchadnezzar’s end and the foolishness of
his grandson’s short reign.
He was acting foolishly, and one way he did that was to
ignore the danger around him. We should
consider this: Are we ignoring spiritual dangers? As Proverbs 14:16: “A wise man is cautious and
turns away from evil, but a fool is arrogant and careless.” Let’s consider looming trials, unrepented
sin, and God’s warnings through His Word — don’t feast when you should fast in
repentance. Don’t do what we see next:
III.
Second, the Foolish Defy God (vv. 2–4)
When Belshazzar
tasted the wine, he gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels which
Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem,
so that the king and his nobles, his wives and his concubines might drink from
them. Then they brought the gold vessels
that had been taken out of the temple, the house of
God which was in Jerusalem; and the king and his nobles, his wives and his
concubines drank from them. They drank
the wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, of bronze, iron, wood and
stone.
Verse 2 begins with “When Belshazzar tasted the wine.” This doesn’t mean he was sampling the wine;
the term here implies intoxication.[12] Incidentally, I had seriously thought about
making a whole main point about the foolish drinking their problems away — something
worth consideration.
Such drunkenness is foolish because it lowers and removes
inhibitions. It’s at this point that Belshazzar
commanded for servants to bring in “the gold and silver vessels” from
Jerusalem’s temple (cf. 2 Kings 24:13; 25:15; Dan. 1:2). He wanted the king, nobles, wives, and
concubines to drink from them, implying not only the start of a drunken orgy,
but a sacrilegious one, at that.
Later, Daniel will confirm that this was a willful challenge
to the Hebrew God (v. 23), despite Nebuchadnezzar’s testimony in the previous
chapter. Verse 3 repeats for emphasis that
they “brought the gold vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house
of God” and drank. Then, v. 4 says they
“drank the wine” and praised their inanimate “gods.” This was a direct slight against Yahweh, a
repudiation of this predecessor Nebuchadnezzar,[13] and a call back to the old
gods for deliverance.
Perhaps the Jews knew that the seventy years of captivity
were drawing to a close, but they would have been shocked to find that these holy
vessels were leaving storage, not for Judah, but for blasphemy. They might have feared that this was a failure
of God to protect these holy implements (cf. Jer. 27:16, 18). However, God will not be mocked, as we will
soon see.
IV.
Third, the Foolish Fear but Don’t Repent (vv. 5–6)
Suddenly the
fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the
plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the back of the hand
that did the writing. Then the king’s face
grew pale and his thoughts alarmed him, and his hip joints went slack and his
knees began knocking together.
Immediately, the scene becomes terrifying. Perhaps a reveler thought he saw a trick of
the light; Proverbs 23:33 warns the drunken, “Your eyes will see strange things
and your mind will utter perverse things.”
Yet, as he focuses on the sight, he realized that the party has grown
quiet — and everyone else is seeing the same thing! That means it’s not a hallucination brought
on by too much wine; disembodied fingers from a man’s hand had indeed emerged
in their sight. In fact, it seems that
the king had the best view of the hand, able to see more of it than others,
suggesting a translucent quality to it.
This hand may have belonged to an angelic watcher. It also may have belonged to God Himself, a
visible manifestation of His glory, or a partial preincarnate appearance of
Christ. Either way, the writing comes
from supernatural inspiration, and this eerie image alludes to God’s finger in
Exodus 8:19; 31:18.[14]
We read that these fingers then began writing “opposite the
lampstand.” This may have been a standard
lamp for this banquet hall, and its light would have illuminated the letters
written into the plaster.[15] However, considering the implements from the temple
had just come into the hall, it’s possible that they brought one of the menorahs
for light, making this a doubly-fitting spot for the inscription. Excavations confirmed that the wall was white
with gypsum, making the marks even more visible.[16]
As we might imagine, this triggers fear in all who are
present, but we only see it in the king.
It seems he stands up at the sight, and as we read in the LSB rendering,
“the splendor
of the king’s face changed” (or, more simply, “the king’s color
changed” [ESV]). His thoughts then begin to trouble him (because
his conscience is guilty in the presence of something holy). We then read his hips went slack and his knees
began knocking. In other words, he was
filled with terror.
One would think
this is the beginning of wisdom for Belshazzar, but we will see in the rest of
the chapter that this is not the case.
As James 2:19 says, “You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and
shudder.” A certain fear at the thought
of God is no sure sign of conversion, especially if it doesn’t lead to
repentance and praise of God (cf. Psa. 2:11).
Sadly, the foolish fear but don’t repent, and we see that when they start
looking for answers in all the wrong places.
V.
Fourth, the Foolish Seek in the Wrong Places (vv.
7–9)
The king called
aloud to bring in the conjurers, the Chaldeans and the diviners. The king spoke and said to the wise men of
Babylon, “Any man who can read this inscription and explain its interpretation
to me shall be clothed with purple and have a necklace of gold around his neck,
and have authority as third ruler in the kingdom.” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they
could not read the inscription or make known its interpretation to the king. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, his face
grew even paler, and his nobles were perplexed.
