King Belshazzar is not wise. In fact, he does one of the most unwise things possible: he praises false gods—those of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone—while holding a holy object. (Have you noticed he made this mistake while drinking too much alcohol?) Daniel is so wise, however, that his good judgment has been remembered by the king’s mother. People will notice that, when you trust in the Most High God, your choices will speak for themselves.
The LORD detests all the proud of heart.
Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished.
Many sayings that we still commonly use today came from the Bible. The phrase, “You could read the writing on the wall”means that you can tell something (usually something bad) is likely to happen soon. This saying comes from this Bible story in the book of Daniel. How about the phrase “a drop in the bucket” used to talk about something insignificant, often as compared to a very large quantity of something else? That comes from Isaiah 40:15. And here’s an odd one: “By the skin of my teeth.” Have you heard of this phrase that is used to talk about just barely escaping from something difficult? It’s from Job 19:20.
Ask your parents for a tube of toothpaste that you can, well, ruin. Next grab a paper plate. Now, squeeze all the toothpaste out of the tube onto the paper plate. Last, try to put the toothpaste back. . . . You can’t. Squeezing out toothpaste that can never be put back is like saying foolish, prideful things. Sometimes foolish actions can’t be undone, and King Belshazzar found that out the hard way.
Most High God, grant me wisdom so that my words will always honor You. Amen.