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Sunday
The First
Lesson
Daniel 5:1-9, 13-30
1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his
lords, and drank wine before the thousand.
2 Belshazzar, whiles he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the
golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had
taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king,
and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein.
3 Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of
the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the
king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, drank in
them.
4 They
drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass,
of iron, of wood, and of stone.
5 In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote
over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of
the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that
wrote.
6 Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled
him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees
smote one against another.
7 The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans,
and the soothsayers. And the king spake, and said to the wise
men of Babylon, Whosoever shall read this writing, and show me
the interpretation thereof, shall be clothed with scarlet, and
have a chain of gold about his neck, and shall be the third ruler
in the kingdom.
8 Then came in all the king's wise men: but they could not read
the writing, nor make known to the king the interpretation thereof.
9 Then was king Belshazzar greatly troubled, and his countenance
was changed in him, and his lords were astonied.
13 Then was Daniel brought in before the king. And the king spake
and said unto Daniel, Art thou that Daniel, which art of the
children of the captivity of Judah, whom the king my father brought
out of Jewry?
14 I have even heard of thee, that the spirit of the gods is
in thee, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom
is found in thee.
15 And now the wise men, the astrologers, have been brought in
before me, that they should read this writing, and make known
unto me the interpretation thereof: but they could not show the
interpretation of the thing:
16 And I have heard of thee, that thou canst make interpretations,
and dissolve doubts: now if thou canst read the writing, and
make known to me the interpretation thereof, thou shalt be clothed
with scarlet, and have a chain of gold about thy neck, and shalt
be the third ruler in the kingdom.
17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts
be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read
the writing unto the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father
a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honour:
19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations,
and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would
he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whom he would he
set up; and whom he would he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in
pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his
glory from him:
21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was
made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses:
they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with
the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled
in the kingdom of men, and that he appointeth over it whomsoever
he will.
22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart,
though thou knewest all this;
23 But
hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have
brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy
lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them;
and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass,
iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and
the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways,
hast thou not glorified:
24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing
was written.
25 And this is the writing that was written, MENE, MENE, TEKEL,
UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of the thing: MENE; God hath numbered
thy kingdom, and finished it.
27 TEKEL;
Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.
28 PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and
Persians.
29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet,
and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation
concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
1st Lesson Questions -
Do people still praise the gods of gold, silver, brass iron, et al in our day? (V. 4, 23) Is sacrilege always punished? If I were weighed in the balances this day, would I be found wanting? (V. 27) RESOLVE.
The Second
Lesson
Romans 1:17-21, 28-32
17 For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith
to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness
and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them;
for God hath shown it unto them.
20 For
the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are
clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even
his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:
21 Because
that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither
were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their
foolish heart was darkened.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge,
God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which
are not convenient;
29 Being
filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness,
maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity;
whisperers,
30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors
of evil things, disobedient to parents,
31 Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection,
implacable, unmerciful:
32 Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such
things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure
in them that do them.
2nd Lesson Questions -
When I look around, do I see God's "eternal power and Godhead"? (V. 20) Do I glorify God and am I thankful, or are my imaginations vain? (V. 21) In verses 29-31, to which of these things am I most susceptible? RESOLVE.