Daniel 9
Daniel learned from reading the Word of God verse 1- 2
In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus
of the seed of the Medes – which was made king
over the realm of the Chaldeans
In the first year of his reign
I Daniel understood by books the number of the years
whereof the word of the LORD
came to Jeremiah the prophet
that he would accomplish seventy years
in the desolations of Jerusalem
Daniel prayed with fasting for an answer verse 3
And I set my face unto the Lord GOD
to seek by prayer and supplications
with fasting – sackcloth – ashes
Prayer: Confession of sin verse 4- 6
And I prayed unto the LORD my God
and made my confession – and said
O Lord – the great and dreadful God
keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love HIM
and to them that keep HIS commandments
We have sinned – and have committed iniquity
and have done wickedly – and have rebelled
even by departing from YOUR precepts
and from YOUR judgments
NEITHER have we hearkened to YOUR servants the prophets
which spoke in YOUR name
to our kings – our princes – our fathers
and to all the people of the land
Prayer: Mercy and forgiveness verse 7- 11
O Lord – righteousness belongs unto YOU
BUT to us confusion of faces
as at this day – to the men of Judah
to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and unto all Israel – that are near
and that are far off
through all the countries whither YOU
have driven them
BECAUSE of their trespass that they have
trespassed against YOU
O Lord – to us belongs confusion of faces
to our kings – princes – fathers
BECAUSE we have sinned against YOU
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness
though we have rebelled against HIM
NEITHER have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God
to walk in HIS laws – which HE set before us
by HIS servants the prophets
YEA – all Israel have transgressed YOUR law
even by departing
that they might not obey YOUR voice
THEREFORE the curse is poured upon us
and the oath that is written
in the law of Moses the servant of God
BECAUSE we have sinned against HIM
Prayer: History of warning verse 12- 15
AND HE has confirmed HIS words – which HE spoke against us
and against our judges that judged us
by bringing upon us a great evil
for under the whole heaven has not been done
as has been done upon Jerusalem
As it is written in the law of Moses
all this evil is come upon us
YET made we not our prayer before the LORD our God
that we might turn from our iniquities
and understand YOUR truth
THEREFORE has the LORD watched upon the evil
and brought it upon us
for the LORD our God is righteous
in all HIS works which HE does
for we obeyed not HIS voice
AND NOW – O Lord our God
that has brought YOUR people forth
out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand
AND has gotten YOU renown – as at this day
we have sinned – we have done wickedly
Prayer: Turning point verse 16
O Lord – according to all YOUR righteousness – I beseech YOU
let YOUR anger and YOUR fury be turned away
from YOUR city Jerusalem
YOUR holy mountain – BECAUSE for our sins
and for the iniquities of our fathers
Jerusalem and YOUR people are become a reproach
to all that are about us
Prayer: Hear LORD verse 17- 19
NOW therefore – O our God – hear the prayer of YOUR servant
and his supplications
and cause YOUR face to shine upon YOUR sanctuary
that is desolate for the Lord’s sake
O my God – incline YOUR ear and hear – open YOUR eyes
and behold our desolations
and the city which is called by YOUR name
for we do not present our supplications before YOU
for our righteousness
BUT for YOUR great mercies
O Lord – hear O Lord – forgive
O Lord – hearken and do – defer not – for THINE own sake
O my God
for YOUR city and YOUR people are called
by YOUR name
Gabriel sent to answer Daniel’s prayer verse 20- 23
And while I was speaking – praying
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
YEA – whiles I was speaking in prayer – even the man Gabriel
whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning
being caused to fly swiftly
touched me about the time of the evening oblation
And he informed me – and talked with me
and said
O Daniel – I am now come forth
to give you skill and understanding
At the beginning of your supplications
the commandment came forth
and I am come to show you
For you are greatly beloved
THEREFORE understand the matter
and consider the vision
Seventy weeks of Daniel verse 24
Seventy weeks are determined upon your people
and upon your holy city
to finish the transgression
to make an end of sins
to make reconciliation for iniquity
to bring in everlasting righteousness
to seal up the vision and prophecy
to anoint the most Holy
First seven weeks verse 25
Know therefore and understand
that from the going forth of the commandment
to restore and to build Jerusalem
to the Messiah – the Prince
shall be seven weeks [7] – and threescore and two weeks
the street shall be built again – and the wall
even in troublous times
Second sixty-two weeks verse 26
AND after threescore and two weeks [62] shall Messiah be cut off
BUT not for HIMSELF
and the people of the prince that come
shall destroy the city and the sanctuary
AND the end thereof
shall be with a flood
AND unto the end of the war
desolations are determined
Third one week verse 27
AND he shall confirm the covenant
with many for one week [1]
AND in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice
and the oblation to cease
AND for the overspreading of abominations he shall
make it desolate – even until the consummation
AND that determined shall be poured upon the desolate
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments (3034 “confession” [yadah] means confess sin, to profess, to show, make an admission, or to bemoan)
DEVOTION: Everything must start at the top if an organization is to move forward. If those in leadership are not leading than there is confusion in the ranks.
Here we find that Daniel is making an admission of being a sinner. There are many in leadership who have this problem of not being willing to tell others that they are sinners. Daniel prays to the LORD for HIS forgiveness and asks for HIS mercy and forgiveness.
Only when God’s people admit that they need help will there be help coming. God wants us to communicate with HIM on a regular basis. HE is there to help and give strength once this requirement is met.
He uses such words as iniquity, sin, wickedly, rebelled and departing in his prayer. He is not holding anything back.
Why such a prayer at such a time? The reason is that the seventy years of captivity should be coming to a close. He wanted to let the LORD know that they were ready for a change of scenery. They wanted to return to Jerusalem.
He realized that the LORD keeps HIS promises to HIS people. HIS promise was a return to the Promised Land. They were ready to hold the LORD to HIS promise.
We can hold the LORD to the promises that HE gives us throughout the New Testament. We don’t have the same promises as the Old Testament saints but we have better promises according to the book of Hebrews. We should seek and find those better promises and bring them to the throne of grace for the LORD to provide them to us.
CHALLENGE: Look for the better promises of the Word of God for us today. Share what you find with other believers. This provides hope!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 7 “Lord, you are in the right; but as you see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Judah and Jerusalem and all Israel, scattered near and far, wherever you have driven us because of our disloyalty to you. (1322 “shame” [bosheth] means confusion, state of dishonor, a vile and ignominious, humiliation)
DEVOTION: There is a difference between right and wrong. There are right ways to do things and wrong ways of doing things. When we play a game on the playground there are certain rules that have to be followed. If someone doesn’t follow the rules we say that they are cheating.
The people of God in the Old Testament didn’t want to play by the rules the LORD had given to them through HIS servant Moses. They didn’t like the rules. They thought they could live their life better without God’s rules. They were wrong.
We have to have rules to know what is expected of us on a regular basis. If our parents set down some rules and never enforced them, what would we do? We would think that the rules were not important and therefore stop trying to follow them.
God enforces HIS rules. In the Old Testament HE would send an enemy to judge the people and they would cry out for help. They would repent of their sins and start living by HIS rules again. It only lasted for a little while before they were back disobeying HIS rules.
CHALLENGE: We have a choice to be loyal to the rules of the LORD or to break them. God wants us to be obedient, in order that, HE can bless us.
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 17 Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. (8469 “supplications” [tachanuwn] means intreaties, plea for mercy, or a request for kindness)
DEVOTION: Daniel prayed a long prayer. He wanted the LORD to give him an understanding of the seventy years of Jeremiah. Jeremiah was dealing with the return from captivity. Daniel wanted to know if the children of Israel were going back to the Promised Land again. He prayed with fasting. He sat with a garment of sackcloth in ashes. He was serious. He wanted answers.
He confessed his sin and the sins of the children of Israel. He knew they deserved captivity because the LORD sent warnings that HE was going to judge and they would not listen. He spent half his prayer confessing their sinfulness.
The second half of the prayer he spent on asking the LORD to listen to his confession. He wanted the LORD to forgive HIS people. He wanted to have the people restored to the land of Israel. He was willing to confess his sin. He was willing to fast to receive an answer. He was willing to wait on the LORD.
The LORD sent HIS angel, Gabriel, again to give an answer to Daniel. There was a coming Messiah, who was also the prince, who would be cut off but that would not end HIS career. The children of Israel were going to be restored. Daniel wanted the face of the LORD to shine on them again. Daniel knew that confession was necessary for this to happen. He became an intercessor for his people.
The LORD not only gave him the answer to his question, but told him the future of Israel. It was a future of hope. There was going to be a rebuilding of Jerusalem. There was going to be the coming of the Messiah. Finally, there was going to be the last seven years of Tribulation.
We have an intercessor for us, Jesus Christ the righteous one. HE goes before the Father for us and then sends the blessings. Our Father can cause HIS face to shine on us after we confess our sin and turn and follow HIM each day. Our salvation is sealed but our fellowship is a daily coming to the LORD for strength and guidance. Have we gone to HIM today? Our prayer life is very, very important for our relationship to the LORD. Daniel understood it – do we? Do we want the mercies of the LORD to be new every morning?
