"And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knewest all this." (Daniel 5:22) King Balshazzar took a chance on disobeying and mocking God and lost his soul.

He knew better because he had seen the judgment of God upon his father’s life, when pride had entered in and taken control of Nebuchnezzar’s heart. Even though Belshazzar knew better, he disobeyed God and committed willful blasphemy. What did he do? Here, read it for yourself,

"Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. Belshazzsar, while he tasted the wine, commanded to bring the golden and silver vessels which his father Nebuchadnezzar had taken out of the temple which was in Jerusalem; that the king and his princes, his wives, and his concubines, might drink therein. Then they brought the golden vessels that were taken out of the temple of the house of God which was at Jerusalem; and the king, and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drank in them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone,. In the same hour came forth fingers of a man’s hand, and wrote over against the candlestick upon the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace, and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote. Then the king’s countenance was changed, and his thoughts troubled him, so that the joints of his loins were loosed, and his knees smote one against another. And this is the writing that was written, Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin. This is the interpretation of the thing: Mene; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. Tekel, thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting." (Daniel 5:1-6; Daniel 5:25-27)

And what was the judgment of God against him? "In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain." (Daniel 5:30) The enemy had tunneled under the walls and in the night time came upon a drunken, sleeping city and seized power, killing the king. That wasn’t the worst of it. Listen to this.... Even today, while you read these lines, King Belshazzar is in torment and pain in Hell forevermore. Yes, he gambled with his soul and lost.

REMEMBER LOT’S WIFE

Jesus said, "Remember Lot’s wife." (Luke 17:32) Why did Jesus want us to remember that terrible event? He wanted us to be sure that we do not follow in her footsteps - to use her for an example unto us. (1 Corinthians 10:6) Jesus warned over and over again, "Be ye therefore also ready; for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not." (Luke 12:40) "Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation." (Matthew 26:41) "Strive to enter in at the strait gate, for man, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Luke 13:24) "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God." (John 3:3) And also in Luke 13:3 - "Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

Yes, Jesus made many references to coming judgment and invited people to repent of their sins and believe the Gospel.

Since Jesus made definite reference to Lot’s wife, however, I feel we should take a little time to examine the facts concerning this event.

The Lord cam down to speak to His friend, Abraham, about His plan to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah because of their wicked, perverted sins of homosexuality and sex perversion. Abraham pleaded before the Lord in deep intercessory prayers and supplications so that God would spare Sodom and Gomorrah. Abraham asked God to spare the city of Sodom, to spare the righteous within her borders. He asked the Lord to spare Sodom from destruction if there were 10 righteous people there. To this the Lord consented, but because there were to 10 people in the city who loved god and hated sin, God destroyed Sodom, Gomorrah and the cities of the plains by fire and brimstone.

However, God first sent His Angels to warn Lot of the coming judgment and to command him and his family to leave for safety, immediately. As Lot still lingered, the Angels actually helped them out physically with the warning, "Escape for thy life; look not behind thee, neither stay thou in all the plain; escape to the mountain, lest thou be consumed." (Genesis 19:17) However, Lot’s wife gambled with her life and soul and was lost. She went against clear light and willfully disobeyed the command of the Lord. Her heart was in the city. Her interests were in Sodom and she did not want to leave. It may have been her beautiful new house or furniture, world associates, or maybe even a secret boyfriend. Who knows? We do not know about that, but we do know that her heart was in that wicked city.

The scriptures say, "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal; but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." (Matthew 6:19-21).

As Lot’s wife turned to look back, God’s judgment immediately fell upon her, she died on the spot and her body became a pillar of salt. That her soul took the downward plunge into a lost eternity is evidenced by the words of Jesus when He said, "No man, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God." (Luke 9:62) Lot’s wife took a chance on disobeying God and lost in her gamble.

There will be no excuse for Lot’s wife! Do not forget she was married to Abraham’s nephew - no doubt many times she had heard him speak about the things of God - Abraham, the friend of God, who was the Father of the Faithful had no doubt shared many faith sermons with Lot and his wife; even angels had warned her of coming judgment if she disobeyed, yet she took a chance and was doomed forever. No wonder Jesus said, "Remember Lot’s wife."

GOD COULD HAVE USED HIM

"The leprosy therefore of Naaman shall cleave unto thee, and unto thy seed forever. And he went out from his presence a leper as white as snow." (2 Kings 5:27) Gehazzi took a chance of lying and deceiving; gambled for a few material gains and became a leper because of God’s judgment. What a sad picture. Gehazzi, the man who could have been so mightily used of God, left the presence of God and Elisha, a leper forever. Gehazzi took a chance and gambled with God and lost. Let us be honest with ourselves, with God and with our fellow man and we will not follow in the footsteps of the man whom God could have used.

If Gehazzi had not gambled by obeying the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eye, he would not have been dishonest with God’s servant. As a result he became a leper, together with his seed after him. He lost his opportunity to become a Prophet of God after Elisha and may have lost his soul. Oh what a different ending could have been his if he had not allowed the spirits of chance to ruin his life. May this be an example to us today.