伯沙撒的提客勒、我的提客勒（但5章）

提客勒、就是你被稱在天平裏顯出你的虧欠。（但 5：27）

本章歷史背景，為巴比倫滅亡的歷史紀錄，時間約為西元前538年，主角為伯沙撒王。伯沙撒王是「拿波尼度」王的兒子，當時拿坡尼度半退休狀態住在城外，由兒子伯沙撒共同執政。所以伯沙撒不是國中最大，當他允諾要將但以理冊封時，只能允諾他位居國中第三（參 但 5：16）。

伯沙撒的歷史紀錄，是荒淫無度、不辦國事，只有整天擺設筵席。當時,瑪代王大利烏包圍了巴比倫城，巴比倫城面臨了經濟、政治上最大的危機。在這種光景下，他們仍然擺設筵席、吃喝玩樂，這就註定他們必滅亡。甚至將真神殿中的器皿拿來當廚具，飲酒作樂，還歌頌偶像，自取滅亡。

神雖給人自由意識，任憑人的歷史自由發展，但是有時，神也會強行介入人的歷史，應驗神曾對尼布甲尼撒王說過的話：

這話在王口中尚未說完、有聲音從天降下、說：「尼布甲尼撒王阿！有話對你說，你的國位離開你了。你必被趕出離開世人，與野地的獸同居、喫草如牛，且要經過七期。等你知道至高者在人的國中掌權，要將國賜與誰，就賜與誰。」（但 4：31-32）

而且主曾說過，褻瀆神的，總不得赦免：

凡說話干犯人子的、還可得赦免、惟獨褻瀆聖靈的、總不得赦免。（路 12：10）

因為伯沙撒拿神殿的器皿飲酒作樂，還歌頌偶像褻瀆真神。

神在牆上憑空出現寫字的手指，力量強大到可以在牆上刻出文字，預告巴比倫的滅亡，也直接宣判這位褻瀆真神的人死刑。其中這句「提客勒」，就是天平秤重的意思，所使用的天平，是神的天平，所用的法碼，也是神的法碼。

在實驗室中，天平是最重要的實驗器材，因為它準確，又不受所處重力場的大小所影響，無論在任何環境，秤出來的結果永遠相同。因此只要法碼是正確的，無論是在地球上、還是在重力只有地球六分之一的月球上，同樣一個物體秤出來的質量都必然相同。

經上常記載的「公道的天平」、「公道的法碼」，可以指著「神絕對的標準」、「神的公義」。我們都在神的絕對標準中被天平衡量。這裡的伯沙撒，最後被神處以死刑，就是依據神天平測量的結果。

但是，我們讀此段經文，回顧這段歷史，是否有思考自己會不會也是「另一個」伯沙撒？還是自認為義，超脫伯沙撒的荒淫無度，而能自覺清高，以高傲的姿態，品頭論足伯沙撒的罪孽？

我為主被囚的勸你們、既然蒙召、行事為人就當與蒙召的恩相稱．（弗 4：1）

這節經文的「相稱」希臘文與但以理書中的「提克勒」意思相近。「相稱」就是天平上要秤出某兩件所提到的事物要等重，也就是兩邊可以平衡的意思。以弗所書這裡所提到的，就是「行事為人」與「蒙召的恩」這兩件事，在神面前要等重，否則就是不義。

「蒙召的恩」就是耶穌為我受死，為救我的靈魂所付出的代價。「行事為人」是我為主所做的工，我的行事為人遵守真理的程度，在份量與程度上的價值。我們當思想：我為主所做的，與我在主身上所領受的恩典，有一樣重嗎？若不足，我跟伯沙撒，有何兩樣？我有何資格批評伯沙撒？

保羅深知道神在他身上恩典的奇大，因他認識他自己罪魁的過去，如今是蒙神的恩、神所賜的職分，才能做今日的一切事奉的。為了「力求平衡」，他只能向標竿直跑，一生一世不敢懈怠。那我呢？