CHALLENGE: Expect answers from the LORD to our Biblical prayers. Too often we pray expecting nothing and that is what we receive. God doesn’t honor a double minded man.
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: 17 Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate
DEVOTION: When we speak, we want people to listen to us. Sometimes we say things that are good but other times we can say things that are not so good. People have to decide if they want to listen to what we have to say. Our goal should be to say something that would be helpful to them.
Daniel wants the LORD to hear his prayer. He claims to be a servant of the LORD. His life proved that he was loyal to the LORD. He wanted the LORD to shine his face on him and the children of Israel again.
Do we want the LORD to shine HIS face on us each day? HE expects us to be loyal to HIM by obeying HIS commandments. If we fail, HE expects us to confess our sins and ask HIM for forgiveness.
Daniel prayed such a prayer for himself and the children of Israel. Prayer was important to Daniel. And because he confessed his sin and the sins of his people, the LORD sent an angel to give him insight into the future of the nation on many occasions.
When we pray with confession and a willingness to learn from HIM, HE will give us instruction to help us live the life HE wants of us. We need to understand the importance of prayer in this process.
Many believers think that they don’t need to pray. They think that everything is going to happen whether they pray or not. The problem with this philosophy is that it is being disobedient to the Word of God and God cannot bless us fully with us being disobedient.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Daniel prayed with fastings verse 3
sackcloth verse 3
ashes verse 3
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Daniel understood by books verse 2
Jeremiah wrote a book telling of seventy years verse 2
Written in the law of Moses verse 11, 13
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Daniel confessed before the LORD in prayer verse 4, 20
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Daniel prayed for understanding verse 3, 4
Daniel made supplications verse 3, 17, 18, 20, 23
Daniel says they were wrong for not praying verse 13
Daniel beseechs the Lord verse 16
Daniel wants the Lord to hear his prayer verse 17
Daniel wants to be heard verse 18
Daniel’s supplications are not based on his
righteousness but the LORD’S mercies verse 18
Daniel wants LORD to incline HIS ear and
hear – open YOUR eyes and see the
desolations verse 18
Daniel wants Lord to hear and forgive verse 19
Daniel answered while praying verse 20
While Daniel was speaking in prayer Gabriel
touched Daniel about the time of the
evening oblation verse 21
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Sanctuary verse 17, 26
Evening oblation verse 21, 27
Sacrifice verse 27
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 2
Commandments verse 4, 23
Precepts verse 5
Judgments verse 5
Laws verse 10, 11, 13
Law of Moses verse 11, 13
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 2, 4, 13, 14, 20,
Lord – Adonai (Owner, Master) verse 3, 4, 7- 10, 15- 17, 19
GOD – Jehovah verse 3
Lord GOD verse 3
God – Elohim (Creator, Sovereign, Plural name) verse 4, 9, 10, 11, 13- 15, 17-20,
LORD my God verse 4, 20
Great and dreadful God verse 4
Keeping covenant verse 4
Mercy to them that love HIM
and keep HIS commandments verse 4, 9
Righteousness verse 7, 14, 16
Lord our God verse 9, 10, 15
Mercies verse 9
Forgiveness verse 9
Confirmed HIS words verse 12
Spoke against Israel verse 12
Spoke against Israel’s judges verse 12
LORD our God verse 13, 14
LORD has watched upon the evil
and brought it upon Israel verse 14
Mighty hand verse 15
Anger and fury of the LORD verse 16
Lord’s sake – hear prayer of servants
And supplications and cause
YOUR fact to shine upon YOUR
Sanctuary that is desolate verse 17
Great mercies verse 18
Holy mountain of God verse 20
Most Holy verse 24
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
Anoint the most Holy verse 24
Messiah = Prince = Christ verse 25, 26
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Gabriel gives seventy weeks to Daniel verse 21- 27
Fly swiftly
Touched Daniel
Informed Daniel him and talked with
him and said – O Daniel,
I am now come forth to give you skill and understanding
At the beginning of your supplications
the commandment came forth,
and I am come to show you for
you are greatly beloved therefore
understand the matter and consider
the vision
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Darius the son of Ahasuerus verse 1
Medes verse 1
Chaldeans verse 1
Land of Egypt verse 15
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sinned verse 5, 8, 11, 15, 16, 20, 24
Iniquity verse 5, 13, 16, 24
Wickedly verse 5, 15
Rebelled verse 5, 9
Departed from precepts and judgments verse 5
Not hearkening to prophets verse 6
