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I tremble in fear of you; I fear your judgments. —Psalm 119:120
When the fingers of a human hand wrote on the plaster of the wall, King Belshazzar’s face “turned pale with fear. Such terror gripped him that his knees knocked together and his legs gave way beneath him” (Daniel 5:5-6). Even the bravest sinner is terrified before the pure revelation of God’s justice. How often people mock God as though He were some senile puppy hiding under the porch! Their ignorance only displays their lack of understanding of His long-suffering. Someone once said, “Never mistake the long-suffering of God for His approval.” Those who persist in wrongdoing, counting on God’s mercy to overlook their sins, will one day be forced to account for their actions. “Their destruction is their reward for the harm they have done” (1 Peter 2:13). When Belshazzar touched the holy vessels of the temple of God (Daniel 5:3-4), he crossed the line with God. He met the same fate as did the rebellious angels, the people of Noah’s day, and Sodom and Gomorrah. Belshazzar pushed the mercy of God over the line, and God’s mercy turned to judgment. Walk before God in fear and trembling, for He is an awesome God.
Suggested Reading:
Daniel 5:1-31
2 Peter 2:1-22
Psalm 119:113-128
Proverbs 28:19-20