Rights

Daniel 5:23 

For you have defied the Lord of Heaven and brought here these cups from his Temple; and you and your officers and wives and concubines have been drinking wine from them while praising gods of silver, gold, brass, iron, wood, and stone—gods that neither see nor hear nor know anything at all. But you have not praised the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! 

We hear so much about human rights these days.

It's the accusation currently being levelled against Qatar and China, that they are abusing the rights of women & gay people.

Furthermore, in multiple other countries, the poor are marginalised, whilst the leaders live in luxury. 

Maybe, even in this country, it could be said that our leaders are doing likewise!

Talk of rights dominate the headlines - such as "Women's rights" unashamedly paraded at pro-abortion rallies.

Basically the western world says: "it's my right to do as I please - as long as it's legal. No one has a right to interfere or judge."

In the passage above we see Belshazzar having a "booze up" using the sacred vessels taken from the Temple in Jerusalem.

They were brazenly laughing at the Lord whilst celebrating their own lifeless gods.

More than that, this king knew what had happened to Nebuchadnezzar when his pride got the better of him (see Daniel 4).

So the living God, the One who lends us our breath, intervened and broke up the party.

Suddenly a Hand wrote a declaration of "God's rights" on the wall and Daniel was brought in to interpret:

"You have not praised the God who gives you the breath of life and controls your destiny! And so God sent those fingers to write this message: ‘Mene,’ ‘Mene,’ ‘Tekel,’ ‘Parsin.’

 “This is what it means:

“Mene means ‘numbered’—God has numbered the days of your reign, and they are ended.

27 “Tekel means ‘weighed’—you have been weighed in God’s balances and have failed the test.

28 “Parsin means ‘divided’—your kingdom will be divided and given to the Medes and Persians.”

The God, who gave each one of us the breath of life, has the ultimate right of worship.

In His great mercy, He gives us ample opportunity to acknowledge His Supremacy and even demonstrated that love to the extent of dying on the Cross as our Sin Bearer.

Yet, there comes a time when He draws a line and establishes His Right to judge God-defying behaviour.

We should be afraid to thumb our noses at Him who gives us breath.

2 Peter 2:3

The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief.