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The need for wisdom is one of the great themes of the Bible. And being wise leads inescapably to one course of action -- seeking God!
Let’s weave together a fascinating story that includes the wise men on the scene soon after Jesus’ birth, science, the prophet Daniel, evil king Belshazzar, Babylon, and you and me! The subject is wisdom, but this is a different approach to a timeless issue.
The famous American author and philosopher Elbert Hubbard wrote, “Every man is a fool for at least five minutes every day; wisdom consists in not exceeding the limit.”
In the book of James we read, “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5). Just like the men of Jesus’ day, those with wisdom will seek out the truth-will look for God-will seek Him.
First, let’s set up the story by noting the wise men seeking Jesus when He was born. Here is a quick synopsis of the story taken from the book of Matthew:
“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem . . . wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, 'Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him’ . . .
“Then Herod . . . sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.’
“When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Matthew 2:1-2, Matthew 2:7-11).
In ancient Babylon the king used wise men of science, or magi, to give him advice. They were generally knowledgeable in matters of astronomy, calendars and medicine. It seems probable that these wise men came from Parthia-a great empire east of the Euphrates River-biblically the distant east. Babylonia had been made part of this empire.
Parthia’s territory also included the very lands into which the northern 10 tribes of Israel had been taken captive by the Assyrians centuries earlier. And the Parthian Empire and surrounding areas contained many descendants of the exiled tribes.
It may well be that these wise men in Jesus’ story could claim Abraham as their ancient father. If so, they would have had a particular interest in the prophesied King of the Jews. And since the prophet Daniel had been placed over magi in ancient Babylon, his and other prophecies of Israel’s Messiah may have been passed down among them. Perhaps they were familiar with an ancient prophecy that spoke of a time when “a Star shall come out of Jacob; a Scepter shall rise out of Israel” (Numbers 24:17).
When the wise men saw the star, they rejoiced. It led them to the precise spot where Jesus was then living.
“And when . . . they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, [they] fell down and worshiped Him” (Matthew 2:11). Notice that men of wisdom traveled from afar to see the Christ. They sought out the future ruler of the world. They worshipped Him. They fell to their knees in obeisance.
Do we appreciate that because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice, we are free to approach God’s throne of grace at any time? Do we, too, seek Him? Make it a daily journey yourself to seek God and His mercy- because wise men and women will seek Him.
In our increasingly secular world, society seeks the God of the Bible less and less-pushing people away from belief in Him. More and more, people are told that the Bible is nothing but myth.
But true science comes to terms with the evidence for God’s existence. Discoveries continue to show that an intelligent designer, a divine Creator, is the only plausible explanation for us being on this earth. Consider this interesting analysis from author Eric Metaxas in a recent Wall Street Journal piece titled “Science Increasingly Makes the Case for God”:
“In 1966 Time magazine ran a cover story asking: Is God Dead? . . . Astronomer Carl Sagan announced that there were two important criteria for a planet to support life: The right kind of star, and a planet the right distance from that star . . .
“What happened? As our knowledge of the universe increased, it became clear that there were far more factors necessary for life than Sagan supposed. His two parameters grew to 10 and then 20 and then 50 . . .
“As factors continued to be discovered, the number of possible planets [in the universe that could support life] hit zero, and kept going. In other words, the odds turned against any planet in the universe supporting life, including this one. Probability said that even we shouldn’t be here.
“Today there are more than 200 known parameters necessary for a planet to support life-every single one of which must be perfectly met, or the whole thing falls apart . . . The odds against life in the universe are simply astonishing.
“Yet here we are, not only existing, but talking about existing . . . At what point is it fair to admit that science suggests that we cannot be the result of random forces?” (Dec. 25, 2014, emphasis added throughout).
The book of Romans points out that the creation all around us testifies of the Creator. When we, and science, truly look at the evidence, we reach a point where the invisible attributes of God are clearly seen: “From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that God made. They can clearly see his invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature” (Romans 1:20, New Living Translation, 1996).
Science has to admit the evidence. True wisdom would dictate such. But let’s examine the story of a man who refused to acknowledge the Creator, the Most High God.
This is an account of wisdom versus foolishness, of a man not seeking the wisdom of God-of a man who believed in his own power and might, a man who showed his contempt for the people of God and abused the holy vessels taken from God’s temple in Jerusalem. It’s the story of a foolish king versus the wise man. It’s found in Daniel 5:1-17:
“Belshazzar the king made a great feast for a thousand of his lords, and drank wine in the presence of the thousand. While he tasted the wine, Belshazzar gave the command to bring the gold and silver vessels which his father [or ancestor, in this case his grandfather] Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple which had been in Jerusalem, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them . . . They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze and iron, wood and stone.
