Good morning,
I once again hit the “I have too much sermon” point in preparing for the message this week. As we move from chapter 4 to chapter 5 in the book of Daniel there is a lot of background information that is found outside of the book that helps us understand what is happening in chapter 5.
We believe that King Nebuchadnezzar died within a few years of the events in chapter 4. His death was the beginning of the end of the Babylonian Empire. The kings that came after Nebuchadnezzar were either incompetent or corrupt (or both).
It was also during this time that a new world power was starting to emerge – the Medo - Persians, led by a man named Cyrus the Great (he was probably just called Cyrus at the time). During the reign of Nebuchadnezzar all of these people groups you see in this map were loosely affiliated with each other:
Some historians refer to it as the Median Kingdom, but there is a lot of debate about that. There is very little known about many of these people groups, including the most prominent of them – the Medes. Well, Cyrus came along and began to consolidate all these kingdoms to the east of Babylon. And he started putting pressure on the Babylonians as well. With King Nebuchadnezzar no longer alive to lead the Babylonians, the empire fell apart quickly (and with some soap-opera level family drama).
The first king after Nebuchadnezzar was his son, Evil Merodach. He was a curious choice to assume the throne because he wasn’t the oldest son and actively fought with his father, even being thrown in prison at one point. In any event, he was a disaster as king and after 2 years was assassinated in a coup led by his brother-in-law, a guy named Neriglissar.
We believe that Neriglissar was already an elderly man when he married Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter and then took the throne. Neriglissar reigned for only 4 years until he died.
Before his death, Neriglissar named his son, Lebashi Marduk, as king. Labashi never had a chance. He was a kid when he was named king and the people resented him from the get-go, as they did not see him (or his father) as legitimate heirs to the throne. Within 3 months there was a coup and the kid was killed. The guy who led the coup was his cousin, Belshazzar. Belshazzar’s mom was another of Nebuchadnezzar’s daughters.
Belshazzar helped to install his own father, Nabonidus as king. We believe that Nabonidus was another wealthy older man who married a daughter of Nebuchadnezzar to gain access to the throne. Well, Nabonidus almost immediately started clashing with everyone, because he didn't worship the primary god of Babylon (Marduk). He decided to leave the city of Babylon to go expand the kingdom in its western provinces and enjoyed it so much there that he decided to live in a place called Tema in the Arabian Peninsula.
Nabonidus suffered from a skin disease and it is speculated that he lived in self-imposed exile in Tema. Since Nabonidus was away, Belshazzar was promoted to a co-kingship with his dad and ruled over Babylon until it fell. By 539 BC the Babylonian empire was on its last legs. Cyrus and the Persians had started to take Babylonian territory and Nabonidus came to Babylon to try to save the kingdom.
Nadonidus marched his army about 100 miles north of Babylon to battle Cyrus and the Medo - Persians. The Babylonians suffered a decisive loss. Nabonidus fled south and the Medo -Persians followed, swallowing up land and cities without any resistance. By October 12, 539 B.C. (yes, we know the exact date) only the city itself remained under Babylonian control. That is where the story picks up in Daniel 5.
So why is any of this important? Well, it all helps to explain how the prophecy of the statue in chapter 2 was fulfilled. Nebuchadnezzar was the head, and once he was gone the empire quickly fell. It also helps to explain the events of chapter 5, how Belshazzar got to be king (treachery, deceit, and violence) and why the Medo - Persians (they are soon just called the Persians) were welcomed by the Babylonians as they invaded the city. They had grown tired of their own kings.
I'm looking forward to continuing the story on Sunday!
Here's what's happening:
1. The Double Nickels are having a light luncheon on Sunday after the worship service.
2. Please remember to return your baby bottles to help support Cornerstone Reproductive Health on Sunday. If you didn't grab one this past Sunday there are a few still at the church that you can use when you arrive.
3. Youth Group meets next Thursday (2/13).
4. Solanco Meat Canning is right around the corner. ABCF’s slot is from 3 to 7:30 pm on March 11. Signup sheet is in the lobby. See Lloyd Kreider or Vernon Myers for more information.
5. Next men’s breakfast is on Saturday 2/22 at 8am at Kreider’s Market.
6. Onesimus Ministries is holding a breakfast fundraiser on Saturday, March 1 at Waterway Church in Oxford. See Vernon Myers for details.
7. Marriage Retreat is set for 3/7 – 3/9 in Ocean City Maryland. Information and a signup sheet are in the lobby.
We've all heard of the phrase "the handwriting is on the wall." It is said when it becomes obvious that bad news is imminent. On Sunday we look at the origin of that phrase found in Daniel 5. We'll look at how King Belshazzar reacts to the handwriting on the wall and what it means for us today.
Scott
PS – Forecast for Saturday afternoon into late Saturday night is a bit sketchy. We’ll let everyone know via email if there are any changes to the Sunday schedule.