June 27: WHILE HE TASTED THE WINE…

While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Daniel 5:2

The opening five-word phrase coincides with a plethora of shifting circumstances behind the scenes. The capital city of Babylon was under siege: Cyrus, commander General of the blended armies of Media and Persia, was engineering an incredibly effective strategy against Babylon (more on this soon). The proximity of the Medo-Persian armies was no secret to Belshazzar, yet he worried not, having placed his confidence in the magnificent walls and gates of the city. Even the iron bars that extended to the base of the River Euphrates, which passed through the city, were considered to be impenetrable. In addition, the stock of abundant provisions stored within the great city increased Belshazzar’s feelings of safety.

Instead of learning respect for the God of the Hebrews, as his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had done, Belshazzar arrogantly celebrated the military victory over the Jewish nation nearly seventy years before (see 1:1-2). As he reveled in his position-by-birth, and past triumphs—all achieved by others—he gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem. He was tast[ing] the wine—again and again—and therefore was feeling extra magnanimous toward his lords, his wives, and his concubines. Belshazzar did not relish the fact of his grandfather’s religious conversion and therefore made a highlight of Nebuchadnezzar’s pre-conversion act of confiscating the sacred vessels of the temple where God had been worshipped.

In his arrogance and pride, with a reckless sense of power and authority, Belshazzar made a great feast… The atmosphere was heady, and filled with all of the attractions of wealth and splendor. Men of genius and education were flanked by beautiful women bedecked with jewels. They drank wine in abundance and reveled under its maddening influence. Belshazzar wanted to show the people that nothing was too sacred for his hands to handle. They brought the gold vessels that had been taken from the temple of the house of God which had been in Jerusalem; and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone (vv.3-4).

“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer…. Who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, And he shall perform all My pleasure…’” Isaiah 44:24a, 28a

For more perspective on history and prophetic foreshadowing: Ezra 1:1; Isaiah 21:9; Jeremiah 51:6-9; Daniel 1:21; 2:32; Revelation 9:20; 14:8; 18:2