“In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace . . . Then the king’s countenance changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his hips were loosened and his knees knocked against each other.
“The king cried aloud to bring in the astrologers, the Chaldeans, and the soothsayers. The king spoke, saying to the wise men of Babylon, 'Whoever reads this writing, and tells me its interpretation, shall be clothed with purple and have a chain of gold around his neck; and he shall be the third ruler in the kingdom [Belshazzar himself being second as coregent with his father Nabonidus] . . .’
“Then Daniel was brought in before the king. The king spoke, and said to Daniel, 'Are you that Daniel who is one of the captives from Judah, whom my father [again, grandfather] the king brought from Judah? . . . 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.’
“Then Daniel answered, and said . . . 'I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.’”
Although scholars differ as to Daniel’s age in 539 B.C., he was probably at least 80 years old. He likely would have been in semiretirement since he wasn’t present with the other so-called wise men. The king had not remembered his name nor his previous accomplishments under his grandfather’s reign. And now, Daniel gives Belshazzar the interpretation of the handwriting on the wall (Daniel 5:18-30):
“'O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor . . . But you his son [or descendant, here grandson], Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart although you knew all this. And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house 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, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
“'Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written . . . This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it; TEKEL: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting; PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.’
“That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.”
What’s the point for us in this story? Consider any handwriting on the wall of your own life -signs that are meant to warn you of what’s going on and what will come of it.
Don’t ignore “the wisdom that is from above” (James 3:17). God holds our breath in His hand (Daniel 5:23). Be alert to any warning or admonition to you from God.
In the story Daniel recorded, years of hostility to the God of Israel led to Belshazzar eventually being slain. That is the ultimate outcome for all who reject the Creator of the universe and take to themselves foolishness. At some point in time, all people will come to worship the Father and the Son-worshipping as the magi did before Jesus. Wisdom will prevail!
Let me share with you a modern-day story of a man who rejected God and the faith of his parents and forsook all that was good. It’s someone you’ve probably heard of. But you may not have heard the rest of the story. I’d like to quote some excerpts from a story published in December 2014 by CNS News:
“Alice Cooper, the shock-rock megastar, stopped his hard-partying ways and returned to his Bible Christian roots in the late 1980s . . . [He] shot to mega-stardom in the 1970s and early 1980s . . . notorious for his demonic makeup and costumes and macabre theatrics on stage . . .
“Cooper explained that despite all the wealth and fame he attained early on, there was a huge emptiness in his life. 'I grew up in a Christian house,’ said Cooper. 'My dad was a pastor, he was an evangelist for 25 years, and I used to go up and do missionary work with him with the Apaches in Arizona. My grandfather was a pastor for 75 years. I grew up in a Christian home. And my wife’s father is a Baptist pastor . . . We were PK’s-preacher’s kids-so we married each other.
“I went out and the Lord let me do everything . . . Maybe didn’t let me but allowed it, and then just started reeling me back in . . . When you get out there and realize you’ve had every car, every house, and all that, you realize that that’s not the answer . . . There’s a big nothing out there at the end of that. So, materialism doesn’t mean anything.
“A lot of people say that there’s a big God-sized hole in your heart. And when that’s filled, you’re really satisfied, and that’s where I am right now . . . I stopped drinking and I started going back to church . . . and there was this pastor in Phoenix . . . [who] was-just nailing me.
“Every weekend I’d get out exhausted. I’d come out of there and be, 'I don’t want to go back.’ It was like torture and I always came back. I finally realized . . . I had to make a decision for one side or the other, because I was so convicted’” (Michael Chapman, “Alice Cooper, Christian: 'The World Belongs to Satan,’” Dec. 31, 2014.)
It’s encouraging to see someone reject such a wayward life and return, like a prodigal son, to a Christian belief system. We all need to realize what Solomon ultimately came to see: “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).
Ultimately, there can be no denying God!
How wise will you be? The wise men of old set a course for us to consider. Look at the following story of wisdom, or lack thereof, concerning men and women in the end time. It’s found in Matthew 25:1-13 :
“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
“But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. And at midnight a cry was heard: 'Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, 'No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’
“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, 'Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”
Are you using wisdom every day, wisdom that comes from being filled with the Spirit of God? Is your lamp filled with oil? As the parable shows, you can’t just fill it up at the last minute when you think Christ is returning! This is the lesson of wisdom for those living in the end of time.
We’ve looked at the story of Daniel and Belshazzar. For the end time the book of Revelation describes the duality, the prophetic fulfillment of Daniel’s story. The end-time ruler of the world, called the Beast, will follow the same foolish pride and arrogance of Belshazzar, his final act being to defy and fight Jesus Christ at His return:
“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him [Christ] who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence . . . These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone” (Revelation 19:19-20).
Belshazzar failed the test, and so will the beastly ruler of the end time.
How will you and I do on the test? Will we use the wisdom of this world or the wisdom from above? Who will be the wise men of the end time? It must be you and me! We have the means to understand the handwriting on the wall. Daniel showed how, stating, “There is a God in heaven who reveals secrets” (Daniel 2:28).
We must allow the great God above to teach us His great plan, and we must obey Him. Human beings can learn from God if they humble themselves before His almighty hand. Remember Daniel 5:22 ? “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.”
We’re coming to a time in history when governments and religions will combine and make pronouncements of peace and safety throughout the world. But that peace will disappear in a moment when the Beast and False Prophet begin to exercise their might. Many will perish, as Christ Himself warned in Matthew 24.
But the person who truly knows God has his lamp filled with the Holy Spirit, seeks the wisdom from above, and as a wise Christian-seeking Him-will understand His handwriting on the prophetic wall and be assured of eternal life. Wise men and women of the end time will seek Him.
How many will wake up to the reality of God? Eric Metaxas gives some further mind-blowing details in his Wall Street Journal article quoted earlier:
“The fine-tuning necessary for life to exist on a planet is nothing compared with the fine-tuning required for the universe to exist at all . . . For instance, if the ratio between the nuclear strong force and the electromagnetic force had been off by the tiniest fraction of the tiniest fraction-by even one part in 100,000,000,000,000,000- then no stars could have ever formed at all . . .
“Multiply that single parameter by all the other necessary conditions, and the odds against the universe existing are so heart-stoppingly astronomical that the notion that it all 'just happened’ defies common sense . .
“The greatest miracle of all time, without any close seconds, is the universe. It is the miracle of all miracles, one that ineluctably points with the combined brightness of every star to something-or Someone-beyond itself.”
Those on this planet who are truly wise will continue to seek Him. Just like the wise men of the time of Jesus’ birth, the wise men and women of today will acknowledge God’s existence and follow Him. They will seek Him.
God does not forget. What He has promised will come to pass. At the time of Christ’s coming, the mighty Babylon and Beast power will come to its final end:
“Now the great city [Babylon] was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath” (Revelation 16:19).
This is a fascinating parallel, as God uses language that characterized the fall of ancient Babylon. Belshazzar drank wine from holy vessels that were dedicated to God alone. That was his undoing. In the final days of mankind’s rule, the Beast, the False Prophet and modern Babylon will drink of the wine of God’s fierce wrath. Mankind fails to learn from the past.
God gives us a choice. He gives all men and women a choice. Wise men will seek Him. Humanity can either follow the proud way of King Belshazzar-defying Almighty God and remaining blind to the handwriting on the wall-or we can be like Daniel, who possessed an “excellent spirit” (Daniel 5:12; Daniel 6:3).
God has promised and given that same “excellent spirit” to Jesus Christ’s disciples who obey Him. That is the promise of Acts 5:32. The Holy Spirit is that excellent Spirit, which not only reveals to us the glory of, and honor due to, Jesus Christ, but it leads us into an understanding of God’s complete truth.
Whatever road you and I may choose, one thing is absolutely certain: The handwriting is still on the wall. Keep your lamp filled because all wise men and women still seek Him.
J.E.B. Spredemann, a Christian fiction author, wrote this in her 2014 novel A Secret of the Heart:
“To deny the existence of God would be to close your eyes to the beauty around you, to close your ears to the symphony of nature, to close your nostrils to the scents wafting on the breeze, to close your mouth to the delicacies of nourishment, to close your hands to the feel of luxury, to close your mind to the ability to think, and to close your heart to the only love that can penetrate the depths of the soul. For in Him all things consist, in Him we live, and move, and have our being, and without Him we cannot help but be fools.”
I like the way Spredemann expresses this in such poetic language. How do we avoid being fools? We follow the example of the wise. We seek God because wise men will seek Him. Don’t be counted as a fool. Seek wisdom. Seek Him!
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