Narrative Lectionary Key Verse for Today
“Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar commanded that they bring in the vessels of gold and silver that his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them.”
NL Daily Devotion for Wednesday, December 2, 2020
by Dr. Kimberly Leetch, Clergy Stuff
When King Nebuchadnezzar died, his son, Belshazzar took over as king. He proved to be as uninspired by God as his father. In a brazen display of irreverence, King Belshazzar took the Israelites’ sacred objects and defiled them by using them for a drunken feast. God was so angry, God wrote (in a terrifying display) a message for the king. Nobody could interpret the writing on the wall until the queen remembered Daniel.
Daniel was able to interpret the message, and it was not good for the king. Later that night, the king was killed.
I don’t think God cared so much that the objects were touched or misused. I think what angered God was the king’s blatant disregard for the things the people held sacred. God calls us all to respect the religious, sacred, or holy things we each hold dear. Though they differ from religion to religion, from culture to culture, from person to person, the things that are holy to one ought to be respected and revered by others. I may never worship the god or gods or holy objects of another person’s religion, but I will always work to respect that those things are holy to someone else. I think respecting one another is the first step toward understanding, tolerance, and love.
How can we learn respect better than spending time and listening to others? (A bit of rhetorical question!)
