Writing on the Wall

Writing on the Wall

 How many of us know that the saying “ I saw the writing on the wall” was from the bible? It is from Daniel chapter 5. I did not know this till few years ago. I will post the entire bible passage below this post so you may read it. 

   When we use the saying “ writing on the wall” we are saying that it is clear, it is right before us, that this is what the truth is, and this is how things are or will be.  In the case in the bible Daniel is asked to interpret what is written on the wall and speaks the truth of what the hand wrote. This was not good news for the king and most times when we use this saying it is not of good things written. 

     In a sense it gives us the heads up to what is about to come. It is that feeling you get when you know something is not going to go well. God uses this to prepare us for what is going to happen. It is not something that will just go away. This way we are ready for whatever may come from it and not be as hurt or upset by it. God is there so when it does come to pass that we are already seeking His guidance on what to do or how to handle this.  

     How many times have you thought to yourself, “ I was not shocked to hear,..., I was not shocked by this..... I saw this coming... “? That is because you saw the writing on the wall. It is a way for God to help us when He knows that if we did not see this we would be far worse then we are at that moment. We may have done or said something to make that situation worse if we did not know. 

      There may be times that God is trying to warn us about something and we just do not want to see it. We go about life ignoring what is right there before us because either we do not want to believe or that we do not want to deal with it. We would not ignore a sign that says “bridge out” as we drive so why do we ignore the signs from God? 

      In another post I think I will discuss more of the signs from God that we get or ignore and just focus this on “the writing on the wall”. When we ignore that writing, we are just postponing the inevitable. Think of somethings that you postponed just to realize its for the best? Maybe stayed in a relationship to long. Maybe stayed at a job longer then you should have. With each of them you knew it was time but held onto it. Change is not an easy thing to do but it is necessary. God does not want us unhappy or stuck in situations that are not good for us. He wants us to move on from them and not wait. 

      When you see the writing on the wall, act on it. Really focus and pray on it. It does not help to ignore or put it off. You will just be worse off in the end. 

Until tomorrow, God Bless, and look for the writing on the wall. 

Daniel Chapter 5

King Belshazzar gave a great banquet for a thousand of his nobles, with whom he drank.Under the influence of the wine, he ordered the gold and silver vessels which Nebuchadnezzar, his father,^* had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, to be brought in so that the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines might drink from them.When the gold vessels taken from the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, had been brought in, and while the king, his nobles, his consorts, and his concubines were drinking wine from them, they praised their gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.Suddenly, opposite the lampstand, the fingers of a human hand appeared, writing on the plaster of the wall in the king’s palace. When the king saw the hand that wrote,his face became pale; his thoughts terrified him, his hip joints shook, and his knees knocked.The king shouted for the enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners to be brought in. “Whoever reads this writing and tells me what it means,” he said to the wise men of Babylon, “shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around his neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.”But though all the king’s wise men came in, none of them could either read the writing or tell the king what it meant.Then King Belshazzar was greatly terrified; his face became pale, and his nobles were thrown into confusion.When the queen heard of the discussion between the king and his nobles, she entered the banquet hall and said, “O king, live forever! Do not let your thoughts terrify you, or your face become so pale!There is a man in your kingdom in whom is a spirit of the holy gods; during the lifetime of your father he showed brilliant insight and god-like wisdom. King Nebuchadnezzar, your father, made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and diviners. Because this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar, has shown an extraordinary spirit, knowledge, and insight in interpreting dreams, explaining riddles and solving problems, let him now be summoned to tell you what this means.”Then Daniel was brought into the presence of the king. The king asked him, “Are you the Daniel, one of the Jewish exiles, whom my father, the king, brought from Judah? I have heard that the spirit of the gods is in you, that you have shown brilliant insight and extraordinary wisdom.The wise men and enchanters were brought in to me to read this writing and tell me its meaning, but they could not say what the words meant.But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems; now, if you are able to read the writing and tell me what it means, you shall be clothed in purple, wear a chain of gold around your neck, and be third in governing the kingdom.”Daniel answered the king: “You may keep your gifts, or give your presents to someone else; but the writing I will read for the king, and tell what it means.The Most High God gave your father Nebuchadnezzar kingship, greatness, splendor, and majesty.Because he made him so great, the nations and peoples of every language dreaded and feared him. Whomever he willed, he would kill or let live; whomever he willed, he would exalt or humble.But when his heart became proud and his spirit hardened by insolence, he was put down from his royal throne and deprived of his glory; he was cast out from human society and his heart was made like that of a beast; he lived with wild asses, and ate grass like an ox; his body was bathed with the dew of heaven, until he learned that the Most High God is sovereign over human kingship and sets over it whom he will.You, his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this; you have rebelled against the Lord of heaven. You had the vessels of his temple brought before you, so that you and your nobles, your consorts and your concubines, might drink wine from them; and you praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, that neither see nor hear nor have intelligence. But the God in whose hand is your very breath and the whole course of your life, you did not glorify.By him was the hand sent, and the writing set down.“This is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, TEKEL, and PERES.^* These words mean: MENE, God has numbered your kingdom and put an end to it; TEKEL, you have been weighed on the scales and found wanting;PERES, your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”Then by order of Belshazzar they clothed Daniel in purple, with a chain of gold around his neck, and proclaimed him third in governing the kingdom.That very night Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was slain.