Writing On The Wall
MENE TEKEL PERES
The pagan king has the sacred Jewish vessels brought in that he might drink from them even though he was already drunk. What happens next is a finger appears and writes the words mene, tekel, and peres on the wall. (I wonder, is this where we get the phrase “the writing is on the wall”?)
I did some research on these three words. They were not as foreign as one might think. Mene means to count. Tekel means to weigh. And peres means to separate. It is thought that tekel is the root word for shekel, the basic Jewish coin used for buying or paying. Peres is thought to be the root word for Pharisee, a group of people set apart for a specific function.
So now let us take a second look at the insolent pagan king. His days have been counted and they end this day. His evil deeds have been weighed and he has been found wanting. He will be segregated, set apart to suffer eternal punishment. Guess we can say the writing is on the wall. What would the finger of God write upon your wall?
May the Lord bless you in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen