In the book of Daniel, Daniel shared how “Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzar, while 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. 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. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man's hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaister of the wall of the king's palace: and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote”, and in chapter five and verse six of his book Daniel shared how, “the king’s countenance was changed” where we read,
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.
The verse reads, “Then the king's countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, …” Daniel began with the words, “then the king’s countenance” or “at that time the royal ruler and leader’s (Belshazzar) brightness, cheerfulness and splendor” “was changed” which means “existed as altered”, “and his thoughts troubled him” or “and his, the royal ruler’s, mental conceptions and cogitations frightened, dismayed and alarmed him, King Belshazzar”. Daniel shared how “King Belshazzar’s” brightness and splendor was altered and he experienced frightening cogitations when he observed the hand writing on the wall.
The verse continues, “so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another.” Daniel added the words, “so that the joints of his loins” which means “which caused the joints of his hips” “were loosed” or “became unraveled and separated”, “and his knees” which means “and his, Belshazzar’s, physical knees” “smote one against another” or “knocked one against the other”. Daniel said King Belshazzar was so frightened that the joints of his hips were separated and his “knees” began to knock one against the other.
When we consider the words in this verse, we learn through Daniel how “Belshazzar” became so frighted that his cheerfulness was altered, his cogitations were dismayed, his hip joints were set free and his “knees” were knocking. Let’s just say God got his attention. We shall see more to this story in our next verses but for now let us think about God’s involvement in this insurrection exhibited by King “Belshazzar”. God wants us to put Him first in our lives by receiving His Son Jesus who died on the cross for our sins and was raised from the dead after three days as our personal “Savior and Lord”. When we surrender to Him, He will forgive our sins, grant us everlasting life and give us His Holy Spirit who will guide us into all truth so we never have need to be afraid any longer. (See John 16:13; 1 John 1:18)
Next time Daniel shares how, “the king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
See more devotionals on the website "thewordfortodaywithray.com" or look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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