Bible Study - Stating True (3) - Speak Truth Boldly - September 17, 2023

 

Staying True (3) – Speak Truth Boldly – September 17, 2023

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “Staying True in a World Far from GOD.”

Our focus scripture is Daniel 5:13-17, 22-28

Being a bold witness for GOD sometimes means speaking hard truth.

As the world gets older, the inhabitants of earth will experience evil growing worse. How will the people of earth live in an evil world? They must become Spirit-born people by asking JESUS to forgive him or her for his/her sin and ask JESUS to come into his/her heart. When a person is Spiritually born into GOD’S kingdom, the Holy Spirit lives eternally within them to keep evil in check. Wisdom comes from GOD. As we approach the Second coming of JESUS to earth, things upon earth will grow worse. Only the truly Spirit-born people will survive. Now let’s roll back time to the night of October 12, 539 BC, the night Babylon fell. Little did the King know what would take place that night as they were having fun.

Let’s read Daniel 5:5-12: (Background)

Belshazzar’s Feast

5 King Belshazzar held a great feast for a thousand of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. ² Under the influence of^[a] the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring in the gold and silver vessels that his predecessor^[b] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. ³ So they brought in the gold^[c] vessels that had been taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines drank from them. ⁴ They drank the wine and praised their gods made of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.

GOD demonstrated HIS sovereignty over all gods. The thought came to me while typing this --- how many times do we hear of GOD’S Holy Bible to be the only object to survive a devasting fire? GOD’S Word in eternal.

Using vessels dedicated to the ONE TRUE GOD to praise other gods is an abomination to GOD. When that takes place, GOD reveals Himself and takes action!

The Handwriting on the Wall

⁵ At that moment the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the king’s palace wall next to the lampstand. As the king watched the hand^[d] that was writing, ⁶ his face turned pale,^[e] and his thoughts so terrified him that he soiled himself^[f] and his knees knocked together. [This is a very graphic description of what the King was experiencing. ⁷ The king shouted to bring in the mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. He said to these wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this inscription and gives me its interpretation will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around his neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.” ⁸ So all the king’s wise men came in, but none could read the inscription or make its interpretation known to him. ⁹ Then King Belshazzar became even more terrified, his face turned pale,^[g] and his nobles were bewildered.

We know the old saying, “When mother is not happy, no one is happy.” The same is true when the king or other people in leadership positions can’t figure things out. They get unhappy. The king was having a fit and his subjects knew it. So, the Queen rushed to him to offer her advice.                                                                                                                                              

¹⁰ Because of the outcry of the king and his nobles, the queen^[h] came to the banquet hall. “May the king live forever,” she said. “Don’t let your thoughts terrify you or your face be pale.^[i] 11 There is a man in your kingdom who has a spirit of the holy gods in him. (GOD equips those HE calls to serve HIM.) In the days of your predecessor, he was found to have insight, intelligence, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your predecessor, King Nebuchadnezzar, appointed him chief of the magicians, mediums, Chaldeans, and diviners. Your own predecessor, the king, ¹² did this because Daniel, the one the king named Belteshazzar, was found to have an extraordinary spirit, knowledge and intelligence, and the ability to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems.^[j] Therefore, summon Daniel, and he will give the interpretation.”

When you want truth, consult the One True GOD, YAWEH. Who could do that? Daniel! Who do we consult when we seek truth? GOD/JESUS. Through our faith in JESUS.

Satan often attempts to distracts us from knowing the truth or speaking hard truth. We do not want to hurt the feelings of others or we fear their retaliation if we say something they do not want to hear.

Some may seek horoscopes, fortune tellers, readers of tea leaves, but nothing from the occult can provide truth. Oh, they may give a reply but it is a lie.

Daniel was summoned to appear before the King. Daniel complies.

Let’s read on in Daniel 5:13-17:

Daniel before the King

¹³ Then Daniel was brought before the king. The king said to him, “Are you Daniel, one of the Judean exiles that my predecessor the king brought from Judah? ¹⁴ I’ve heard that you have a spirit of the gods in you, and that insight, intelligence, and extraordinary wisdom are found in you. ¹⁵ Now the wise men and mediums were brought before me to read this inscription and make its interpretation known to me, but they could not give its interpretation. ¹⁶ However, I have heard about you that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Therefore, if you can read this inscription and give me its interpretation, you will be clothed in purple, have a gold chain around your neck, and have the third highest position in the kingdom.”

