The Writing on the Wall
(Daniel 5)
King Belshazzar was the ruler of Babylon, a huge and powerful city. His grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, had been the greatest king in the world, but he learned a hard lesson. He became proud and thought he was better than God, so God humbled him and made him live like a wild animal until he finally looked up to heaven and praised the one true God.
Belshazzar knew this story, but he did not care. He threw a huge party for a thousand of his nobles. They drank wine from the golden cups and bowls that had been taken from God's temple in Jerusalem. These were holy cups, used to worship God. But Belshazzar and his guests used them to drink wine and praise their idols made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone.
Then something shocking happened. Right in the middle of the feast, the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster wall of the palace, near the lampstand. The king watched the hand as it wrote. His face turned pale with fear, his legs shook, and his knees knocked together. He was terrified.
The king shouted for all his wise men to come. He promised to give purple robes, a gold chain, and great honor to anyone who could read the writing and tell him what it meant. But none of the wise men could read the words or explain them, and all his nobles were confused and scared.
Then the queen came into the banquet hall and told the king about a man named Daniel, who had served under King Nebuchadnezzar. He had the spirit of the holy gods and was full of wisdom and understanding. The queen said Daniel could solve any mystery, so the king called for him.
The king said, "If you can read this writing and explain it, I will give you purple robes, a gold chain, and make you the third highest ruler in the kingdom." But Daniel did not care about the king's gifts. "Keep your gifts for yourself," he said. "I will read the writing for you anyway." Then Daniel reminded the king about his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, and how God had humbled him when he became proud. "You knew all of this. Yet you did not humble your heart. You lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You used the holy cups from God's temple to drink wine and praise idols. But you did not honor the God who holds your very breath in his hand."
Then Daniel read the words on the wall: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN. He explained that MENE meant God had numbered the days of Belshazzar's kingdom and brought it to an end. TEKEL meant the king had been weighed on God's scales and was found too light, without the weight of goodness or faith. PARSIN meant the kingdom would be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.
That very night, the army of Darius the Mede came into Babylon and captured the city. King Belshazzar was killed. Just as the writing on the wall said, his kingdom was taken away. God's message was clear: He is the one true King, and no one can stand against him.
A Curious Question
Why do you think God sent a hand to write on the wall in the middle of a big party, instead of just sending a message to the king the next morning?
Jesus Connection
The writing on the wall showed King Belshazzar that he was weighed on God's scales and found too light. No person is good enough on their own to pass God's test. We all fall short. But Jesus came to be our perfect weight. He lived a sinless life and died on the cross to take the punishment for our wrongs. When we trust in Jesus, God does not weigh us by our own works. He sees us through His Son. The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that God made Jesus, who knew no sin, to become sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus alone makes us heavy enough to stand before God.
Discussion Questions
- King Belshazzar knew what happened to his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar, but he still acted proudly. Why do people sometimes ignore the lessons they have learned?
- Daniel did not want the king's gifts or honor. What does that tell you about what was most important to Daniel?
- What does it mean to be "weighed on God's scales and found too light"? How does Jesus fix that problem for us?
"So What?" What Can I Do?
- Have you ever known the right thing to do but did the wrong thing instead? What helped you get back on track?
- What are some ways you can honor God today, instead of honoring things that do not last?
- When you feel proud or think you are better than someone else, what is one thing you can remember about God that will help you stay humble?
Memorize God's Word
Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
- Pride goes before destruction stand up tall and proud like a king, then crouch down low as if falling.
- and a haughty spirit before a fall stand on tiptoes with your nose in the air, then slowly crumple to the ground.
Praying with Kids
Dear Father, thank you that you are the one true King over all the earth. Help us to stay humble and honor you with our words and actions. Forgive us when we act proud like King Belshazzar. Remind us that Jesus is our perfect weight and that we are safe in him. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
Craft or Activity
Wall Writing Craft
Kids will create a "writing on the wall" scene using paper, paint, and their own handprints to remember that God's message is true.
Materials Checklist:
How to Make the Wall Writing Craft:- Cut the brown craft paper to look like a stone wall. You can tear the edges a little to make it look old.
- Dip your thumb or finger into black paint and press it onto the paper to make "writing." Try to make letters or symbols that look like the words Mene, Tekel, and Parsin.
- Write the words "God weighs our hearts" at the bottom of your paper with a paintbrush or marker.
- While your paint dries, talk about how God sees everything we do and wants us to trust in Jesus to make us right with him.
Effective Teaching Techniques
For Younger Children: Focus on the scary hand writing on the wall and the king's fear. Kids this age understand being afraid of the dark or of strange noises. Connect that to how Belshazzar felt when he saw the hand. Reassure them that God is powerful and loving. Slow down here so it doesn't feel too scary.
For Older Kids: Dive deeper into the meaning of the words. Explain what it means to be "weighed and found too light." Ask them why good deeds are not enough to make us heavy enough for God. Use this to explain the gospel clearly.
Classroom Management: When you act out the king's fear, have the kids shake their knees and shiver. Keep the energy high during the story, then settle them down for the discussion with calm voices and softer lighting.
Prep Shortcut: Use a brown paper grocery bag instead of buying craft paper. Cut it open and tear it into rectangular pieces for an instant ancient wall look. This is a good one to prep the night before.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why was King Belshazzar so scared of a hand writing on a wall?
- No one had ever seen anything like it before. It was clearly a message from God, and Belshazzar knew he had done wrong by using the temple's holy cups to praise idols.
- What did the words MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN mean?
- Daniel explained that God had numbered the days of the kingdom, weighed the king and found him lacking, and was about to divide the kingdom between the Medes and Persians.
- Why didn't Daniel want the king's gifts?
- Daniel cared more about telling the truth than about being rewarded. He read the message and told the king exactly what God wanted him to know, gifts or no gifts.