神的天平
但以理書五章17至30節
17但以理在王面前回答說：你的贈品可以歸你自己，你的賞賜可以歸給別人；我卻要為王讀這文字，把講解告訴王。
18王啊，至高的神曾將國位、大權、榮耀、威嚴賜與你父尼布甲尼撒；
19因神所賜他的大權，各方、各國、各族的人都在他面前戰兢恐懼。他可以隨意生殺，隨意升降。
20但他心高氣傲，靈也剛愎，甚至行事狂傲，就被革去王位，奪去榮耀。
21他被趕出離開世人，他的心變如獸心，與野驢同居，吃草如牛，身被天露滴濕，等他知道至高的神在人的國中掌權，憑自己的意旨立人治國。
22伯沙撒啊，你是他的兒子（或譯：孫子），你雖知道這一切，你心仍不自卑，
23竟向天上的主自高，使人將他殿中的器皿拿到你面前，你和大臣、皇后、妃嬪用這器皿飲酒。你又讚美那不能看、不能聽、無知無識、金、銀、銅、鐵、木、石所造的神，卻沒有將榮耀歸與那手中有你氣息，管理你一切行動的神。
24因此從神那裡顯出指頭來寫這文字。
25所寫的文字是：彌尼，彌尼，提客勒，烏法珥新。
26講解是這樣：彌尼，就是神已經數算你國的年日到此完畢。
27提客勒，就是你被稱在天平裡，顯出你的虧欠。
28毗勒斯（與烏法珥新同義），就是你的國分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。
29伯沙撒下令，人就把紫袍給但以理穿上，把金鍊給他戴在頸項上，又傳令使他在國中位列第三。
30當夜，迦勒底王伯沙撒被殺。
信息分享
他臉上的神情，只有鎮靜與威儀，卻沒有半點驚惶。但環視廳中的眾人，無不臉露恐懼、惶惑、震驚和近乎歇斯底里的情緒。當年邁的但以理要開口發言時，根本不需要有人去呼籲眾人安靜，全場已死寂一片。
「王上，你的贈品留為己用吧，不必給我，因為我並不想要。」但以理對王說的話，可概括為這樣：「我敬重你父尼布甲尼撒王，對你卻十分失望，因為你沒有從你父王的經歷中得到任何啟迪。現在神要審判你了！」
從來沒有人敢在王面前這樣發言。然而，但以理卻一直是活在神的面前。一個正直無過和一心尊敬神的人，是不會害怕王的，就如新約的施洗約翰一樣。
伯沙撒為甚麼要被定罪呢？請看第22節：「你雖知道這一切……」這正是問題的所在。神只會審判我們那些明知故犯的罪。這乃是神審判人的其中一個準則。接著但以理便把牆上的字譯出來：「你被稱在神的天平上，那裡清楚顯出你的虧欠。你的國將要分裂，歸與瑪代人和波斯人。」
在緊接的第30節裡，我們看見這慘劇的應驗。就在宴會的當晚，但以理翻出來的話便完全應驗，神終於作出了審判。
當神要用天平來稱人時，人怎能站立得住呢？只有基督才能付清我們的罪債，叫神不追討我們的虧欠；祂為所有信靠祂的人成就了救恩。其實，人人都犯了罪，在神面前無法得稱為義；可是，當我們接受基督作我們的救主，祂便承擔了我們的罪債，給我們披上祂的義袍。這樣，也只有這樣，我們才能滿足神的標準，在神面前得稱為義。
你有沒有想過神會用天平來稱我們呢？你認為自己被神用天平去稱的時候，是得稱為義，還是有所虧欠呢？
WEIGHT WATCHING
Daniel 5:17-30
17 Then Daniel answered, and said before the king, “Let your gifts be for yourself, and give your rewards to another; yet I will read the writing to the king, and make known to him the interpretation.
18 O king, the Most High God gave Nebuchadnezzar your father a kingdom and majesty, glory and honor.
19 And because of the majesty that He gave him, all peoples, nations, and languages trembled and feared before him. Whomever he wished, he executed; whomever he wished, he kept alive; whomever he wished, he set up; and whomever he wished, he put down.
20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his spirit was hardened in pride, he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him.
21 Then he was driven from the sons of men, his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild donkeys. They fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven, till he knew that the Most High God rules in the kingdom of men, and appoints over it whomever He chooses.
22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this.
23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven. They have brought the vessels of His house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them. And you have praised the gods of silver and gold, bronze and iron, wood and stone, which do not see or hear or know; and the God who holds your breath in His hand and owns all your ways, you have not glorified.
24 Then the fingers of the hand were sent from Him, and this writing was written.
25 “And this is the inscription that was written:
MENE, MENE, TEKEL, UPHARSIN.
26 This is the interpretation of each word. MENE: God has numbered your kingdom, and finished it;
27 TEKEK: You have been weighed in the balances, and found wanting;
28 PERES: Your kingdom has been divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.”
29 Then Belshazzar gave the command, and they clothed Daniel with purple and put a chain of gold around his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
30 That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain.
Message
There was no fear on the old man's face, only a remarkable poise and dignity. The faces around him, however, showed fear, terror and shock, almost mass hysteria. Was there a pronounced hush as the old man, Daniel, began to speak?
Keep your gifts. I don't want them, he said to the king. Summing up his message, Daniel was saying, "I had great respect for Nebuchadnezzar. I have none for you. You learn nothing from his experiences. Now God is dealing with you!"
No one had ever heard anyone speak to the king like that before. But Daniel had lived in the presence of God. When a man does that, like John the Baptist, he is not afraid of any king!
What was the condemnation? Look at verse 22: "You knew all this." God will always judge us on what we know. That will be one of the standards of judgment for all men. Then Daniel translated the words on the wall. "You have been weighed on the scales (of God) and found wanting. Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians."
The tragic fulfillment is there in verse 30. Everything Daniel said came true that night. God had the last word.
How does a person stand when God weighs him? Only the person of Christ can balance the scale of God. He does it for those who put their trust in Him. Everyone falls short in their own righteousness before God. But when we accept Christ as our Saviour, He takes our part and covers us with His righteousness. In that way and in that way alone, we can measure up to God's standards. Where does that leave you?
Are you watching your weight - spiritually? Do you know what you weigh in God's sight?