Enlisted?

While under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar issued an order to bring in the gold and silver vessels – the ones that Nebuchadnezzar his father had confiscated from the temple in Jerusalem – so that the king and his nobles, together with his wives and his concubines, could drink from them. So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, together with his wives and concubines, drank from them. (Daniel 5:2-3)

“There are still some things that God calls holy.” –Pastor Andy Rubin

Alcohol is an agent famed for its ability to cause men to speak what is in their hearts. Under the influence of alcohol, King Belshazzar expressed his desire to use holy things for unholy purposes. In carrying out his desire, he enlisted assistance from other people: “So they brought the gold and silver vessels that had been confiscated from the temple…” (Daniel 5:3a) In the narrative, we are not told who constitutes “they”. Given the context and time, “they” may have been slaves, or servants, or personal assistants, or persons assigned to maintain the objects that had been taken from Jerusalem.

In this past Sunday’s sermon, Pastor Andy shared a warning with us (paraphrased here): Be careful who talks to you and asks you to do things: you might be setting yourself up for danger. The Lord of all creation still makes a distinction between the holy and the profane, and He calls us to do the same. To submit to the ungodly desires of others is to open ourselves to unholy actions, and to place ourselves under judgement for knowingly doing what is wrong in the sight of God.

Respect the holy.

Reject the profane.

Today, as we consider Belshazzar’s actions, let us ask ourselves: Am I one of the “they”, helping to carry out the ungodly desire of someone else? Am I a type of Belshazzar, coveting the use of holy things for unholy purposes while enlisting others to participate in sinful behaviors? Or am I, like Daniel, choosing to remain faithful to God without regard to the desires of men?