One day in ancient Babylon King Belshazzar was throwing a party for one thousand of the most prominent people in Babylon. There were musicians, the concubines were dancing and entertaining the men, they were all getting drunk on wine which they were drinking from the gold and silver goblets that king Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem (the same cups that caught the blood from the neck of the lambs that were sacrificed for the sins of the people). They were raising their goblets toasting and praising their gods of gold and silver and bronze, their gods of iron and wood and stone when all of a sudden complete silence fell on the kings wild party - a hand without an arm appeared out of nowhere and began writing on the wall. As the king watched, the Bible says he became so frightened his face turned pale, his knees knocked together and his legs gave out. But he can not make any sense of the writing and he says “it’s just foolishness.” He sends for his astrologers and diviners to tell him what the writing means but it was as much of a mystery to them as it was to the king. Then the queen walks into the great banquet hall and says to the king “Call for Daniel. He will tell you what it means.” The kings men find Daniel and take him to meet the mightiest man in the world. A man who Daniel had loyally served for sixteen years but had never spoken to. Daniel tells the king what the writing on the wall means. He says to the king, “First, it says that God has numbered the days of your reign as king - Secondly, it says that you have been weighed in the balances and have been found wanting - and third, it says that your kingdom is going to be divided and given to the Medes and the Persians.” But Belshazzar shakes off his initial fright and refuses to believe the writing. It’s his last opportunity to repent but his heart remains as hard as it ever was. As the king foolishly says “I refuse to believe this writing and I refuse to repent” at that same moment the Medes and the Persians are digging under the wall of the city, and within a matter of just a few hours - the king is dead. The Medes and the Persians take over the city, and the kings corpse lays in the great banquet hall amidst the gold and silver temple goblets, still filled with wine.
Belshazzar died the same way that he lived - without God - and without hope.
Each of us need to take note of those words written on the wall, “You have been weighed in the balances, and have been found wanting.” When your days reach their end and your life is weighed in the balances will the evidence show that you thought more of money than you did God? Will it show that you thought more of your home, or your alcohol, or your drugs, or your job. Are you allowing any of these things, or some other thing, to become your God in life? No matter what it may be, If you place anything at all ahead of or above God - if anything at all on your list of important things in life is listed above God then that thing has become your God, and it is separating you from the one true God.
One day there was a young man dressed in very rich apparel who went running up to Jesus, he fell down on his knees and said, “Good Master, what must I do to inherit eternal life? What must I do to be sure that I will go to Heaven?” Now everyone else saw this young man as very rich and powerful but Jesus looked deep into the young man’s soul and saw what the rest of the world could not see. He saw a young man with a great hunger in his heart. A young mad who literally had it all and yet he was not satisfied. He longed for peace and joy and hope and yet nothing among all of his possessions nor even his great power had ever given him what his heart truly longed for. And you know our world today is filled with people just like this young man. People running everywhere looking for new thrills that they hope will satisfy their desperation and their emptiness but nothing satisfies them. No matter what they try, deep down on the inside there is still that overwhelming sense of emptiness.
Jesus tells this rich young man that he must keep the commandments, and the ones He points out are the ones that have to do with our relationships with others - "Thou shalt not commit adultery - Thou shalt not kill - Thou shalt not steal - Thou shalt not bear false witness - Thou shalt honor thy father and thy mother,” - and the rich young ruler lifts his head in pride and says “I have kept these commandments all of my life” and Jesus said to him, “You lack one thing. Go and sell all that you have and give the money to the poor. And then take up your Cross, and follow Me.” This young man was not a thief, he was not a murderer or an adulterer. He had morality. He could honestly say to Jesus “I have lived a clean life all of my days.” But it’s not a person’s goodness that saves them. This rich young ruler also came at the right time. The time to come to Christ is when you are young. The Bible says “remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth.” Ninety five percent of those who become Christians do so before the age of twenty five. This young man had humility, (he came to Jesus and knelt before Him). He also fasted and tithed, and he came seeking the right thing - eternal life. He also came to the right place - he came to Jesus - the only one in all the world Who could give him what his heart hungered for. So then what did this rich young ruler do wrong? What was his sin? His sin - was his love of money. He didn’t want to give it up. He was breaking the first commandment, “Thou shalt have no other God’s before Me.” He wanted eternal life but he wanted it on his own terms. He rejected the only way of salvation because of his love for money. He had allowed it to become his God. Jesus offered this rich young man a home in Heaven. He told him that if he would follow Him he would have treasures in Heaven, but he rejected Jesus’ offer because he could not have it on his own terms. So the young man turned away from Jesus and it was all over in that one moment. He had made his decision. He had just made the biggest mistake of his life. And the Bible says that he walked away in sorrow. Many people in the world today are doing the very same thing, holding on to things of the world and in the process giving up eternal life. But it doesn’t have to be money it can be anything, anything at all that you give more prominence to and place ahead of Jesus Christ in your life.
Many people take very lightly the fact that Jesus is going to return. This great and wonderful promise is constantly at the forefront of my mind. Those who do not anxiously look forward to that day are those who are not ready for that day. And when He does return judgment will take place. Your life will be “weighed in the balances.” The Bible says that “God has appointed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness by that Man Whom He hath ordained” (Acts 17:31). We will be judged not only by those things that we did, but also by those things that we neglected to do. “And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be” (Revelation 22:12). Belshazzar neglected to heed the writing on the wall - he neglected to repent - and he paid the price. The rich young ruler refused to give up his love for money - and he paid the price. What about you? When that day comes and you are “weighed in the balances” will it show that Christ had first place in your life? Will it show that the way you lived was a proper pattern for others to follow? As a Christian the way that you live and the things that you do and say are of paramount importance. Many people will not read the Bible but they will read a Christian.
Are you prepared for that day? Are you prepared to be “weighed in the balances?” The Bible says that a wise person prepares for that day but the foolish ignore it and suffer the consequences. If you have not invited Jesus Christ into your heart and given Him first place in your life you can do that right now. It doesn’t matter who you are Jesus is waiting and ready to give you a brand new life. A life of hope and peace. A life filled with the assurance of your eternal home in Heaven. All you need to do is go to Him in prayer and say “Lord I know that I am a sinner. I come to you at the foot of your blood-stained Cross with all of my sins, repenting of my sins, and asking your forgiveness of my sins. I ask You to come into my heart and take complete control of my life. Guide me in the way of righteousness and give me the strength to follow You every day.” Jesus said that anyone who comes to Him in true repentance He will in no wise cast out - He will not turn you away. Don’t put it off another moment. “Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near” (Isaiah 55:6). Go to Him today and make sure that you are prepared to be “weighed in the balances.”
God bless you,
Mark Shutts