這不是說、我已經得着了、已經完全了．我乃是竭力追求、或者可以得着基督耶穌所以得着我的。〔所以得着我的或作所要我得的〕弟兄們、我不是以為自己已經得着了．我只有一件事、就是忘記背後努力面前的、向着標竿直跑、要得神在基督耶穌裏從上面召我來得的獎賞。（腓 3：12-14）

By Isaiah Kao

Belshazzar’s Tekel and My Tekel (Daniel 5)

October 15, 2026

“TEKEL” you have been weighed on the scales and found deficient. (Daniel 5:27)

The historical background of this chapter is the fall of Babylon, which occurred around 538 BC. The main figure is King Belshazzar, the son of King Nabonidus. At that time, Nabonidus was semi-retired and living outside the city, while his son Belshazzar shared the rule with him. Therefore, Belshazzar was not the highest-ranking ruler in the kingdom. When he promised to promote Daniel, he could only offer him the third-highest position in the kingdom (see Daniel 5:16).

Historical records describe Belshazzar as a king who indulged in immorality and neglected state affairs, spending his days feasting instead. At that time, Darius the Mede had surrounded Babylon, and the city was facing a severe economic and political crisis. Yet the people continued to feast, eat, drink, and make merry. This attitude be destined to their fate. Belshazzar even used the vessels from the temple of the true God as drinking cups, indulged in drinking and carnival, and praised idols, bringing destruction upon himself.

Although God gives people free will and allows human history to unfold according to their choices, He sometimes get involved directly in human affairs to fulfill His words, as He had spoken to King Nebuchadnezzar:

“While the word was in the king’s mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you, and you will be driven away from mankind, and your dwelling place will be with the animals of the field. You will be given grass to eat like cattle, and seven periods of time will pass over you until you recognize that the Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind and bestows it on whomever He wishes.’” (Daniel 4:31–32, NASB 2020)

The Lord also said that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit would never be forgiven:

“And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but the one who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him.” (Luke 12:10, NASB 2020)

Belshazzar took the vessels from God's temple to drink wine and make merry, while praising idols and blaspheming the true God.

God caused the fingers of a hand to appear out of nowhere and write on the wall. The hand had the power to engrave words into the wall, announcing Babylon’s fall and directly pronouncing the death sentence on this man who had blasphemed the true God. One of the words, “TEKEL,” means to weigh on a scale. The scale was God's scale, and the weights were God's weights.

In a laboratory, the balance is one of the most important pieces of equipment because of its accuracy and its independence from the strength of the surrounding gravitational field. No matter the environment, the result remains the same. As long as the weights are accurate, the same object will have the same measured mass whether it is on Earth or on the Moon, where gravity is only one-sixth as strong as on Earth.

The Bible often mentions “just balances” and “just weights,” which can represent "God's absolute standards and righteousness". We are all weighed against God's absolute standards. Belshazzar was ultimately sentenced to death by God according to the result of God’s weighing.

However, when we read this passage and reflect on this history, do we ever consider whether we might be another Belshazzar? Or do we consider ourselves righteous, believing that we are above Belshazzar's immorality , and look down on his sins from a position of self-righteous pride?

“Therefore I, the prisoner of the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” (Ephesians 4:1)

The Greek word translated as “worthy” in this verse is closely related in meaning to the word “Tekel” in Daniel. To be worthy means that two things placed on a balance should weigh the same, so that the two sides are balanced. In Ephesians, the two things being weighed before God are "our conduct" and "the grace of our calling". If they do not measure up to each other, otherwise, it is in justice.

“The grace of our calling” refers to the price Jesus paid by dying for us to save our souls. “Our conduct” refers to what we do for the Lord and the degree to which our lives follow the truth. We should ask ourselves: Do our works for the Lord carry the same weight as the grace we have received from Him? If not, how are we any different from Belshazzar? What right do we have to criticize him?

Paul deeply understood the greatness of God's grace in his life. He knew his own sinful past, recognizing that it was only through God's grace and the ministry entrusted to him by God that he could serve as he did. To "strive for this balance", he could only press on toward the goal, never daring to slack off throughout his life. What about me?

“Not that I have already grasped it all or have already become perfect, but I press on if I may also take hold of that for which I was even taken hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:12–14, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao

https://isaiahkao.blogspot.com/2026/10/5.html