¹⁷ Then Daniel answered the king, “You may keep your gifts and give your rewards to someone else; however, I will read the inscription for the king and make the interpretation known to him. (At no charge because it will be a witness to you of the power of the ONE TRUE GOD, YAWEH, WHO I Serve.)

¹⁸ Your Majesty, the Most High God gave sovereignty, greatness, glory, and majesty to your predecessor Nebuchadnezzar. ¹⁹ Because of the greatness he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages were terrified and fearful of him. He killed anyone he wanted and kept alive anyone he wanted; he exalted anyone he wanted and humbled anyone he wanted. ²⁰ But when his heart was exalted and his spirit became arrogant, he was deposed from his royal throne and his glory was taken from him. ²¹ He was driven away from people, his mind was like an animal’s, he lived with the wild donkeys, he was fed grass like cattle, and his body was drenched with dew from the sky until he acknowledged that the Most High God is ruler over human kingdoms and sets anyone, he wants over them.

²² “But you his successor, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, even though you knew all this. ²³ Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of the heavens. The vessels from his (GOD’S) house were brought to you, and as you and your nobles, wives, and concubines drank wine from them, you praised the gods made of silver and gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or understand. But you have not glorified the God who holds your life-breath in his hand and who controls the whole course of your life.^[k]

Note:

My prayer is that no reader of these lessons misses the mark for his or her need of salvation through the miracle of Spiritual birth (Born-again) through faith in JESUS. There are no shortcuts to salvation – faith in JESUS is the only way for a person to have eternal life!

When we, as humans, realize that we are sinners and bound for Hell, unless we change from being just a human to being a Spirit-born human, our destination is Hell. How can a person be Spirit-born?

JESUS told Nicodemus in John Chapter 3 that a person had to be born-again. This blew Nicodemus’ mind. He asked JESUS how that was possible. JESUS brought up the subject of wind. We do not know where the wind comes from or where the wind is going. The Holy Spirit is like the wind. It goes and comes. We can see and feel its affects.

A person that is born-again by the Holy Spirit is eternally changed. When a person realizes that he or she is spiritually lost because of sin and needs to be born-again in his/her spirit by the Holy Spirit, that is why JESUS willingly gave HIS sinless life to be the perfect sinless sacrifice to pay, in full, for all our sin. This is GOD’S free gift to every person who will be born on earth. It is like every gift; it must be received. Will you accept eternal life by accepting JESUS as your Savior?

At the instant a person is Spiritually born into GOD’S Family, that person will never be Spiritually unborn. Salvation is eternal and heaven is your eternal dwelling place. However, once we are Spirit-born, GOD in HIS wisdom leaves us upon earth to teach and tell others about such a great gift of eternal life.

Consider 2 Corinthians 5:20-21:

²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, since God is making his appeal through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” ²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him (JESUS) we might become the righteousness of God.

WOW! What an amazing gift from GOD through the finished work of JESUS.

So, folks, have you been Spirit born into GOD’S family? If not, what is keeping you from it?

Let’s read Daniel 5:24-30:

²⁴ Therefore, he (GOD) sent the hand, and this writing was inscribed.

The foreknowledge of GOD does not predestine the people of earth. It helps us to know where to go with the message of salvation because GOD does not desire for anyone to go to Hell and it’s not the cool place to go because your friends will be there. Let’s continue -----

The Inscription’s Interpretation

²⁵ “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Tekel, and Parsin. ²⁶ This is the interpretation of the message:

‘Mene’^[l] means that God has numbered^[m] the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end.

²⁷ ‘Tekel’^[n] means that you have been weighed^[o] on the balance and found deficient.

²⁸ ‘Peres’^[p][q] means that your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”^[r]

²⁹ Then Belshazzar gave an order, and they clothed Daniel in purple, placed a gold chain around his neck, and issued a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

Did the king think if he embellished Daniel that GOD would change HIS mind? NO! No one can bargain with GOD.

³⁰ That very night Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans was killed, ³¹ and Darius the Mede received the kingdom at the age of sixty-two.

GOD is in control and HE places WHO HE wants to lead countries and nations. GOD also replaces those who do not measure up.

This is true in the final days leading up to the rapture of the true church/true believers from earth.

GOD places the leaders into the positions HE chooses and HE also removes them.

Folks look around and consider the signs of JESUS’ second coming. I believe JESUS will return soon to take all Spirit-born people to Heaven. We will receive our new bodies designed for Heaven and eternity in the twinkling of the eye.

Please join us through faith in JESUS! If you haven’t already.

Blessings!!!