Daniel 5:25–27: “This is the writing that was inscribed: Mene, Mene, Teqel and Parsin. This is the interpretation of the words: As for Mene—God has numbered your kingdom’s days and brought it to an end. As for Teqel—you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking. As for Peres—your kingdom is divided and given over to the Medes and Persians.”
My focus is on verse 27, but let me just say what was happening here. The king of Babylon brought out the utensils of the temple of God and was feasting and making merry with them. Then a hand appeared out of nowhere and wrote on the wall, and eventually Daniel, who was a wise man, was called to interpret what was written there.
What we see in verse 27 is: “You are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking.” This is like a judicial decision coming from God. There is nothing relational here; it is a divine edict. It is a judgment against you. This is the King of kings and Lord of lords. This is the Ruler of the earth examining everyone and saying, “Your report card has come in. This is what you are going to get. You are coming in all red, and therefore you must face these consequences.” No negotiation. No coming back.
I want us to have the sense that we are also being examined. We are also being weighed. That is the truth.
After a while of Abraham walking with God, we are told that God tested Abraham (Genesis 22:1). At the end of the test, he passed, and he was told, in effect, “Now I know that you fear God” (Genesis 22:12). He was promoted to the next level.
Let us be aware that tests are going on. That is what I am talking about. We are being examined. The motivations of our hearts are being examined. Our obedience is being examined. Our spiritual perception is being examined. Our discernment is being examined.
When God called Jeremiah and said he would be a prophet to the nations, God asked him, “What do you see?” He answered, “I see the branch of an almond tree.” And God said, “You have observed correctly” (Jeremiah 1:11–12). That is sharp. That is correct sight, correct conclusions. Your judgment is correct. That is what I am talking about.
When we look at Jesus Christ in Isaiah 11, we are told that the Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him so that “He will not judge by what He sees with His eyes or decide by what He hears with His ears; but with righteousness He will judge the poor” (Isaiah 11:3–4). He will judge correctly.
In the book of Hebrews, we are told that certain people, when they ought to be teachers, still needed someone to teach them again the basic principles of the oracles of God (Hebrews 5:12). That means there is an expectation of maturity. That is what I am talking about. There is a divine expectation of maturity over us. There is a measurement; there is a weighing that is taking place.
When you look at Jesus Christ in Revelation 2 and 3, He comes with a report card for the churches: “I know your works…” He lays out commendation and correction. So do not think, “I am exempt from God examining me and giving me a report card.”
When you look at those report cards, He is constantly calling them to repent. He is not giving them slack. He wants them to do better. That is why you have a report card—you have to be examined so that you can shape up properly. He says, “Repent, repent, repent.” A heart that is postured in repentance is the ideal.
The calling is for us to walk humbly before God, and in my mind, that comes with a constant appraisal. Paul said, “If we judged ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Corinthians 11:31). So, constantly examine yourself, judge yourself, so that you do not wait until what happened to this king here happens to you.
God bless you.