Episode 8 Deathly Fingers!

The Mountain Audio

Daniel 5:27 “...the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have dishonored. The fingers of the hand were sent from Him”
Human fingers appeared out of thin air and began writing on the wall. What was happening? A thousand partiers had done the unspeakable.
Years before, the king's dad or granddad conquered Daniel's hometown, Jerusalem. He took holy objects from the temple there and carried them to Babylon.
Now, years later, the kid has become king and commands a servant to get the holy objects for his party. They drink and party with golden offering cups made for God- a BAD idea!
God stepped in. No one would desecrate His holy things. He wrote a terrible judgement right on the wall.
Here it is: MENE (may-nay), MENE, TEKEL, U'PHAR'SIN.
A woman in the crowd told the king, “I remember this guy who knows about secrets, Daniel.”
Daniel was called and interpreted the writing on the wall. Not good!
“King...God has weighed you. Your evil life, combined with trashing God's holy things, shows you weigh nothing. Tonight your life ends and this kingdom is over.”
That very night, enemy troops slipped into Babylon, captured the city, and executed the king; just as God said through Daniel just hours earlier.
Dishonoring God will cost. It can cost physical life as it did the young king. It can cost the eternal soul as well. Some will curse God and pay a terrible price like the king. But... you and I can honor God like Daniel. The result? A rich fulfilling life, meaningful work and good relationships. All the best of life!
Daniel's test- http://bit.ly/hungrylions
Backstory:
Babylon no long exists as a city. Its ruins now lie within modern day Baghdad. It has a long history. In our story, we see the brutal end of a brutal kingdom and a new kingdom rise- Medo-Persia led by King Darius. While the details vary with historians, the short and bitter of that terrible night goes like this.
Babylon was a strongly fortified city with gigantic walls. The Tigris River watered the areas around and through the city. It flowed thru gates under the walls. The surrounding armies were stymied by the imposing walls and the sharpshooter bowmen. But...Darius was not to be deprived. He and his commanders found an “outside the box” solution. “If we can't go over the walls, let's go under!” They waited until a party night (We don't know which celebration it was. Daniel 5 says there was an “event”.) When all the revelers were soused and sauced, the Medo-Persians struck. Commandos slipped through the gates or bars where the Tigris flowed under the walls. Deadly knives and swords finished off guards in the dark until they reached and opened the gates. Then it was a fait accompli. The victors poured into the city killing and conquering. The palace fell, Belshazzar fell before King Darius and the terrible prophecy “Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin” was fulfilled. Shake your fist in God's face and no one stands...judgement will come.
King Belshazzar mocked God and died brutally. Daniel honored God and his life continued. King Darius took over and Daniel became his prime minister. But... as you heard in Ep 7, there was a BIG test ahead!
Daniel's test- http://bit.ly/hungrylions