God’s message to mockers

By Greg Laurie

Although it’s true that God is unbelievably patient and longsuffering toward us, there comes a moment when enough is enough, when the hammer drops, when the line is drawn, when the judgment is made.

Belshazzar was a man who thought he could openly and continually defy – and even mock – God and not pay a price. He was the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar, who was the most powerful man on earth in his day. There was no individual more famous and more wealthy than Nebuchadnezzar. He had everything going for him.

God had sent the prophet Daniel to Nebuchadnezzar, telling him that he needed to get his life right with God. But Nebuchadnezzar disregarded that and went on his way, doing what he wanted to do. So God’s judgment came upon him. But during that time of judgment, Nebuchadnezzar came to his senses and then used his considerable position as the king to send out a decree telling all the subjects in his realm that he was now a believer in the true God.

About a year later, Nebuchadnezzar died, and sometime afterward, his descendant Belshazzar was ruling in his place. I believe that Belshazzar had been taught the things of God because the prophet Daniel said to him, “But you, Belshazzar … have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this” (Daniel 5:22 NIV, emphasis added). Belshazzar had heard about God. He had heard what was true. But he went out of his way to defy those standards.

The Bible warns, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life” (Galatians 6:7–8 NIV).

The J.B. Phillips translation puts it this way: “Don’t be under any illusion: you cannot make a fool of God! A man’s harvest in life will depend entirely on what he sows. If he sows for his own lower nature his harvest will be the decay and death of his own nature. But if he sows for the Spirit he will reap the harvest of everlasting life by that Spirit.”

Do you appreciate Greg Laurie’s challenging spiritual insights? Check out the WND Superstore’s extensive Laurie section of books and devotionals

Although Belshazzar’s grandfather was a great believer, Belshazzar had no interest in God and no interest in spiritual truth. He was young. He was powerful. He was the king – and no one was going to tell him how to live.

But one night Belshazzar not only went out of his way to mock God, but apparently challenged the living God to a fight.

It wasn’t enough that he and his nobles were drunk. It wasn’t enough that his wives and concubines had been brought in. But he said, in effect, “I have an idea. Let’s go and get those cups that the Jews used in their celebration and worship of God. Let’s fill them with wine and then toast our false gods. That would really be fun.” So they brought in these vessels and began to mock God.

What a fool this young king was, because outside the walls of Babylon at that very moment were King Cyrus of Persia and his military forces.

Now, Babylon was an incredible city, surrounded by 87-foot-thick walls that stood 350 feet high, with 250 watchtowers. The walls were large enough for six chariots to ride abreast around the circumference of the city. Surrounded by those massive walls with all of those watchtowers and all of the military at his beck and call, Belshazzar must have felt safe.

Ironically, according to a historical account, his father was out on the battlefield facing off with Cyrus and his forces. You would think that Belshazzar would have been assisting his father. You would think that he would have been doing what he could to hold the city. But instead, he basically said, “Who cares about Dad out there on the battlefield? Let’s party!”

Adding to this is another interesting fact. God’s prophets Isaiah and Jeremiah had specifically foretold the destruction of Babylon. Yet Belshazzar was oblivious to it all.

Belshazzar wasn’t satisfied to just sin. He had to really sin. He had to push it as far as he could until he saw the handwriting on the wall. And because Belshazzar couldn’t read the handwriting, the prophet Daniel was called in to interpret it for him. He recounted to Belshazzar the dramatic story of his grandfather’s conversion. But then he said, “You are his successor, O Belshazzar, and you knew all this, yet you have not humbled yourself. For you have proudly defied the Lord of heaven and have had these cups from his Temple brought before you. You and your nobles and your wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood, and stone – gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not honored the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny!” (Daniel 5:22–23 NLT)

What a statement. How gutsy. How bold. Belshazzar knew better. Daniel was saying, “You knew this, and you sinned in spite of that fact. Here is what your real sin is: God gave you the very breath you are drawing right now, but you have not glorified him.”

The Bible concludes the story of Belshazzar with this: “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Babylonians, was slain, and Darius the Mede took over the kingdom, at the age of sixty-two” (verses 30–31 NIV).

The modern world has its own Belshazzars who mock God, laugh at his standards, and rebel against him – and they die bitter deaths after lonely lives. And then there are those who wise up, and instead of fighting with God, they realize that he loves them. Instead of running from God, they run to Him.

Those who mock God, those who make a joke out of these things and laugh at Christians and their beliefs should know this: God is not mocked. Many people have tried. And like Belshazzar, they have failed.

There is a last night for everyone … a last meal … a last statement … a last breath – and then eternity.

Greg Laurie

Greg Laurie is the senior pastor of Harvest Christian Fellowship, with campuses in California and Hawaii. Greg hosts the nationally syndicated radio program "A New Beginning," and he is also the founder and featured speaker for Harvest Crusades and Harvest America. Over 600,000 people have made professions of faith through these outreaches. Greg has been married to his wife, Cathe, for more than 40 years, and they have two sons, Christopher and Jonathan. Greg and Cathe also have five grandchildren. Greg also speaks at a special Sunday morning online service every Sunday called "Harvest At Home." You can see it and other resources from Greg Laurie at www.harvest.org. Read more of Greg Laurie's articles here.


Leave a Comment