King Belshazzar held a great feast for 1,000 of his nobles and drank wine in their presence. Under the influence of the wine, Belshazzar gave orders to bring the gold and silver vessels that his predecessor Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the temple in Jerusalem, so that the king and his nobles, wives, and concubines could drink from them. Daniel 5:1-2 HCSB
Every day the police stop cars whose drivers are going too fast or breaking the law in some way. In some cases the car is stopped because the driver seems to be under the influence of some type of alcoholic beverage. The driver is usually weaving and trying to keep the car on the road between the lines and may be given a citation and charged with DUI (Driving Under the Influence). When someone is under the influence of alcohol, he usually says and does things that are not typical. The alcohol causes the person to use poor judgment. Too many times people are killed by a drunk driver.
King Belshazzar was under the influence of alcohol. He used poor judgment when he asked for the gold and silver vessels from the temple in Jerusalem to be brought so they could drink from them. These were holy vessels and were intended to used by the priests in the worship of the one true God. Not only were the vessels being used in a unholy way, but they were being used as a part of a drunken orgy that was being performed as an act of praise and worship to pagan gods.
Challenge: Avoid using poor judgment and making poor decisions caused by the destructive influence of alcohol. Rather, be controlled by the influence of the Holy Spirit that lives within all believers.