0282. God's Handwriting: (A) Mene! Mene!

God’s Handwriting: (A) Mene! Mene!

"Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom and finished it" (Dan_5:26).

The axe was laid to the foot of the tree, the hour of grace was passing, the time for the thrusting in of the sickle had come.

Belshazzar, you knew of God’s dealings with your father; you refused to humble yourself; you lifted up yourself against the God of Heaven; and the God Who had given you life and all you possessed, and in Whose hand your very breath lay, you did not glorify.

Belshazzar, you have reached the end of the rope, you have gone to the limit in your mad forgetfulness. Behold your doom. "God hath numbered your kingdom and finished it."

Belshazzar, take one last glance at your mighty Babylon, cast your eye just one more time over the thousand lords with whom you feast; behold the gilt! take one parting view of your earthly glories–for God hath written down your doom.

Belshazzar, tell it all "good-by." You have lived in pleasure and been wanton, you have nourished your heart in a time of slaughter, behold, now, "God hath numbered your kingdom and finished it."

Let the man of this world stop and consider. His days are numbered. He cannot always continue his rebellion against the God of Heaven. Christ Jesus will surely judge the wicked.

"Thinkest thou this, O man * * that thou shalt escape the judgment of God?"

Dost thou, O sinner, despise "the riches of His goodness, and forbearance and longsuffering"?

Dost thou not know that after thine hard, and impenitent heart, there must come God’s "Mene! Mene!"?

Surely the wicked are doing no more than "treasuring up wrath against the day of wrath, and the righteous judgment of God."

God will surely "send forth judgment unto victory." God is longsuffering to usward, not willing that any should perish, but God will not, cannot keep anger forever. There must come a day, when the sinner has gone beyond the pale of mercies, when God will send forth His "indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, to the Jew first and also to the Gentile."

God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was in preparing–but finally the day of wrath came, and God’s handwriting was on the wall. The doors were shut to the ark, and the floods overswept the whole earth.

Poor sinner, feast on, and laugh on and drink on, thou too, shalt see the handwriting on the wall.

Autor: R.E. NEIGHBOUR