June 28: THE FIVE FINGERS OF 5:5

In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Daniel 5:5

There are five recorded instances of the LORD God writing with His finger(s). The first was the Ten Commandments, aka the Testimony. Many believe that the original set was written on stones of sapphire (see Exodus 24:10). God spoke them with His own voice from the top of Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:1-17) and then spent forty days with Moses to give him detailed specifications for the earthly tabernacle. And when He had made an end of speaking with him on Mount Sinai, He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God (31:18) … And Moses turned and went down from the mountain, and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand… Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved upon the tablets (32:15a,16). But—we know the story—Moses broke these in anger when he saw that the people had made a golden calf (v.19).

The second was the Ten Commandments, again (see 34:1).

The fourth and fifth are together and recorded by John. When the Pharisees caught a woman in adultery, they interrupted Jesus as He taught in the temple at Jerusalem. They tried to trick Him into saying something wrong. He stooped to write on the dusty temple floor with His finger (John 8:6), stood and said, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground (vv.7,8). Whatever He was writing there had a powerful effect on the accusers, who became quiet and slunk away.

Today’s opening verse is the third instance. It comes in the midst of Belshazzar’s feast as he leads a celebration of open defiance against God. Belshazzar knew very well the history of Nebuchadnezzar’s first dream (see Daniel 2) and how Babylon was to be succeeded by other kingdoms…and ultimately by God’s everlasting kingdom. He was well acquainted with his grandfather’s defiance and eventual acceptance of the facts, allowing his heart to be changed (chapters 3 & 4). And that is the point: the head knowledge that Belshazzar possessed was not allowed to effect any such change of heart.

“In the last days, as the final crisis breaks upon the world, people will be given the opportunity to know the truth, as well. What determines their choice, as with Belshazzar, will be their hearts.” Shawn Boonstra

The number five is often associated with grace. Beloved, if you desire that your heart undergo a change for eternity, you must yield to the power of God’s grace. Your head knowledge must find its way into your heart. He will work within you and bring about the full and necessary change.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. Philippians 2:13

The LORD looks at the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7b

Go deeper: 2 Chronicles 16:9; Jeremiah 18:7-10; 2 Corinthians 12:9; Ephesians 1:4; 3:7; Philippians 1:6