Lightweights

When I step onto a scale, I never like what I see. I always weigh more than I want to. In fact, I can’t think of a time recently when I weighed less than I thought I did. On our scales, we typically want to weigh less. But God’s scales are different. On God’s scales, we want to weigh more, because His scales are about the weight of a life, the depth of a life, and the substance of a life.

Daniel 5 tells the story of Belshazzar, the grandson of King Nebuchadnezzar, who went out of his way to blaspheme and insult the true and living God. As he and his friends were partying away, they suddenly saw a hand writing on the plaster of the palace wall. It was a message from God himself.

Belshazzar called for the prophet Daniel to interpret the writing, and Daniel told him, "This is what these words mean: Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign and has brought it to an end. Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed on the balances and have not measured up. Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians" (verses 26–28).

Daniel was saying to Belshazzar, "You have been put on God’s divine scales, and buddy, you’re a lightweight. There is nothing of substance in your life. And now your number is up."

That night, the Medo-Persian forces were amassing outside under the leadership of Cyrus, and Belshazzar was killed.

God has given us warnings in the Scriptures just like He gave to Belshazzar. There is a last night for every person. There will be a last meal . . . a last statement . . . a last breath . . . and then eternity.