How does Daniel 5:4 connect to the First Commandment in Exodus 20:3? Text of the Verses • Daniel 5:4: “As they drank the wine, they praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.” • Exodus 20:3: “You shall have no other gods before Me.” Historical Snapshot • Daniel 5 records Belshazzar’s feast during Babylon’s final hours. • The king uses vessels taken from the Jerusalem temple (vv. 2-3), trivializing what God had consecrated. • In that moment of reckless revelry, the king and his nobles openly celebrate idols crafted from precious metals and common materials. • Their blasphemous party is immediately interrupted by the divine handwriting on the wall, signaling God’s judgment (vv. 5-6, 25-28). Direct Links to the First Commandment • Open Idolatry – Exodus 20:3 forbids acknowledging any deity except the LORD. – Daniel 5:4 showcases deliberate praise of “gods” made by human hands, flaunting disobedience to the First Commandment. • Elevating Created Things Above the Creator – The images in Daniel 5 are fashioned from God’s own resources—gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, stone (cf. Isaiah 44:9-20). – Exodus 20:3 insists the Creator alone is worthy of worship; Daniel 5 displays humans exalting creation instead of the Creator (Romans 1:22-23). • Immediate Consequences – The First Commandment carries inherent blessing for obedience (Exodus 20:6) and warning for disobedience (Exodus 20:5). – In Daniel 5, judgment is swift: “MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN” (v. 25). That very night Babylon falls (v. 30), underlining that God will not share His glory with idols (Isaiah 42:8). Spiritual Takeaways • God’s exclusivity in worship is timeless; what angered Him in Exodus is the same sin exposed in Babylon. • Misusing holy things (Daniel 5:2-3) while praising idols intensifies guilt; sacred objects cannot cloak idolatry. • National security, wealth, or cultural sophistication cannot shield a people who discard the First Commandment; Babylon’s fall is a sober reminder. Supporting Passages • Deuteronomy 6:14-15 — abandoning other gods prevents the LORD’s wrath. • Psalm 115:4-8 — idols are powerless; those who trust them become like them. • 1 Corinthians 10:19-22 — believers must flee idolatry, recognizing that pagan worship provokes the Lord to jealousy. |
    |