Daniel 9:1-23  Daniel’s Prayer

 

Dan 9:1-2  In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans - 2 in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.

 

Daniel gives us the year here of this writing – in the first year of Darius reign

A) Going back again – time when the Medes and Persians conquered Babylon

 

B) Daniel has lived into his own  interpretation of Neb’s dream – seen the fulfillment

 

C) First year of the reign of Darius – 538BC

1) Since Daniel was brought into Babylon in 605BC as a teenager – this would make Daniel well over 80yrs old

 

D) He has been in Babylon now 67yrs

 

Daniel is a Prophet – Visions and dreams

A) He is an important man in the Kingdom – He has been an advisor to kings –

 

B) But I want you to note what he is doing here. He is not sitting in the lotus position waiting for some revelation – no – He is studying the word of God.

MAN OF THE WORD: Somehow he has a copy of the scroll from Jeremiah and he is studying it:

A) Note that: Every OT prophet used greatly by God – was a great man of the word

 

B) Thursday nights studying Titus with a group of young guys in our shepherds School who want to be in ministry.

 

C) Looking at the qualifications of an Elder – last thing Paul says is they need to be men who are Titus 1:9  “holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.”

 

D) Bible guys Men of the word – Men studying the word – given over to the word –

1) Studying Theology – studying the word – Choosing – instead TV video games

 

E) Daniel is a man of the word – Studying – and in his Study he discovers something concerning the time reason and the time frame of the Captivity of Israel in Babylon

 

Daniel is studying from Jeremiah 25 where Jeremiah prophesied that because of the pp of Judah’s rebellion they would be judged

Jeremiah 25:11 “And this whole land shall be a desolation and a horror, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”

Imagine how excited Daniel must have been when he realized that there were to be only three more years before they would be released to go home!

Why Seventy Years?
A) "Why did God choose seventy years to chastise the Israelites?" Was seventy just a number that God picked out of a hat?

 

B) Was there a reason for it? Yes, there was a reason.
Back in the book of Leviticus, when God was giving Moses the laws for the people to obey, He said,
Leviticus  25:2-4
“...When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the LORD. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the LORD; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard."

God warned that if they did not obey Him and observe the commandments, He would remove them from the land and scatter them among the nations.
A) Force the land to have a Sabbath Leviticus  26:34-35 “Then the land will enjoy its Sabbaths all the days of the desolation, while you are in your enemies’ land; then the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. All the days of {its} desolation it will observe the rest which it did not observe on your Sabbaths, while you were living on it.”

For 490 years, the Israelites lived in the land, but never gave it the Sabbath rest commanded by God.

A) The Purpose of the Sabbath was for Rest  and trust –

 

B) On a personal level God Knows that pp need a rest – It is not healthy to work 7 days a week.

1) I work 6 days Monday is my Sabbath – I need it –

 

C) God knows we are built that way –

 

The Sabbath rest for the land was more about trust – A)Would the people be willing to trust God by giving their farms a year off –from harvesting.

 

B) Would they be willing to trust God to provide – they weren’t.  They rebelled – for 490yrs

1) Plus they turned to idols and carnality

 

Bb) God finally said enough – I call that patience! 490yrs

 

C) So they were in the land for 490yrs – they missed a Sabbath every 7yrs – They owed God 70yrs

 

D) The Babylonians attacked, killing many, burning the temple, and stealing the treasures.

1) And those who had escaped from the sword he carried away to Babylon; and they were servants to him and to his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia

 

So God was going to punish them for 70yrs – but note when the 70 yrs were done God declared

Jeremiah 29:10-14

“For thus says the Lord: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. 11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.  And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and I will bring you back from your captivity; I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the Lord, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”

 

God's love for Israel was evident even as He pronounced their punishment.
A) The Punishment would have a purpose – Getting the nation back on track seeking the Lord.