The hand seems to vanish from sight, but the writing
remains. We see Belshazzar’s ongoing
fear as he “called aloud” or screamed for his wise men.[17] He promised them rewards if they could but
read and interpret the writing, which was obviously a significant message. To the one who succeeds, Belshazzar promises
that he will be “clothed with purple” (the color of royalty),[18]
will receive an expensive “necklace of gold,” and will become the “third ruler”
in the kingdom (behind Nabonidus and Belshazzar).[19]
So, in v. 8, the wise men came in to read the inscription. Yet, they “could not read” or interpret the
writing. They lacked the ability, marking
yet another failure for answers from the world (cf. Dan. 2:27; 4:7). Perhaps they understood the shapes of the
letters, but since Aramaic (like Hebrew) lacks vowels, the words would have
been ambiguous without context.[20]
This is bad news for the king, who obviously had complete
faith and trust in his pagan system. In
v. 9, we read that Belshazzar was “greatly alarmed” and that his face “grew
even paler.” One commentary notes, “Their
inability to interpret the message made it even more ominous.”[21] The feeling was mutual, because the nobles or
lords were also “perplexed,” both at the sign they had witnessed and the king’s
inability to unravel it.
Human wisdom fails, but the foolish don’t seem to understand
this. They seek knowledge and wisdom in
all the wrong places. Perhaps it’s false
religion, or perhaps it’s celebrity opinion.
Whatever the case, without an answer from God, without divine instruction,
we will all fail.
The wise Seek God first (Matt. 6:33) and turn to Scripture. Yet, make certain to be a doer of the Word and
not a hearer only. That brings us to the
last point:
VI.
Fifth, the Foolish Hear but Don’t Listen (vv. 10–12)
The queen entered
the banquet hall because of the words of the king and his nobles; the queen
spoke and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts alarm you or
your face be pale. There is a man in
your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; and in the days of your
father, illumination, insight and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found
in him. And King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, your father the king, appointed
him chief of the magicians, conjurers, Chaldeans and diviners. This was because an extraordinary spirit,
knowledge and insight, interpretation of dreams, explanation of enigmas and
solving of difficult problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named
Belteshazzar. Let Daniel now be summoned
and he will declare the interpretation.”
We now read of the queen entering, which may seems strange
based on what we read before. However,
this is likely the queen mother, not a wife (vv. 2–3); she is perhaps a surviving
wife or daughter to Nebuchadnezzar.[22] She, perhaps statelier than Belshazzar, had
not participated with the planned debauchery earlier. However, she now comes because of “the words”
(or the noise, NET) of the hall.
She enters with both respect and an answer. She begins, “O king, live forever!” Her presence might have had a calming influence
on his thoughts.
In v. 11, she informs him that “there is a man.” Daniel was in his 80s, perhaps semiretired. She remembered him as someone with “a spirit
of the holy gods” — possibly referring to the Holy Spirit if she had been
converted (Dan. 4:8), though also possibly a polytheistic statement.[23] She remembered him as a man of “illumination,
insight, and wisdom,” appointed “chief” of the wisemen (2:48). Her memory is accurate.
She goes on in v. 12 to note his “extraordinary spirit,” meaning
his skill in dreams, enigmas, and problems. Then she notes something Belshazzar might have
found a selling attribute[24] —
Daniel was named similarly, “Belteshazzar,” bearing the name of the god that Belshazzar
must have been trusting.
The queen recalls Daniel’s divine gifting, but why didn’t
the king? He would have grown up with these
stories in the royal palace. Yet, Belshazzar’s
ignorance shows how complete the regime change was at this time.[25]
The foolish hear, but don’t listen. If he understood the implications here, he
would have treated Daniel as the one with the true word from God. However, Belshazzar ultimately won’t repent
at the word of Daniel.
VII.
Conclusion
Belshazzar’s feast exposes folly’s marks. Do you also find yourself foolishly ignoring
danger, defying God, fearing without repenting, seeking wrongly, and hearing
without listening? Don’t try to drink
the guilt away.
There is complete forgiveness in Jesus Christ, and just as His
hand might write judgment, it also opens and offers grace upon the cross. Repent of folly; embrace wisdom in Jesus, “in
whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).
Live wisely under God’s plans.
[1] J. Dwight Pentecost, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures,
1985, 1, 1344.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] Ibid.
[5] Ted Cabal, Chad Owen Brand, E. Ray Clendenen, Paul
Copan, J. P. Moreland, and Doug Powell, The
Apologetics Study Bible: Real Questions, Straight Answers, Stronger Faith,
(Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2007), 1278.
[6] Stephen R. Miller, Daniel,
The New American Commentary, (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers,
1994), 18:150.
[7] Ibid.
[8] Pentecost, 1344.
[9] Miller, 18:150–151.
[10] John D. Barry, Douglas Mangum, Derek R. Brown, Michael
S. Heiser, Miles Custis, Elliot Ritzema, Matthew M. Whitehead, Michael R.
Grigoni, and David Bomar, Faithlife Study
Bible, (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2012, 2016), Da 5:1.
[11] Miller, 18:151.
[12] Ibid., 18:152–153.
[13] Pentecost, 1345.
[14] Barry, et. al., Da 5:5.
[15] Ibid.
[16] Miller, 18:155.
[17] Ibid., 18:157.
[18] Barry, et.al., Da 5:7.
[19] “The fact
that Belshazzar could offer only the ‘third highest position in the kingdom’
(5:16, 29) is evidence that the author of Daniel had accurate knowledge of
Nabonidus. Nabonidus was first in rank,
followed by his son Belshazzar and then the decipherer of the handwriting would
be third in rank.” Cabal, et. al.,
1278.
[20] Miller, 18:158–159.
[21] Pentecost, 1345.
[22] John MacArthur Jr., Ed., The MacArthur Study Bible, electronic ed., (Nashville, TN: Word
Pub., 1997), 1235.
[23] Barry, et. al., Da 5:11.
[24] Barry, et. al., Da 5:12.
[25] Miller, 18:160–161.