About Judgment
“Then King Belshazzar became greatly terrified and his face turned pale, and his lords were perplexed.”
Nebuchadnezzar was gone, and a new king reigned in his place. Belshazzar displayed his arrogance by sending for the vessels captured from the Temple in Jerusalem, and using them for wine drinking. To his sin of self-importance he added the sin of idolatry by worshipping gods of silver, gold, and other materials. Perhaps he thought a God whose people were captives was a god without power. What a mistake!
Immediately God revealed a judgment on Belshazzar through mysterious writing on the wall. The king would soon learn who was in charge of events. Arrogance would not go unpunished.
Even though the wise men of Babylon had proven useless before, Belshazzar offered great rewards for the interpretation of this writing. Once again they failed. Money and power cannot buy wisdom. Through the intervention of the queen, Daniel once more came with the interpretation, a gift from God.
The Moving Finger writes, and having writ
Moves on, nor all thy Piety or Wit
Shall have it back to cancel half a line
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
from Omar Khayyam by Edward Fitzgerald
For Reflection: What would the finger write about me?
A Prayer Seed:
O God, Thou art the Father of all that have believed:
From whom all hosts of angels have life and power received.
O God, Thou art the Maker of all created things,
The righteous Judge of judges, Th’ almighty King of Kings.
St. Columba (521-597)
