More easy and enjoyable stories in today’s reading.
I find it interesting that Daniel reported a world-shaking event in two obscure verses at the end of chapter 5, as if it weren’t important. That event was the end of the Babylonian empire as the capital city was invaded in a swift assault overnight, and the conquering Medes and Persians assumed control of the empire. History records that it literally happened that quickly, due to two Babylonians’ treasonous revelation to the Persians of a way past the city’s famously impenetrable defenses. Ancient historians describe it this way: “Cyrus diverted the Euphrates into a new channel, and guided by two deserters, marched by the dry bed into the city while the Babylonians were carousing at a feast of their gods,” the very event Daniel described in chapter 5.
We have already read in other prophets’ writings that this would be an earth-shattering event, like Joel’s description of the Day of the Lord; its occurrence was unbelievable to a large part of the world. And yet it was a simple matter for God. Why do you think He gave Nebuchadnezzar twelve months to acknowledge His sovereignty, but imposed judgment on Belshazzar immediately?
Critics had long pointed out that there was no Babylonian king named Belshazzar in recorded history, leading to the conclusion that the Bible thus is unreliable, until archaeologists uncovered evidence of his existence in 1853. That is a lesson to us not to allow man’s wisdom to undermine our faith in the truth of Scripture – all of Scripture. Man’s wisdom is limited and incomplete, as shown by the claim proven false when the dirt of years was removed to reveal facts that mankind had long forgotten.