POWER OF THE WRITING HAND (1)

“In the same hour the FINGERS of a MAN’S HAND appeared and WROTE opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the king’s palace…” – Daniel 5:5a

Today’s text illustrates the POWER of the WRITING HAND: “In the same hour the FINGERS of a MAN’S HAND appeared and WROTE opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the king’s palace; and the king saw that part of the hand that wrote” (Dan.5:5). This passage describes a feast made by King Belshazzar, attended with drunkenness, idolatry, and sacrilege of the vessels taken out of the temple at Jerusalem (vv.1-4). God’s displeasure was signified by a handwriting on the wall, which terrified the king, and caused him to send hastily for the astrologers and soothsayers to read and interpret it, but they couldn’t (vv.5-8). In the visible distress of the king and his nobles, the queen mother advised him to send for Daniel, of whom she gave a great encomium (vv.9-12). Daniel was brought in to the king, and promised a great reward to read and interpret the writing; the reward he slighted, but promised to read and interpret the writing (vv.13-17).

As Belshazzar’s wild party ensued, suddenly the fingers of a man’s hand emerged and began writing opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, so he could clearly see the back of the writing hand. His face grew pale with fear, his thoughts alarmed him, his hip joints went slack and his knees buckled. The writing was an inscription that parodied Assyrian or Babylonian official writing. Just as the King of Babylon inscribed words on statues or walls, so the Lord inscribed His own imperial edict for the king. The hand was sent out by God, indicative of His Imperial Rule. A king would not go himself and inscribe a message on a wall. He would send an emissary to do it for him. The Sovereign Lord sent an invisible envoy to inscribe words on the wall of Belshazzar’s chambers.

The Handwriting on the Wall comprised four words: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN (Dan.5:25). Daniel interpreted the writing to mean: God had numbered Belshazzar’s days; weighed him in the balance and found him wanting; the kingdom would be split between the Medes and Persians; and he would not outlive the night! The Persians captured the city that night and Belshazzar was killed.

Although the handwriting on the wall was a phenomenon that no man, only God, can really explain, it underlines the Power of the Writing Hand. God Himself Writes! He said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and be there; and I will give you tablets of stone, and the law and commandments which I HAVE WRITTEN, that you may teach them” (Exo.24:12). Moses was given “two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the Finger of God” (Exo.31:18b; Dt.9:10a). Exodus 32:16 affirms: “Now the tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God engraved on the tablets.” When the first pair of tablets broke, God wrote on newly cut tablets (Exo.34:1).

God Values Writing. Over the ages He has inspired men to put His thoughts and words into writing, as part of His eternal testaments, and for humanity’s instruction (Job 32:8; 2Tim.3:16-17; 2Pet.1: 19-21). Collectively these make up the Scriptures, the Bible. Deuteronomy 32:24 confirms that, “Moses had completed writing the words of this law in a book, when they were finished.” Joshua also did: “Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the Law of God” (Jos.24:26a). God instructed Jeremiah: “Write in a book for yourself all the words that I have spoken to you” (Jer.30:2). Luke began his Gospel as follows: “It seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account. Most excellent Theophilus” (Lk.1:3). The epistles are God’s Heart written to His people.

Paul wrote: “See with what large letters I have written you WITH MY OWN HAND!” (Gal.6:11). Peter also: “Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle…” (2Pet.3:1a). The Power of the Writing Hand has touched and transformed generations of souls and continues still!