Found Wanting
In Daniel 5 we are introduced to an amazing account in the life of Daniel and an extremely unfortunate end to a wicked king. Belshazzar takes the vessels of the temple, which his grandfather Nebuchadnezzar had taken, and uses them in a banquet for his nobles.
While this banquet is going on, a finger of a man appeared and writes on the wall. This changed the king`s countenance and he was filled with so much fear that his thoughts troubled him and his knees knocked. Have you ever had this type of fear? There would be no rest for Belshazzar that night. He immediately brought in his astrologers, Chaldeans, and his soothsayers, but this was to no avail, because they could not interpret the writing. The King was told about Daniel and he sent for him. The king brought in Daniel who made known the writing on the wall:
Daniel 5:25-28 And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting. Peres; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians. I want to focus on the meaning of “TEKEL” which means “Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.”
God told Belshazzar you are weighed in the balances of my righteous judgment and have been found wanting. The word wanting means: “lacking or deficient.” We are shown clearly what Belshazzar was lacking in his life. Daniel 5:3, 4 shows that Belshazzar lacked respect for God. Daniel 5:23 says that Belshazzar did not glorify God. Daniel 5:22 shows Belshazzar lacked humility. In this article I want us to consider if we are lacking in our lives as God`s disciple. Will we be found wanting on the final day? If so what will we be found lacking or deficient of?
1) Will we be found deficient of Baptism?
Do you think baptism is necessary for salvation? Are you delaying baptism? God`s word says a lot on baptism and what the reason for it is. In Acts 2:38 we are taught that we need baptism to be forgiven of our sins. Peter says “Be baptized for the remission of sins.” We are told that Christ is the Savior of the one body (his church) Eph. 5:23. The only way to get into the body of Christ is through baptism for the remission of sins (1 Cor. 12:13). It is clearly evident that baptism is needed in order to be saved from our sins.
There is story about a girl who was considering being baptized. When her mother heard about it, she told the girl that if she would not obey the Gospel, she would get her the prom dress, she had been wanting. Sadly the girl decided to give into the mother’s offer. Shortly after that, she became deathly ill. The doctors informed her that her sickness was fatal. The mother was heartbroken. Knowing her daughter would soon die, she asked if there was anything she could do or get for her. The daughter replied, “Yes, you can you bring me that beautiful prom dress.” The mother went away confused,yet determined to fulfill her daughters last wish. When the mother returned with the dress, the daughter asked her to hold up the dress so she could see it. The daughter then said, “Mother that is the dress that cost me my soul.” How sad this story is, but without scriptural baptism we simply won`t make it to heaven.
2) Will we be found lacking zeal for God?
In the world in which we live it is easy to find ourselves getting bored with things. We throw them aside and look for something else. It is sad to see many do this with God. At first, they are thrilled with the Lord, but slowly they begin to drift. The cares and affairs of this world choke the zeal for God away; Luke 8:14 And that which fell among thorns are they, which, when they have heard, go forth, and are choked with cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
Peter tells us that the only way to be fruitful in the work of God is to be abounding in faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, godliness, brotherly kindness, charity. It takes a zeal for God and the gospel, to abound in our spiritual lives. To have zeal for God, is to have enthusiasm for Him.
It is my hope and prayer that no one will be weighed in the balances and found wanting on judgment day. May God grant us the ability to see and correct the areas in which we are weak!
Sean Smith