Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. – Psalm 1:5

Today's Scripture Reading (August 15, 2022): Psalm 1

I must admit that I love the 2001 movie "A Knight's Tale." It is one of my guilty pleasures. Much has been made of the story's anachronisms, including the choice of music for the movie. For some, the modern music used in the middle of a 14^th-century setting made no sense. But, for me, it worked. I believe the setting of whatever the movie is that we are watching notwithstanding, the story (and music) is designed for the one watching the action on the screen. And whatever supports the viewer's understanding of and emotional connection with the story is what needs to be used. For "A Knight's Tale," that includes some anachronistic music.

One of my favorite quotes from the movie occurs twice during the story, in two different situations. The quote spoken by the story's heroes late in the tale is phrased like this; "You have been weighed. You have been measured. And you have absolutely been found wanting." Actually, that quote is not an anachronism. It would probably surprise many movie viewers that the quote comes from the Bible's story of Daniel. Daniel 5 tells the story of King Belshazzar, the last King of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and a king who was likely the grandson of Nebuchadnezzar. In the biblical story told in Daniel, Belshazzar sees writing on the walls: MENE, MENE, TEKEL, PARSIN (Daniel 5:25). Daniel gives us the definition of these words.

        Mene: God has numbered the days of your reign and brought it to an end.

Tekel: You have been weighed on the scales and found wanting.

Peres: Your kingdom is divided and given to the Medes and Persians (Daniel 5:26)

According to the words written on the wall, Belshazzar has been weighed and absolutely found wanting.

The Psalmist writes that the wicked will not stand in the judgment. The Psalmist has just commented in this Psalm that the wicked are like chaff. The reality is that chaff is light. When threshing the grain, the farmer threw his harvest into the air, hoping that the breeze would carry the chaff away and allow the heavier seed to fall to the ground.

The Psalmist says that this is the predicament of the wicked. They are without weight, and because of that lack of substance, they will not be able to stand in the judgment. The wicked might look substantial to us, but from God's point of view, the wicked are nothing but shifting shadows. As far as the wicked are concerned, the judgment spoken by the heroes of "A Knight's Tale" and written on the wall for Belshazzar is literally true. "The wicked have been weighed. They have been measured. And they have absolutely been found wanting."

Today's Scripture Reading: Psalm 49

Personal Note: Happy 41^st Anniversary to my wife, Nelda. And Happy 35^th Anniversary to my sister Cheri and her husband, Laurie.