Confusion of faces verse 7, 8
Trespass verse 7
Not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God verse 10, 11, 14
Not walking in in HIS laws verse 10
Transgression of law verse 11, 24
Curse poured upon Israel verse 11
False judges verse 12
Evil verse 12- 14
Not made prayers before the LORD our God verse 13
Sin – personal and for people of Israel verse 20
Abomination of desolation verse 27
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Understanding verse 2, 13, 22 23, 25
Prophet verse 2, 10
Seek the LORD verse 3
Prayer verse 3, 4, 13, 16- 21
Supplications verse 3, 17, 18, 20, 23
Fasting verse 3
Confession of sin verse 4, 20
Covenant verse 4, 27
Mercy verse 4, 9, 18
Love the LORD verse 4
Keep the commandments verse 4
Righteousness (everlasting) verse 7, 18, 24
Forgiveness verse 9, 19
Obedience verse 10, 11, 14
Walk in God’s law verse 10
Servants – the prophets verse 10, 11, 17
Oath written in the law of Moses verse 11
Turn from iniquities verse 13
Understand God’s truth verse 13
Informed verse 22
Skill and understanding verse 22
Beloved verse 23
Reconciliation verse 24
Vision verse 24
Prophecy verse 24
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Daniel verse 1- 27
Understood by books the number of years
I set my face to the Lord God
to seek by prayer, supplications,
fasting, sackcloth and ashes
Prayed to the LORD my God
made a confession
Gabriel touched him at the time of
evening oblations
Seventy weeks are determined on your
people and upon your holy city
to finish the transgression and
make an end of sins and to make
reconciliation for iniquity, and to
bring in everlasting righteousness
and to seal up the vision and prophecy
and to anoint the most Holy
Jeremiah the prophet verse 2
Word of the LORD came to him
Jerusalem verse 2, 7, 12, 16, 24, 25
Has become a reproach to all that are
about us
Seventy years of desolations of Jerusalem
Kings verse 6, 8
Princes verse 6, 8
Fathers verse 6,
All the people of the land verse 6
Men of Judah verse 7
Israel verse 7, 11, 20
Moses –servant of God verse 11, 13
Judges brought great evil on Israel verse 12
Written in the law of Moses verse 13
LORD brought out of land of Egypt
with HIS mighty hand verse 15
Prayer by Daniel – let YOUR anger and
Your fury be turned away from
YOUR city Jerusalem verse 16
People called upon the name of LORD verse 19
Daniel greatly beloved verse 23
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
Bring in everlasting righteousness verse 24- 27
Restore Jerusalem to the Messiah the
Prince shall be seven weeks
and threescore and two weeks
Messiah shall be cut off, but not for
Himself, and the people of the prince
that shall come shall destroy the city
and the sanctuary; and the end thereof
shall be with flood, and unto the end of
the war desolations are determined.
And he shall confirm the covenant with many
for one week: and in the midst of the week
he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblations
to cease, and for the overspreading of the
abominations he shall make it desolate,
even until the consummation, and that
determined shall be poured upon th e
desolate
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QUOTES regarding passage
The third usage and the one that is most common carries the above thought further expressing the disgrace which is the result of defeat at the hands of an enemy, either in battle or in some other manner. In particular, the awful shame of being paraded as captives is thought of (Mic 1:11; cf. also Jer 2:26). Involved here are all the nuances of confusion, disillusionment, humiliation, and brokenness which the word connotes. The prophets normally use the word with this sense, promising Israel that unless she repents and turns from her idolatrous ways, she will certainly experience the shame of defeat and exile. (Cf. Isa 1:29; 30:5; Jer 2:36; 9:19 [H 18]; Ezr 9:6; Dan 9:7, etc.)
Intimately associated with this third use of the word is the question of trust. If Israel seeks to insure her own glory by refusing to trust in God but rather trusts in idols (Isa 1:29) or in foreign nations (Isa 20:5; 30:3,5), she will not get glory, but shame and disgrace. On the other hand, if one will humbly submit to God, he will find his true glory, for God will not let that person come to shame (Isa 29:22; Joel 2:26, 27; Zeph 3:19). It is this promise of which the Psalmist continually reminds God (Ps 25:3; 31:17 [H 18]; 37:19; 119:46).
Similarly, although Israel’s enemies may triumph over her for a period, they must inevitably, because of their idolatry and their lack of trust in God, be brought to abject shame (Isa 41:1 l; Jer 46:24; 51:47.) Again, it is the Psalmist’s fervent expectation that because he trusts in God, those who are attempting to destroy him must themselves be brought low in disgrace (Ps 6:10 [H 11]; 22:6; 40:14 [H 15]; 109:28). (Oswalt, J. N. (1999). 222 בּוֹשׁ. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 98). Chicago: Moody Press.)