 

B) God’s punishment is always meant to bring us to a place of seeking Him again – Restoration is goal

 

3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

 

S0 Daniel reads this and he can do the math – he realizes the 70 yrs are almost up and an era of change is approaching – He is driven to Prayer –

A) He does so with great humility and urgency – the purpose behind the fasting sackcloth and ashes – Humble heart -

 

 Lets read together Daniel’s prayer – powerful prayer – Stand – I am going to read even # verses starting with v.4 you read the odd down to v.19

 

Notice how He begins v.4 I prayed to the LORD Capital LORD - - the name Jehovah or Yahweh – appears 7 times in the 9th chapter and no where else in the book of Daniel -


Important because Yahweh was the Covenant name used for God  I AM - Covenant keeping God

A) Daniel is approaching Him based on the covenant that God made with the nation of Israel

 

B) That is extremely important for us to see today because of the Preterist and Amill and replacement theology that is in the Church today

{ Church is Israel – Trib is historical already happened – AD 70

 

C) Israel still has a place in God’s  Romans 9-11

1) Some in the history of the Church failed to see this

Didn’t know what to do with Romans 9-11

Augustine was writing in the 4th century – influenced Calvin and Luther who would write and leaders in the Church in the 16th century- 1500’s

A) Influenced today’s resurgence in reformed theology

 

B) Those men gave us great stuff on Justification – Salvation by faith thru grace alone

 

C) God used them to get the Church back to the Bible

 

D) But they  didn’t help us at all in the area of eschatology –

 

Which I understand because they were writing during a time when Israel no longer exist as a nation or as a race of people. –

A) Augustine wrote 230yrs after AD 70 when Israel was over thrown and dispersed

 

B) Calvin and Luther wrote over 1400yrs after AD 70 still no Israel

 

C) So they all interpreted that the events in the tribulation happened at AD70 and the promises for Israel now belonged to the Church –

1) since Paul declared that we who are in Christ are the true Circumcision

 

 

I can understand how they would be prone to think those Prophetic passages have to be past because it is clearly talking about Israel.

A) When they were writing and leaders in the Church – Israel – didn’t even exist as a nation or pp group.

 

B) But when Israel became a nation again in 1948 – suddenly things started to make more sense

1) that Revelation hadn’t happened it is yet future

 

C) The reemergence of Israel as a nation is key

Matthew 24:32-34

 

32 "Now learn this parable from the fig tree: When its branch has already become tender and puts forth leaves, you know that summer is near.  33 So you also, when you see all these things, know that it is near — at the doors!   34 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place.

 

Now whenever this passage is read everyone gets hung up on the word – Generation – how long is a generation 40yrs 100yrs

A) The word is actually Genos – means this race of pp this family of pp  this Kind of people will not pass away or off the scene until all these things are fulfilled

 

B) So when you see the budding of the fig tree – when you see the rebirth of the nation of Israel Know that things are at the very door!

 

C) So when Israel is reborn that race that family of pp will not pass away until all is fulfilled

1) End times Scenario – Jesus comes back – no more Jew and Gentile – all just followers of Jesus

 

D) But God has a special plan and heart for Israel

 

Jeremiah 31:3-4

3 The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:

"Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;

Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.

4 Again I will build you, and you shall be rebuilt,

O virgin of Israel! You shall again be adorned with your tambourines, And shall go forth in the dances of those who rejoice.”

 

God has loved Israel with an everlasting loved

A) He has made a covenant with Israel and promised she would be rebuilt

 

B) So Daniel is praying to a Covenant keeping God – that is important to note

 

C) Prayer is mostly Confession part request

 

1st Confession:

A) 11 times he uses the Phrase we he says "we have" or "we are."

 

B) Look at the words he uses to describe the sin of Israel: v. 5,8,11,15  we have sinned…

v.5,15  …done wickedly…v.6 not heeded your prophets V.9…rebelled…V.11,14  refused to obey … V.18 Not prayed

A) Perhaps the strongest statement comes in verse 7:

O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day

 

B) That’s not a Politically Correct statement, is it?

1) After all, we live in a shameless society filled with shameless people who do shameless deeds.

 

C) The whole idea of "shame" seems to belong to another time and place.

1) We’re not ashamed of anything anymore. We don’t blush because we aren’t embarrassed because we’ve seen it all and heard it all.

 

D) But the truth is Sin always brings shame and always separates us from God.

 

E) What I love about Daniel’s confession is He makes no excuses for their sin. And He includes himself

 

Confession of sin is the Answer for us as individuals and as a country

A) The answer is not in a trillion dollar stimulus package

 

B) Not in Uniting the party’s –

 

C) All that we are hearing is that attitude that says we can fix ourselves – Americans are very prideful – risen to prominence so quickly –

 

D) Fail to recognize God’s hand on us

 

E) We Love to point fingers cast blame –

 

Facts we pushed God out of our Schools and out of our GOVT

A) We encouraged Israel to give up land for peace

 

B) We have killed millions of babies through abortion

1) Pornography is our biggest industry

 

We as a nation have sinned – We need to repent

A) That is our only Hope

 

What is true of us as a nation is also true of us as individuals

A) Spent money we didn’t have to please our flesh

 

1 John 1:9-10

9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

 

B) We become lazy and complacent

Daniel starts by confessing sin

A) But He doesn’t stop there – He also confessed that the punishment was Just and right and deserving – V.12-15

 

B) Three times he refers to the "disaster" that befell Israel in being sent into captivity.

 

C) His whole point is to say, "Lord, you promised you would do this if we sinned.

1)We sinned and you did what you said you would do. We have no complaints against you.

 

D) We deserved what happened to us."

 


Taking the prayer as a whole, we discover that everything Daniel says is based upon God’s character:
You are awesome—(4)
You always keep your promises—(4)
You are righteous—(7)
You are a forgiving God—(9)
You have a great name—(15)
You are a merciful God—(18)

A) In many ways verse 18 is the theme of the whole prayer: "We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy."

 

B) What a crucial insight that is. So many times we pray because we secretly think we have "earned" the right by our good behavior to ask God to bless us.

 Daniel’s approach was the exact opposite. "Lord, we don’t deserve to be heard by you because we have sinned greatly against you.

 

The only reason we come to you is because you are a God of love and grace."

 

When we approach God with that attitude, we will discover that he welcomes us into his presence and listens graciously to every word we say.

A) “God resist the proud but gives grace to the Humble.” James 4:6

 

B) Another key observation in v.21 – Read v.20-21

20 Now while I was speaking, praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God, 21 yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me about the time of the evening offering.

 

But note when Daniel prayed it was at the time of the evening sacrifice.

A) Now understand pp they weren’t sacrificing in Babylon – and the temple has been torn down for 67yrs – for almost 70yrs no blood shed

 

B) But it says that Daniel is praying at the time of the evening sacrifice – which was 3Oclock in the afternoon

1) Which is the same time that Jesus would die on the cross – the time of the evening sacrifice

Note this Daniel is close to 90yrs old and he still marking his life by what he learned back home in Jerusalem as a young man

A) His body has been in Babylon for over 67yrs but his heart has always been in Jerusalem

 

B) He is patterning his life around the time of the sacrifice – Why is that so interesting in light of Daniel’s prayer –

1) What is he doing – He is confessing sin and asking for mercy

 

C) What did the sacrifice represent ? Confession and mercy

 

The worshipper would bring a lamb – it would be examined by the Priest – the Worshipper was not examined the lamb was

A) The worshipper being there was an admission of Guilt – but the worshipper wasn’t examined – the lamb was examined –

 

B) The lamb’s blood was shed – the lamb was sacrificed – and the worshipper would go away cleansed covered and forgiven – because of the blood of the lamb

 

C) Something of that is still in Daniel’s heart after 67yrs

 

D) He is praying and confessing sin and asking for mercy and it is at the time of the evening sacrifice –

 

Dd) Because he knew there was no better time to pray that at the time when the lamb was sacrificed to pay the price for sin

 

Where this prayer leads

A) Insight –  True prayer always leads to new insight and deeper understanding.

 

B) James 4:8-10

“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.”

 

Sometimes sin is the blockage – not receiving insight – deal with the sin – come to God – He will draw near to you


Encouragement Dan 9:22-23

22 And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, "O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. 23 At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved; therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision:

 

 

The last phrase of verse 23 tells us how God evaluated Daniel the man: "greatly loved." Some translations "For you are highly esteemed." others say use the word "precious,"

 

This teaches us that God hears our prayers not because we are good or because we deserve to be heard, but simply because he loves us.