NOT HEAVY ENOUGH

“TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting” (Dan. 5:27 NKJV).

Our verse recalls a portion of the dramatic scene in the palace of the Babylonian king the night Babylon fell to the Persians. King Belshazzar was having a feast in his palace which was flowing with drink. He then ordered that the sacred vessels which had been taken from the Temple in Jerusalem, be brought in so that his guests could drink from them. Alcohol does not improve piety! This provoked God. Suddenly, a hand appeared and wrote four words on the wall. This caused great fear upon those at the feast. The words were in a language no one understood. When no one could interpret the words, Belshazzar called for Daniel to interpret them. He interpreted the words which announced great judgment upon Babylon and its king. Our verse focuses on the interpretation of the third of the four words. It says the king did not weigh enough on God’s scales. This tells us that earthly prosperity, position, and pleasures do not weigh much on God’s scale.

Prosperity - Belshazzar had riches in abundance. But that does not carry any weight with God. It is righteousness not riches that weighs much with God.

Position - Belshazzar was king of a great nation. He had high position in the world. His position made him famous and powerful with men but not with God; earthly position and power do not weigh much on God’s scales. It is piety and purity, not position and power that weighs much with God.

Pleasures – It seemed Belshazzar had indulged in every form of pleasure. But the pleasures of this world does not weigh much on God’s scales, since this kind of pleasure often corrupts. Giving oneself to a pursuit of earthly pleasures, means an eternity that will be anything but pleasurable.

(Adapted from Analytical Biblical Expositor)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Heaven will pay for the loss of anything that we can lose to get it, but nothing can pay for the loss of heaven!”

Richard Baxter (1615 – 1691)

English Puritan Pastor, Poet, Theologian and Hymnodist

Word Study

Encouragement

In Phil. 2:1 we read, “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion!” (NASB).

Encouragement is the Greek word paráklēsis (παράκλησις =par-ak'-lay-sis). It is made up of two words: “pará” which means alongside, and “kaléo” which means to call. Thus, the word means to call one alongside, to call someone to oneself. In classic Greek paráklēsis was used as a summons, a demand or request, an appeal, and also as an exhortation. In the Septuagint, paráklēsis carries the idea of comfort and counsel. In the New Testament, paráklēsis carries the idea of coming alongside someone to give assistance by offering comfort, counsel, or exhortation. In the primary sense, it is to urge someone to take some action, especially some ethical course of action.

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest” (Josh. 1:9 KJV).

Did You Know…

According to 1 Tim. 3:15, the church is referred as the “pillar and ground of the truth.”

Bible Quiz

What was the curse God put upon the serpent who deceived Eve?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: What happened to Korah who spoke against Moses in the wilderness? The earth opened up and swallowed him alive (Num. 16:31-33).

Names For God Found in the Bible

“REFINER”

"But who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears? For He is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer's soap” (Ma. 3:2 NKJV).

1. Meaning – REFINER refers to God as the refiner, the One who cleanses and makes clean.

2. Insights – Here Malachi is saying that the Lord is like a “refiner’s fire,” that is, the Lord first has to bring judgment in order to bring blessing. Just as the refiner puts gold and silver in the flame to burn off the dross, God has to refine and purify his people. He must remove what does not belong so they can receive His covenantal blessings.

Did You Know...Christian History

Henry Allan “Harry” Ironside was born October 14, 1876 in Toronto, Canada. He was a Canadian-American Bible teacher, preacher, theologian, pastor, and author.

When Ironside was born, he was laid aside for dead because his mother was in a bad state and needed of all the attention she could get to remain alive. A nurse detected a feeble pulse in him, popped him into a bath of hot water and he quickly exercised the vocal cords which would declare Christ to millions of listeners over the course of his life.

By the time he was four, Ironside had memorized his first scripture verse. He became a great student of the Bible, reading it through fourteen times by the time he was fourteen years old. This however, did not bring him peace. Terrified of eternal death, he held tent meetings and services for children but, when asked if he was born again, could only stammer. But at fourteen years of age, he trusted Christ for forgiveness of his sins.

Now he began to preach in earnest. At that time, he was associated with the Salvation Army. For five years he preached almost nonstop. Leaving the Salvation Army, he became associated with the Plymouth Brethren. Despite only an eighth-grade education, Ironside became one of the world’s best-known and best-beloved Bible teachers, traveling the globe to give messages. Never ordained, he nonetheless pastored Moody Memorial Church in Chicago for eighteen years.

From 1916 to 1929, Ironside preached almost 7,000 sermons to over 1.25 million listeners. In 1918, he was associated with evangelist George McPherson; and in 1924, Ironside began preaching under the direction of the Moody Bible Institute. In 1926, he was invited to a full-time faculty position at the Dallas Theological Seminary. He turned it down, but was a frequent visiting lecturer there from 1925 to 1943.

Ironside was one of the most prolific Christian writers of the 20th Century and published more than 100 books, booklets and pamphlets, a number of which are still in print. He also wrote a number of hymns including “Overshadowed.” Along with others such as Cyrus Scofield, he was influential in popularizing dispensationalism among Protestants in North America. Despite his lack of formal education, his tremendous mental capacity, photographic memory and zeal for his beliefs caused him to be called, “the Archbishop of Fundamentalism.” He was presented with an honorary Doctorate of Letters degree by Wheaton College, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree by Bob Jones University.

Ironside was on a preaching tour in New Zealand in 1951 when he died following a heart attack.

A Little Humor

At the end of the day, a policeman parked his van in front of the station. As he was gathering his equipment, his dog started barking. The policeman looked up to see a puzzled looking little boy. “Is that a dog you have back there?” “Yes, it is,” said the policeman. “What did he do?” asked the boy nervously.

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“Heaven and hell are in opposite directions, and no man can go both ways at the same time!”