The Writing on the Wall: Daniel’s Reckless Honesty ✍️👑
The account in Daniel 5 is a direct clash between human arrogance and divine sovereignty, culminating in Daniel’s terrifying confrontation with the terrified King Belshazzar.
I. The Shocking Sacrilege
The immediate cause of the judgment was Belshazzar’s final act of defiance. During a great feast, he ordered the sacred gold and silver vessels that his grandfather, Nebuchadnezzar, had taken from the Temple of God in Jerusalem, to be brought out. He, his nobles, wives, and concubines then drank wine from these holy vessels while praising their own pagan gods (Daniel 5:1-4).
- The Shock: This was not just revelry; it was a deliberate, blasphemous act of spiritual war against the God of Israel. It was the ultimate defiance of divine authority.
II. The Panic and Daniel’s Call
As they drank, a disembodied hand appeared and began to write cryptic words on the plaster of the wall (Daniel 5:5). The king, witnessing this terrifying supernatural event, immediately went into shock: his “knees knocked together.”
- The King’s Desperation: After his wise men failed to interpret the words, the Queen Mother reminded Belshazzar of Daniel, who possessed “an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding” (Daniel 5:11-12). Daniel was summoned.
III. The Confrontation and Daniel’s Bold Rebuke
When Daniel arrives, Belshazzar offers him the usual rewards (a purple robe, a gold chain, and third rule in the kingdom). Daniel’s response is one of the most shocking displays of biblical courage, particularly the line you referenced:
“Then Daniel answered before the king, ‘Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.’” (Daniel 5:17)
- The Context of “Ask Me Nothing”: The phrasing “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another” is Daniel’s way of saying: “I don’t need or want your bribes, and I refuse to be bought by your transient power.” In effect, he rejects the power structure entirely. This is functionally equivalent to telling the king, “Maybe you should ask me nothing,” because Daniel is not there as a subject seeking reward, but as a prophet delivering a divine verdict. He places God’s authority above the king’s.
Daniel then delivered a scathing summary of the king’s moral and historical failures (Daniel 5:22-23), climaxing with the interpretation.
IV. The Verdict: MENE MENE TEKEL UPHARSIN
Daniel read the four Aramaic words and interpreted them as God’s final judgment:
- MENE (מְנֵא): “Numbered.” God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end. (The clock has stopped).
- TEKEL (תְּקֵל): “Weighed.” You have been weighed in the balances and found wanting. (The moral judgment).
- UPHARSIN (וּפַרְסִין): “Divided.” Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians. (The executive judgment).
The ultimate shocking conclusion is the swiftness of the execution. That very night, King Belshazzar was slain, and the kingdom was taken over by Darius the Mede (Daniel 5:30-31).
The Return Question
If Daniel’s courage stemmed from rejecting the temporary rewards of the earthly king to deliver God’s final verdict, what temporary ‘reward’ or comfort in your own life are you unwilling to sacrifice, which is currently hindering you from delivering God’s truth to a world facing final judgment?