What does "weighed on the scales" in Daniel 5:27 reveal about God's judgment? Setting the Scene • The prophet Daniel stands before King Belshazzar and interprets the mysterious handwriting on the palace wall. • Daniel 5:27: “TEKEL means that you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient.” • God’s verdict arrives in a single line—short, clear, irreversible. Understanding the Ancient Scales • In Babylon, merchants used precision balances to ensure fair trade. • Just as crooked weights exposed dishonesty, perfect weights exposed Belshazzar’s moral bankruptcy (Proverbs 16:11). • The image is not poetic flourish; it is a courtroom declaration. God, the divine Judge, has completed the measurement. God’s Judgment Is Precise • He does not guess or approximate; He measures with absolute accuracy (Job 31:6). • No hidden motive or secret act escapes His assessment (Jeremiah 17:10). • Belshazzar’s reign was examined in its entirety, not merely one night’s behavior. God’s Judgment Is Personal • “You have been weighed”—the focus is the individual before God. • Titles, accomplishments, and royal lineage did not tip the balance. • 1 Samuel 2:3 reminds us, “By Him actions are weighed,” pointing every heart to personal accountability. God’s Judgment Is Perfectly Just • The standard is God’s own holiness; anything less is “deficient.” • Romans 2:2 affirms that “God’s judgment against those who practice such things is based on truth.” • Unlike human courts, divine justice is never biased, delayed, or appealed. God’s Judgment Is Final • Once the scales tip, the sentence is fixed: “Peres—your kingdom is divided” (Daniel 5:28). • In one night Babylon’s empire falls, illustrating Hebrews 10:31: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” How This Truth Speaks to Us Today • Every life will be weighed (2 Corinthians 5:10; Revelation 20:12). • On our own, we all come up light—“all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). • Christ alone balances the scale for those who trust Him (2 Corinthians 5:21). • Believers rest in His righteousness yet live soberly, knowing they will still give an account (Romans 14:12). |
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