Last time I shared some thoughts about the use of artificial intelligence in Bible study. Interestingly, shortly after that there was an article on Fox News’ website that talked about the leader of a Protestant conference in Germany who chose to use AI to design and deliver a church service. The article describes the sermon and then says “Four different AI avatars took turns leading the service and reportedly drew laughter at times for their monotonous, deadpan delivery. ‘There was no heart and no soul,’ Heiderose Schmidt, 54, told the AP of the service. ‘The avatars showed no emotions at all, had no body language and were talking so fast and monotonously that it was very hard for me to concentrate on what they said.'” Then, shortly after that The Gospel Coalition published an article explaining “Why ChatGPT Can’t Produce Great Sermons“. In the conclusion of the article, the author sums it up with “AI will never replace human-authored sermons because it lacks a mind that knows God and is empowered by his Spirit.”

This brings us to Daniel Chapter 5. We read the story of one of Nebuchadnezzar’s successors, who is now king of Babylon. He didn’t learn from the mistakes Nebuchadnezzar had made, summarized in Chapter 4, in which Nebuchadnezzar, even though he had at one point acknowledged the power of God, became full of himself and dishonored God, bringing judgment on himself. When we don’t humble ourselves before God, we risk consequences.

Let’s look specifically at this story.

“King Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver that Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden vessels that had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.“

The opening sentence gives us a clue about Belshazzar’s character. It says that he “drank wine in front of” the guests. This phrasing indicates that Belshazzar was throwing the party to “perform” for his subjects – to demonstrate his greatness and power. To further accentuate this performance, he ordered that the vessels removed from the temple of God in Jerusalem be brought so he could drink from them. This was a blatant statement that he was greater than the gods of the kingdoms that had been conquered by the Babylonians.

Now, the text says that Belshazzar was the son of Nebuchadnezzar. The word for son can also be translated as successor. There had actually been over 20 years pass since the story of Chapter 4, and there had been four other kings of Babylon prior to Belshazzar. Chuck Swindoll’s study guide on Daniel has the following chart showing that Belshazzar was actually Nebuchadnezzar’s grandson.

Belshazzar encouraged his party-goers to drink from the God of Israel’s property and give praise to their own gods instead. This disdain for God led to the next events.

“Immediately the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, opposite the lampstand. And the king saw the hand as it wrote. Then the king’s color changed, and his thoughts alarmed him; his limbs gave way, and his knees knocked together. The king called loudly to bring in the enchanters, the Chaldeans, and the astrologers. The king declared to the wise men of Babylon, “Whoever reads this writing, and shows me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.” Then all the king’s wise men came in, but they could not read the writing or make known to the king the interpretation. Then King Belshazzar was greatly alarmed, and his color changed, and his lords were perplexed.“

Here we see, not artificial intelligence, but supernatural intelligence. Supernatural, because it defies any naturally occurring explanation. A disembodied hand (or perhaps only a portion of a hand) appears, situated in a well-lit and prominent place opposite a lampstand. Intelligent, because it conveyed information. The fingers wrote on the wall in a language that could be read. Scholars differ on whether the language was Aramaic or Hebrew (I lean toward Aramaic), but the difficulty lay in the interpretation of the message.

Though the words were clear, God had written it in such a way that it needed an interpreter – much as Nebucadnezzar’s dreams, which had clear imagery, nonetheless had meanings which needed the guidance of the Holy Spirit to make it clear. Likewise, to be properly understood, God’s word – the Bible – requires the guidance of the Holy Spirit to properly interpret it. Paul discusses this in 1 Corinthians 2:10-15: “these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God. For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned. The spiritual person judges all things, but is himself to be judged by no one.”

The story continues with the entrance of Belshazzar’s mother.

“The queen, because of the words of the king and his lords, came into the banqueting hall, and the queen declared, ‘O king, live forever! Let not your thoughts alarm you or your color change. There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar, your father—your father the king—made him chief of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel, whom the king named Belteshazzar. Now let Daniel be called, and he will show the interpretation.’“

According to the chart shown above, the queen was Nebuchadnezzar’s daughter and well remembered the events that had transpired during her father’s reign. She remembered Daniel’s influence on her father and his God-given ability to interpret mysteries.

“Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king answered and said to Daniel, ‘You are that Daniel, one of the exiles of Judah, whom the king my father brought from Judah. I have heard of you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that light and understanding and excellent wisdom are found in you. Now the wise men, the enchanters, have been brought in before me to read this writing and make known to me its interpretation, but they could not show the interpretation of the matter. But I have heard that you can give interpretations and solve problems. Now if you can read the writing and make known to me its interpretation, you shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around your neck and shall be the third ruler in the kingdom.’“

Even though the queen had identified Daniel as the one Nebuchadnezzar had made chief of the wise men, Belteshazzar refers to him simply as “one of the exiles” brought from Judah. He promises him, though, rich gifts and a place third in line as ruler over Babylon (after Belteshazzar, who was co-reigning with his father Nabonidus.) Daniel rejects the gifts but agrees to interpret the writing.

“Then Daniel answered and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another. Nevertheless, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation. O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father kingship and greatness and glory and majesty. And because of the greatness that he gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whom he would, he killed, and whom he would, he kept alive; whom he would, he raised up, and whom he would, he humbled. But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him. He was driven from among the children of mankind, and his mind was made like that of a beast, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. He was fed grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, until he knew that the Most High God rules the kingdom of mankind and sets over it whom he will. And you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, though you knew all this, but you have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven. And the vessels of his house have been brought in before you, and you and your lords, your wives, and your concubines have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood, and stone, which do not see or hear or know, but the God in whose hand is your breath, and whose are all your ways, you have not honored.“

Daniel reminds Belshazzar of how Nebuchadnezzar’s pride led to his downfall. He also points out the Belshazzar has followed in the same steps in his disdain for God. Daniel continues with the interpretation.

“‘Then from his presence the hand was sent, and this writing was inscribed. And this is the writing that was inscribed: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, and PARSIN. This is the interpretation of the matter: MENE, God has numbered the days of your kingdom and brought it to an end; TEKEL, you have been weighed in the balances and found wanting; PERES, your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians.’“

This is the first time we – the reader – have seen the words written on the wall. As stated in the notes of the ESV Study Bible, “They describe a sequence of weights, decreasing from a mina to a shekel to a half-shekel. Read as verbs, the sequence becomes: “Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided.” The Lord had numbered the days of Belshazzar’s kingdom and brought it to an end because he had been judged and found lacking.” Little did the revelers know, the Medes had already begun their invasion of Babylon by diverting the Euphrates river into a swamp to lower the water levels of the gateways across the river.

“Then Belshazzar gave the command, and Daniel was clothed with purple, a chain of gold was put around his neck, and a proclamation was made about him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was killed. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.“

The phrase “the handwriting is on the wall” is well-known and comes from this Bible passage. It should serve as a reminder to all of us that God’s word has been given to us to be read and used (the handwriting) but we need an interpreter (the Holy Spirit) to help us understand and obey it. Do you have the Holy Spirit living in you? You do if you are a Christ-follower – trusting the death and resurrection of Jesus as sufficient payment for your own sins and positive proof that He is God and able to give you eternal life. Listen to His Spirit. Read the writing and understand it!