What Really Matters by Clinton A. Macomber

• Title Page
• Introduction
• General Overview
• Daniel 1:1-6
• Daniel 1:7-21
• Daniel 2
• Daniel 3
• Daniel 4
• Daniel 5
  • The Importance of Repentance
  • Biblical Repentance
  • Quoted
  • Did You Know?
  • Daily Devotions
  • Word Search Puzzle
• Daniel 6
• Daniel 7
• Daniel 8
• Daniel 9
• Daniel 10
• Daniel 11
• Daniel 12

Belshazzar was treading on dangerous ground. The Medes and Persians were assembling to conquer the great city of Babylon. Belshazzar’s own father (the true king) was too afraid to spend the night there and fled from the city. His son, Belshazzar, wanted to distract the rulers and impress his subjects with his confidence. He called for a big party—one big grand party with 1,000 guests.

At this party, the king did something very foolish—he got himself drunk. Then he wanted to do something to show his power. He called for the sacred vessels that were to be used by the Israelite priests only.

This is typical at an ungodly party. An ungodly person knows from the past that things tend to happen when he gets drunk that should not be done. He tends to lose his inhibitions and commit sins that he ordinarily would not do.

Belshazzar wanted to show his power over the one and true Almighty God. He was not afraid at this moment to cast away reverence for the Holy. He defiled and polluted things that were given to the Lord.

Then he had everyone drink out of these sacred bowls. This got everyone so excited that they began to praise the idols that they had created. Thus, they further alienated themselves from the favor of God.

Belshazzar’s grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had made a proclamation that everyone must honor the God of these vessels. His use of these holy artifacts was to dishonor the God of Judah. Belshazzar refused to obey his own grandfather’s command.

Daniel 3:28-29 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God. ²⁹Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

Sin Demands Divine Attention

Daniel 5:5-7 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. ⁶Then 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. ⁷The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and shew me the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet,