DANIEL'S PRAYER DANIEL 9: 1 - 19
Chapter nine of the Book of Daniel has been called "the backbone of prophesy". This chapter details the prophetic 70 weeks, which we must understand properly. If the 70 weeks are misunderstood, we will try to twist other prophesy to fit that narrative. Therefore, it is imperative that we get this right.
Chapter 9 (1) In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--(2) in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the Word of The Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. (3) So I turned to The Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
(4) I prayed to The Lord My God and confessed:
"Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, (5) we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. (6) We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
(7) "Lord, You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to You. (8) We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against You. (9) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; (10) we have not obeyed The Lord our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants, the prophets. (11) All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. (12) You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. (13) Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of The Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your Truth. (14) The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for The Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him.
(15)"Now, Lord our God, Who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and Who made for Yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. (16) Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
(17) "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, look with favor on Your desolate sanctuary. (18) Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. (19) Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name." (NIV)
Chapter 9 (1) In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom--(2) in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the Word of The Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. (3) So I turned to The Lord God and pleaded with Him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
(4) I prayed to The Lord My God and confessed:
"Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of love with those who love Him and keep His commandments, (5) we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from Your commands and laws. (6) We have not listened to Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your Name to our kings, our princes and our ancestors, and to all the people of the land.
(7) "Lord, You are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame--the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to You. (8) We and our kings, our princes and our ancestors are covered with shame, Lord, because we have sinned against You. (9) The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against Him; (10) we have not obeyed The Lord our God or kept the laws He gave us through His servants, the prophets. (11) All Israel has transgressed Your law and turned away, refusing to obey You.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against You. (12) You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing on us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. (13) Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of The Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to Your Truth. (14) The Lord did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for The Lord our God is righteous in everything He does; yet we have not obeyed Him.
(15)"Now, Lord our God, Who brought Your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and Who made for Yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. (16) Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, turn away Your anger and Your wrath from Jerusalem, Your city, Your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors have made Jerusalem and Your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
(17) "Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of Your servant. For Your sake, Lord, look with favor on Your desolate sanctuary. (18) Give ear, our God, and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears Your Name. We do not make requests of You because we are righteous, but because of Your great mercy. (19) Lord, listen! Lord, forgive! Lord, hear and act! For Your sake, my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people bear Your Name." (NIV)
H.A. IRONSIDE COMMENTARY
Daniel was a student of prophesy. It is noted here that even though Daniel did not have the complete Bible as we know it today, he did have the Book of Jeremiah. Twice Jeremiah wrote that God would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem. So, Daniel added it up and realized the 70 years were about to end.
It is amazing that rather than being excited and happy, Daniel accepted responsibility in his relationship with God. He prostrated himself before The Lord and cried out. When he realized that the time was upon them, he begins by exercising His people that they may be restored in soul if they have wandered from Him; and thus blessing would result upon their being brought into the place of self-judgement and humiliation before Him.
Dr. Ironside writes, "...if these things we have been going over, all that God has been bringing before us, shall result in casting us down in lowliness before Him, and causing us to cry, 'O Lord God, we have sinned, we have much reason to be before Thee in confession and brokenness, because of the failure of Thy people, the Church of which we form a part:' I say if it has this effect upon us, yea in us, it will be indeed for God's glory and our blessing."
He says that when we look around us and see the failure in the Church, the fleshliness and the worldliness that prevails on every hand, let us not assume the "holier than thou" posture, because we too are part of that Church that failed.
We are to ask, "Who are we to judge another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." So, let us be exercised about individual holiness and faithfulness to God; concerned, too, about corporate righteousness and freedom from unholy associations.
We are to ask, "Who are we to judge another man's servant? To his own master he stands or falls." So, let us be exercised about individual holiness and faithfulness to God; concerned, too, about corporate righteousness and freedom from unholy associations.
MY THOUGHTS
How powerful is Daniel's prayer! While Daniel refers to the Jew and Israel, let us keep in mind that the gentile has been grafted to The Vine.
America was founded on God's Word. Don't you think we have enjoyed His blessings because of that? Today, America is in trouble spiritually, because we have "forgotten our first love".
Let us prostrate ourselves before our God and seek His face. We need to be repentant, receptive, and available for Him to use us for His purpose and glory.
Do you know my Jesus? For more information, please click here: https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.
Do you know my Jesus? For more information, please click here: https://omaswisdom.blogspot.com/p/path-to-salvation.html.
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