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The Word of Truth Ministries
Careful in touching
the Things of God [Dan. 5:25-27] |
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We are living in an irreverent age where men stand up and argue the very non-existence of God. And since there is a growing chorus of those who profess not to believe in the existence of God, there is of necessity, a decline in morality and an open defiance of God. Consequently, human beings knowingly go contrary to God's word while they play in and with the holy things of God. And because God's anger is slow toward them, this mercy and long-suffering of God cause the bold defiance and irreverence toward God by unholy men. This attitude of irreverence and blatant disrespect of God and the things of God has found its way into the church through ungodly men who traffic in holy things as play-toys. But the behavior of today finds its way in the annals of man. The Babylonian Kingdom was great and expansive. They has vanquished the Holy Land and taken the precious items from the house of God and placed in them in their treasury. One day, King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords. And feeling expansive beyond himself at that feast, it was not enough that his kingdom had the items of God's house locked away in their treasury, Belshazzar decided to go further still. While over-indulged in wine and himself, King Belshazzar commanded that the golden and silver vessels that Nebuchadnezzar, his father, had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought in that he, his princes, his wives, and concubines may drink out of them. This is today's picture of unholy men who reach their hands into holy things their unholy hands should not touch. When the vessels of God were brought to Belshazzar, he, indeed, allowed his princes and wives to drink from them as they praised their gods while doing so. But within the very hour of their doing, God said enough. With the finger of God, He wrote on the wall that Belshazzar had been weighed in the balance and found wanting. This King adventured to offend the very God of very God as far as he could think to do, as he exalted himself beyond the boundaries that God would allow. Belshazzar, like many today, failed to grasp the significance of his wrong behavior until the hand of God wrote on the wall. Then, the Bible says, he was so afraid that he knees hit one against another, as he cried for his wise men to explain what was the meaning of the writing. But all of Belshazzar's wise men could not read the writing, yet God always has a man in whom His spirit dwells and who can rightly divide God's word. The king's wife told him about Daniel; she told him of how the spirit of wisdom was upon Daniel during the days of Belshazzar's father Nebuchadnezzar. It is worth noting that Daniel had been around for a long time and unlike many today who supposedly continue in the Lord for a long time, Daniel's wisdom did not fail him; instead he grew in wisdom and a knowledge of God--and this is the plan of God. But when we go away from God it is reflected in our weakening knowledge of the Lord. Think about the many minsters who were once anointed and now cannot get a word from God; think about all the Bible that was once in them, but is no longer in them. Daniel increased in grace and knowledge, even as we are to grow in grace and in the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Daniel understood the dire message that was written on the wall and what he had to deliver to Belshazzar. And he delivered the message without fear of his life. The message that the man of God had to deliver was not a pleasant one, but the behavior of Belshazzar was not pleasant behavior before God. When men sin, the message of God's true man is not a pleasant one, and he may not be liked by those who hear it, but he must say what God gives him to say. For Amos said that the lion has roared, who will not fear; the Lord has spoken, who can but prophesy? Belshazzar had not considered what he did, as he played in and defamed the holy things of God. But Daniel read the message that God had given the king and that very night Belshazzar was killed and the kingdom was torn and given to the Medes and Persians. Many ungodly men play in things they should not play in; they casually take the things of God with defiled hands/lives; they are unworthy of positions and titles that God has ordained, prescribed, and chosen certain individuals to hold, but they reach their hands upon high for those holy positions as they wallow in unholy lives. This is peculiarly true in many ministers assuming offices and positions they do not qualify for and are unworthy of holding. These are the godly vessels they now defile even as Belshazzar defiled the vessels of God. Men and women have ascended to the lofty positions of God without regard to the qualifications God has determined for those positions. As an example, females are assuming the title and position of bishop, yet the qualifications set forth in God's word are disregarded. Many ministers are not worthy of a deacon's title and position based on their understanding of God's word and their lives, yet they reach upon high for the holy things of God. And most profane of all are those who are not even called of God, not learned in the word of God (or much of anything else) have ventured to heap upon themselves the title and position of an apostle. Time and space would fail me to delineate all the positions/vessels of God modern man, in all his unholy vainglory, has reached into the treasury of God and claimed for himself. These unworthy assumptions of titles and self-ascendancy to holy positions of God do not enhance those taking unto themselves these treasures of God. The one thing they do engender is the anger of God. Be careful to not play in the holy vessels, titles, and positions of God unless you qualify. The handwriting is already on the wall: Such a person will be weighted in the balances and be found wanting. []
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Copyright © 2002 by The Truth of God