For today, One Year Bible Online links here.

    Those who work hard will have enough to eat. Those who are trustworthy will be rewarded. However, those who are constantly seeking to get rich quick, especially by taking advantage of others, or who think there are ways to wealth that do not involve hard work will end up in poverty.

    God has promised that He will sustain those who love and follow His decrees. Our only hope is in God’s regulations and promises. It is only by studying His instructions and following them that we will gain wisdom. Let us study the word of God because that is the source of wisdom and discernment. It is by studying God’s will that we learn to do what is right. When we do what is right we find joy.

    Just as there were false prophets in Israel in the days of Jeremiah and Isaiah there will be false teachers among the believers today. They will make up stories and false teachings in order to get money from people. These teachers, who preach a false gospel, will cause unbelievers to slander Christ’s teachings and those of His Church. The righteous will be rescued out from among them, but those who see through their lies will be few in number, as were Job, Noah and their families in their day.
    This passage gives a good starting point for recognizing false teachers. They exhibit greed and are constantly seeking money. All the time dressing in fancy clothes and driving expensive cars that those they are asking money from could not themselves afford. They are arrogant, scoffing at supernatural beings and claiming power over them that not even angels would claim. Rather than seeking greater knowledge and understanding, they scoff at and belittle those who believe things they do not understand. They brag about themselves and lure others into sins, using warped sexual desires and greed to do so. They claim that sexual “liberation” is the path to freedom, when in fact it is just a path to being enslaved by sin. If we allow our sexual desires to control us and define who we are, we are not free. Anyone who claims that indulging our sexual desires is freedom is a false teacher.

    Today’s passage describes the fall of Babylon. We know from other historical sources that Babylon was already under siege by the Medes and Persians when this takes place. With their city under siege, the rich and politically connected chose to feast and drink. At a time when they should have been preparing to do whatever they could to defend their city and been rationing their food and drink in order to withstand a siege, instead they indulged in drunken debauchery. The decision to use the goblets from the Jerusalem Temple as common drinking vessels is not so much an additional affront as it is illustrative of their disregard of propriety and responsibility.
    It is from this passage that we derive the phrases, “I can see the writing on the wall” and “I can read the writing on the wall.” We use these phrases interchangeably, but in actuality they express two different thoughts. Everybody at this party could SEE the writing on the wall. They all knew instinctively that it was a frightening portent. But only Daniel could READ it. Even those who know the difference often use these two phrases in ways that do not fit the story. By the time the writing on the wall appears, it is too late to do anything but flee, and it may already be too late for that.
    When Daniel interprets the writing on the wall he tells the people present that they knew what had happened in the past. They knew how Nebuchadnezzar had been humbled because he had become too arrogant and proud. Even with the example of Nebuchadnezzar, they set themselves up as above the gods and above God. They arrogantly assumed that they were too mighty and powerful to ever suffer. Even though they knew that Nebuchadnezzar, who had been a greater and more powerful man than they could ever hope to be, had been brought low and forced to recognize a power greater than himself, they refused to do the same. Whenever anyone makes that mistake, it is only a matter of time until they are brought low. Usually that time will not be very long, just as it was not in this passage.

     I am using One Year Bible Online for my daily Bible study. For today, One Year Bible Online links here. I have found that by writing this daily blog of what I see when I read these scriptures, I get more out of them. I hope that by posting these ruminations others may get some benefit as well. In order to make that possible I read the passages and write my thoughts a day in advance. If you have any thoughts or comments regarding these verses or what I have written about them, please post them.

     Nebuchadnezzar’s successor, King Belshazzar, threw a feast. During the feast he decided to demonstrate his power by bringing the cups which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple in Jerusalem and using them to praise and worship his gods. While they ate and drank, giving praise to the many idols which they worshiped, a hand appeared and wrote on the wall. He called for his wise men to tell him what the writing meant, but none of them could read it. He and his court were struck with terror. The queen mother heard the commotion and told him to send for Daniel. When Daniel arrived, King Belshazzar offered him great honors if he could tell him what the writing meant. Daniel declined the honors and read the message.
     This story is about what happens when someone comes to believe that they are in the position they are in because they are more deserving of honor than others. We are in whatever position we are in in life because God desires to make use of us there. The good things do not happen because we are better than others, or more deserving. The bad things do not happen because we are worse than others, or less deserving. In both cases, God puts us in that situation so that we can serve Him. When we fail to use the circumstances we find ourselves in to serve God, things can only get worse as illustrated in this story.

     Peter tells us that just as their were false prophets among the people of Israel there will be false teachers among the followers of Christ. These teachers will teach clever but destructive heresies, things which sound much like the truth but contain twists which destroy. He explains how we can recognize them by their greed and immorality. They will teach that immorality is not immoral. They appeal to twisted sexual desires and to greed. They promise freedom but are themselves slaves to sin and selfish desires. I read this and it is as if he is speaking to those of today who proclaim that sexual immorality is not immoral and those who proclaim that following God will result in becoming wealthy and having all of one’s material desires satisfied.
     Sandwiched in the middle of his prophecies against false teachers is a promise to those who are faithful. He points out that Noah and Job both lived in the midst of wicked people, people whose wickedness would lead to their destruction. Yet in both cases God provided rescue. God delivered both Noah and Job from the destruction He was about to bring upon the people among whom they lived. Neither Job nor Noah lived lives as examples of perfect moral behavior. However, both were deemed righteous by God because they strove to worship and obey Him, despite their human weaknesses. Let us today stand as witnesses to those around us and call them to turn from their wickedness. Destruction is coming, but I will not fear it because God has promised to save those who strive to serve Him. I am deserving of God’s judgment, but I have faith that. through Christ Jesus, He will have mercy on me.

     The psalmist warns us against divided loyalties. We cannot be loyal to both God and material desires. I will seek to follow God’s commands and serve Him all of my days. I will put my hope and trust in Him. I will not take the counsel of evil-minded people, instead I will study the Lord’s word and obey His commands. This psalm touches me deeply today and raises my spirits when so much is going wrong. I have been truly blessed by God.

     It is through hard work that our needs are met, those who pursue get-rich-quick schemes and fantasies of wealth end up in poverty.