Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-03
BEL SHAZZAR'S FEAST.
Temperance Lesson)
Daniel, v.1-31.
Golden Text-"Be not drunken
with wine. wherein is riot.
Ephesisns, via.

Edison told the candidates for the
Edison scholarship last Wednesday that
they should keep their heads clear and
their feet OH the ground" This truth
is illustrated in our lesson, which has
been chosen from one Of the most ORA
matte stories in all literature. 1t has
been selected for the basis of temper
ance lessons for several generations,
although temperance was not the
founds ton of its use by the writer OF
the story of Daniel. The Jews did have
such a problem as we have faced in
reference to the use of intoxicating
liquors. The fact that beneath the
whole story there Is a condemnation of
all that makes for Iaxity Of life, insist
ence on self-indulgence and setting self
above Gods law" has made 1t an appro-
pirate temperance lesson.
BeIshas xaF's Feast.
One has we'll said: THE mind has
never conceived, nor poet dreamed, nor
artist painted the grandeur and gloom of
that festival night in Babylon's ban
quoting hall. when the handwriting OF
the Lord wrote King Belshazzar'S fate
and the nations doom upon the palace
walls. One hour the merry guests were
dwelling in licentious court, gayety, rev.
elry, sparkling wine, dancing women,
mirth and music and song. The next
hour the inpious King and the festive
throng, with blanched faces and trem-
bling forms, beheld the words OF doom
written upon the wall"
Terrified and sobered Belshaszar sum-
moned the wise men OF the nation. who
could not solve the enigma of the mes
sage that had appeared upon the wall.
Upon the advice of his mother. the King
who shared the royal power with his
father. NabondiuS, summoned the aged
Daniel and offered him the third place
in the kingdom If he could solve the
riddle of the mysterious words. Dis
coveries made by explorers have brought
to us evidence that establishes the his
toricity OF BelshaZZar and of his shar-
ing the rule of Babylon with his father
This removes the question that has been
raised by certain critics because they
had not found his name in other his
torical documents. Time and time again
the explorers spade has turned up evil
dence that establishes beyond question
the historical accuracy of the Bible.
Daniel Spurned the offered reward
He quickly read with the skill of
modern psychologist not only the work
ing of the Kings mind but the divine
indictment that God had framed
against the last ruler Of Babylon. He
sternly called the King to task because
he had forgotten in his arrogance the
eternal and ever Living God and had
dared to lift himself up against Him.
He had in his drunken moments dared
to order the sacriflcial vessel that had
been taken from the Temple in Jeru-
salem and used them in a drunken
carousal. This dissertation of vessels
that had been dedicated to the worship
Of Jehovah by the idolatrous King re-
quired condemnation and punishment
Daniel saw the end of the King and the
capture of Babylon foretold by the four
words, Meme, Meme. Tekel, Upharsin."
that God had written on the wall of
the banquet hall OF the palace.
BelshasSar's Fate.
Although he had acted when under
the influence of drink, Daniel held that
Belshazzar was guilty and that Jehovah
had met the Kings challenge of Gods
power by placing the words upon the
wall that spelled the doom of mis- king
dom, for the venerable prophet declared
the terrible retribution Belsha zzar faced
in the three words, numbered, weighed.
divided" Daniel saw close connection
between the three Aramaic words and
their verbs Of similar name. He in
terpreted them as such. Mem, a piece
of money; the prophet read M'nah
meaning numbered or accounted. Tekel
was the name of coin, a shekel, which
was weighed to determine it's worth, so
he read 1t as t'quita. meaning weighed.
Peres was the singular of the verb of
which Upharsin was the plural, with
the conjunction (and) as a prefix
he interpreted as divided. The sentence,
as stated in the indictment, which
probably the other wise men could not
interpret because 1t may have been
written not only in Aramiac, but also
in vertical form, as Prof. Mou.ton has
pointed out.
Belshazsar received the sentence of
doom from Daniel. God hath num-
bered thy kingdom and finished it.
Thou art weighed in the balances and
found wanting. Thy kingdom is divided
and given to the Modes and PerSians."
Although 1t meant the end of his king
dom and he was facing imminent dam
ger, Belshazzar fulfilled his promise, for
he placed the symbol of authority lpon
Daniel The pagan potenGate could not
keep his kingdom, but he kept his word
in the hour that the awful sentence
sounded his death knell and that of the
Babylonian empire. In few hours be-
fore the pagan priests opened the gates
"
Babylon without o contest.
Some Modern Applications.
Although scholars are agreed that
"this story of Daniel was written to en-
courage the Jews of the days of Anti
ochus -Ephiphanes in 168.163 to reas-
sure them that the arrogance of their
oppressors could not and would not be
permitted to 60 linrebuked," 1t contains
a message of encouragement for Jews
and Christians, who are suffering politi-
cal prosecutions at the hands Of the
Soviet government of Russia. It nils
with courage the Christians Of China,
where fanatical mob of Mohamme-
dams has, within few weeks, destroyed
every male person in q city.
while this lesson has q primary ap-
plication to the punishment that God
will infiict upon those who show inso-
lence and irreverence such as Belshaz-
Ear did that night in the presence OF
a thousand gathered in his banquet hall,
1t has q message for all men In all ma
tions. and especially here in America
along temperance lines. 1t was drink
ing wine that infiamed the mind Of
Beishazzar so that he committed the
deeds of insolence and irreverence.
Needless OF approaching danger and
divinsiy given warnings the king and
his hosts In their goddess revelry had
committed sin by using sacred utensils
from the temple as drinking vessels.