I was studying today on the handwriting on the wall. My purpose was to look at the prophecy from the handwriting. But while I was studying another image came to mind. Here they were: Belshazzar was having a big party. And in the midst of the hilarity someone got the bright idea of having all the gold vessels Nebuchadnezzar had taken from God's temple brought in. They wanted to drink from them! So Belshazzar called for them to be brought.
Can you imagine the scene? The noise, the licentiousness, the drunkenness, the blasphemy? The loud laughter the drunken talking and shouting? The lewd entertainment of dancers and singers? And they brought the Lord's holy vessels into that atmosphere!
We are vessels of God, but some take those sacred vessels, their bodies, right into the midst of scenes like this one. They say that it is what is inside them that matters to God. It is not what they do in their outward body. But the Lord didn’t look at it that way . He was seriously concerned with what happened to His vessels in Belshazzar's time. He is still seriously concerned with what we do with our personal vessel.
When we look at what happened with Belshazzar it should put in us a righteous fear. When the interpretation of the writing was given, Belshazzar was frightened enough that he honored Daniel for the interpretation, but it was too late for him to change God's decree. He was murdered that very night and King Darius of the Medes took over his kingdom. Sometimes if we disobey God too often and too flagrantly He will pronounce his judgment, even in today's time of Grace. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Daniel 5:27 When that happens it is too late for us to ever be saved.
This example is one reason why I keep encouraging everyone to live a life as much like Christ as it is possible with the power of God to live. If we shrug our shoulders and say, "Well, I tried and I couldn't stop [doing whatever, lying smoking drinking, chasing women] so I guess God will just have to forgive me. It is my soul that counts for God anyway, not my flesh " we are putting ourselves in the very same position as Belshazzar using God’s holy vessels, flagrantly blaspheming the things of God.
We must walk carefully before God and not treat his Grace as loosely as Belshazzar did the vessels from the temple lest God speak the same judgment on us for blaspheming our holy vessel and trampling underfoot the blood of Christ which was shed for our salvation.
Can you imagine the scene? The noise, the licentiousness, the drunkenness, the blasphemy? The loud laughter the drunken talking and shouting? The lewd entertainment of dancers and singers? And they brought the Lord's holy vessels into that atmosphere!
We are vessels of God, but some take those sacred vessels, their bodies, right into the midst of scenes like this one. They say that it is what is inside them that matters to God. It is not what they do in their outward body. But the Lord didn’t look at it that way . He was seriously concerned with what happened to His vessels in Belshazzar's time. He is still seriously concerned with what we do with our personal vessel.
When we look at what happened with Belshazzar it should put in us a righteous fear. When the interpretation of the writing was given, Belshazzar was frightened enough that he honored Daniel for the interpretation, but it was too late for him to change God's decree. He was murdered that very night and King Darius of the Medes took over his kingdom. Sometimes if we disobey God too often and too flagrantly He will pronounce his judgment, even in today's time of Grace. Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Daniel 5:27 When that happens it is too late for us to ever be saved.
This example is one reason why I keep encouraging everyone to live a life as much like Christ as it is possible with the power of God to live. If we shrug our shoulders and say, "Well, I tried and I couldn't stop [doing whatever, lying smoking drinking, chasing women] so I guess God will just have to forgive me. It is my soul that counts for God anyway, not my flesh " we are putting ourselves in the very same position as Belshazzar using God’s holy vessels, flagrantly blaspheming the things of God.
We must walk carefully before God and not treat his Grace as loosely as Belshazzar did the vessels from the temple lest God speak the same judgment on us for blaspheming our holy vessel and trampling underfoot the blood of Christ which was shed for our salvation.
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