Missionary Renegade: The Daily Readings for Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

The Daily Readings for Wednesday, November 25, 2015

The Daily Readings for Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Daniel 5:1 Belshatzar the king gave a great banquet for a thousand of his lords, and in the presence of the thousand he was drinking wine. 2 While tasting the wine, Belshatzar ordered that the gold and silver vessels which his father N’vukhadnetzar had removed from the temple in Yerushalayim be brought; so that the king, his lords, his wives and his concubines could drink from them. 3 So they brought the gold vessels which had been removed from the sanctuary of the house of God in Yerushalayim; and the king, his lords, his wives and his concubines drank from them. 4 They drank their wine and praised their gods made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood and stone.

5 Suddenly, the fingers of a human hand appeared and began writing on the plaster of the palace wall by the lampstand. When the king saw the palm of the hand that was writing, 6 the king’s face took on a different look. As frightening thoughts rose up within him, his hip joints gave way and his knees started knocking together.

13 Dani’el was brought into the king’s presence. The king said to Dani’el, “Are you Dani’el, one of the exiles from Y’hudah whom the king my father brought out of Y’hudah? 14 I’ve heard about you that the spirit of the gods is in you, and that you have been found to have light, discernment and extraordinary wisdom.

16 However, I’ve heard that you can give interpretations and solve knotty problems. Now if you can read the inscription and tell me what it means, you will be dressed in royal purple, wear a gold chain around your neck and be one of the three men ruling the kingdom.”

17 Dani’el answered the king, “Keep your gifts, and give your rewards to someone else. However, I will read the inscription to the king and tell him what it means.

23 Instead, you have exalted yourself against the Lord of heaven by having them bring you the vessels from his house; and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them; then you offered praise to your gods of silver, gold, bronze, iron, wood and stone, which can’t see, hear or know anything. Meanwhile, God, who holds your very breath in his hands, and to whom belongs everything you do, you have not glorified. 24 This is why he sent the hand to write this inscription; 25 and the inscription says, ‘M’ne! M’ne! T’kel ufarsin.’ [Daniel 5:25 M’ne — a maneh was a coin; Aramaic mena means “to count.” T’kel is Aramaic for shekel, a unit of weight; Aramaic tekilta means “you are weighed.” P’res (an Aramaic noun, plural parsin), is half a maneh; p’ris means “cut up, divided”; Paras is Persia. (The “f” in ufarsin is the Aramaic letter peh, sometimes pronounced “p” and sometimes, “f.”)] 26 This is what it means: ‘M’ne!’ — God has counted up your kingdom and brought it to an end. 27 ‘T’kel’ — you are weighed on the balance-scale and come up short. 28 ‘P’res’ — your kingdom has been divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

(Psalm) Daniel 3:62 Sun and moon, bless the Lord;