It would have been scary for King Belshazzar to see a hand, writing on the wall. But the meaning of the words should have made him even more scared. He had been weighed and found wanting or sinful. His kingdom was going to be divided and given to the Medes and Persians. The writing on the wall told of the great fall of Babylon.

And that is exactly what happened that very night. King Belshazzar was killed, and the Babylonian kingdom was taken over by the Medes and Persians.

These words were not only a warning to King Belshazzar, but also to God’s people in Babylon and to us today. The people of Israel had gone into exile because they had been weighed and found wanting. This means that they had turned their backs on the Lord and refused to repent of their sins.

But we too have been weighed by God. God looks at us too and sees that we are found wanting. From ourselves we are totally wicked and sinful. Unless we repent from our sins, we will also face punishment.

But thanks be to God, Jesus Christ has come to take our punishment and to be righteous in our place. So now when God weighs us, when he looks at us to judge us, we are not found wanting, but we are found worthy. We are found worthy because of Christ’s worthiness.

The book of Revelation also talks about the fall of Babylon. There Babylon refers to all things sinful. Revelation talks about those people who share in the sins of Babylon, those people who do not repent from their sins and are destroyed. But it also speaks about those who are saved, those who have come out of Babylon. God will destroy sin and everything that is sinful. God will destroy everyone who does not repent but continues to sin. But those who know their sin and turn to the Lord Jesus Christ will not be destroyed but will be saved. They will have everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Thank the Lord that Jesus came to save you!

Reflection with your child:

How come God looks at us, his children, and sees us as worthy and not sinful?

Source: Sermon by Rev. S. ‘t Hart