Set Apart

It's been awhile since I've continued with the story of Nebuchadnezzar and Daniel, so I thought today would be a perfect time for just that.
Have I mentioned how wonderful a teacher Beth Moore is? Seriously, if you haven't done one of her studies, DO ONE! You will be forever changed.

My story picks up with Belshazzar, one of Neb's ancesters and a very wicked young man. Allow me to back up a bit to give you a little information before I go forward.
When Neb was king, he raided the temple of Jerusalem, the temple of God, taking with him holy articles and placing them in the temple of his god (make note of the capital G and the little g). This raiding happened quite a bit in these times; kings wanting more articles of gold and silver to add to and build up their own store of riches.
Now back to Belshazzar. He decides one night to throw this huge party, this great banquet for a thousand of his nobles.  Can you imagine throwing a party for 1,000 of your friends? Do you even have 1,000 friends? I surely don't!
They are all sitting around drinking some very expensive wine and after becoming a little inebriated, Belshazzar decides to order his servants to fetch the expensive gold and silver Jewish goblets that Nebuchadnezzar stole from the temple of God.
What's the big deal, you may ask? These goblets weren't just any ordinary goblets. If you go back to Exodus 40:9, God commands Moses to consecrate (the act or state of which people or things are set aside and reserved exclusively for God) the tabernacle and everything in it, including these goblets. The same goblets that drunken Belshazzar wants to party with! Belshazzar made a grievous mistake in treating the holy as unholy.
Do you realize that we, too, are holy vessels? Ephesians 1:4 says that we have been chosen to be holy and blameless in His sight. We are not just common vessels. We have been declared holy. How does that make you feel? When I was told that, I thought, "What? Me? Holy? You have got to be kidding!"
But it's true. You, me, your neighbor, your friends, have all been declared holy vessels to be used by God Himself. 1 Corinthians 1:21-22 says that He annointed us and has set His seal of ownership on us. Ownership, you may ask? Maybe not like you own your car or your house, but in a sense that this seal tells us that we are His and no matter what we've done or who we are. We are guaranteed to receive all His blessings and treasures He has stored up in heaven for us.
Satan has no greater agenda than attempting to desecrate what God consecrates - much like Belshazzar. Satan wants us to think we're common and definitely not worth God's time. Let me just say that God does NOT overlook satan's mistreatment of holy vessels now anymore than He did way back in Belshazzar's day.
Back to the party... in the midst of this drunken orgy, a hand appears out of nowhere and begins to write on the wall. I don't have to explain just how scared Belshazzar and his nobles were. Does shaking in their shoes help you picture this scene?
The writing is interpreted in short, to mean: Your (referring to Belshazzar) days are numbered, you have been found guilty of numerous crimes against the Lord God and your kingdom will be divided.
That very night, Belshazzar is slain.
We have been set apart for sacred use. Be aware of any way satan tries to tell you differently. Vessels that have been treated as unholy can be treated as holy again.