All The Difference

The Babylonian Empire has run it's brilliant but unexpectedly short course. In the face of the Median invasion (with Persian partnership), the last king of Babylon chooses a show of bravado. When men feel weak or threatened, they often find false strength in alcohol and pugnacious sacrilege. Such wickedness offers a very short burst of pride, destined to be punctured – something Belshazzar illustrates perfectly when he poops his pants in fear (the meaning of "his hips went slack.") By contrast, Daniel has outlived the very empire, steady and faithful to the end and beyond. Moreover, he proves useful even in his "retirement." Daniel remembers, learns from, and applies what has gone before. By contrast, Belshazzar tragically rejects the very history he knows.