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9:7–8 Daniel contrasted the righteousness of the Lord with the unfaithfulness of Israel. The contrast between Yahweh and Israel is emphatic in the Hebrew, which reads, “To you, O Lord, is the righteousness, but to us is shame of face.” That Yahweh was punishing Israel for their unfaithfulness to him was evident to all who observed the nation’s present deplorable condition. Israel’s shame was a result of their sins. This “shame” was the disgrace of the captivity and the destruction of the land of Israel.
Israel was in a present state (“this day”) of disgrace that had continued since the days of the Babylonian conquests. Jerusalem was still in ruins, and the whole land was virtually desolate. Daniel was emphasizing the fact that Israel’s past sins were continuing to bring dishonor upon the nation.
All of the Jews suffered this disgrace—“the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and [or “even”] all Israel.” None escaped. Daniel did not need to single out the “people of Jerusalem” since “the men of Judah” would include residents of the capital, but the prophet was stressing the fact that even the citizens of the “holy city,” the city of God, did not avoid this fate. The latter part of the verse underscores that this shame had followed the Jews into the diaspora. Probably no greater humiliation could come upon a nation than that of being conquered by a foreign power and having its citizens expelled from the homeland. Verse 8 repeats the thought of the previous verse. (Miller, S. R. (1994). Daniel (Vol. 18, p. 246). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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7. confusion of faces, as at this day—Shame at our guilt, betrayed in our countenance, is what belongs to us; as our punishment “at this day” attests.
near, and … far off—the chastisement, however varied, some Jews not being cast off so far from Jerusalem as others, all alike were sharers in the guilt. (Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (Vol. 1, p. 639). Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.)
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While Daniel’s prayer was certainly personal, he so identified with the people of Israel that his prayer involved national concerns. The pronoun he uses is we rather than they or I. He confessed that he and the people had sinned greatly against the Lord and broken the terms of His gracious covenant. According to Daniel 9:5–6, the Jews had sinned, rebelled, turned away from His law, disobeyed His commands, done wrong, and refused to listen to the messengers God had sent to them. “And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy” (2 Chron. 36:15–16, nkjv). God had been long-suffering with His covenant people, but the time came when He had to act.
What were the consequences of the nation’s rebellion? They became a sinful people, a people covered with shame (“confusion of face,” Dan. 9:8), and a scattered people. Their land was overrun by enemy soldiers, their great city of Jerusalem was destroyed, and their holy temple was desecrated, robbed, and burned. No wonder the Jews were ashamed! But it was their own sins that had brought these disasters, because their kings, princes, and priests had disobeyed God’s laws and refused to obey God’s prophets. (Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be resolute (p. 111). Colorado Springs, CO: Victor.)
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7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee. Marg., “or, thou hast.” The Hebrew is, “to thee is righteousness, to us shame,” &c. The state of mind in him who makes the prayer is that of ascribing righteousness or justice to God. Daniel feels and admits that God has been right in his dealings. He is not disposed to blame him, but to take all the shame and blame to the people. There is no murmuring or complaining on his part as if God had done wrong in any way, but there is the utmost confidence in him, and in his government. This is the true feeling with which to come before God when we are afflicted, and when we plead for his mercy and favour. God should be regarded as righteous in all that he has done, and holy in all his judgments and claims, and there should be a willingness to address him as holy, and just, and true, and to take shame and confusion of face to ourselves. Comp. Psa. 51:4.
But unto its confusion of faces. Heb., “shame of faces;” that is, that kind of shame which we have when we feel that we are guilty, and which commonly shows itself in the countenance.
As at this day. As we actually are at this time. That is, he felt that at that time they were a down-trodden, an humbled, a contemned people. Their country was in ruins; they were captives in a far distant land, and all on which they had prided themselves was laid waste. All these judgments and humiliating things he says they had deserved, for they had grievously sinned against God.
To the men of Judah. Not merely to the tribe of Judah, but to the kingdom of that name. After the revolt of the ten tribes—which became known as the kingdom of Ephraim, because Ephraim was the largest tribe, or as the kingdom of Israel—the other portion of the people, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were known as the kingdom of Judah, since Judah was by far the larger tribe of the two. This kingdom is referred to here, because Daniel belonged to it, and because the ten tribes had been carried away long before and scattered in the countries of the East. The ten tribes had been carried to Assyria. Jerusalem always remained as the capital of the kingdom of Judah, and it is to this portion of the Hebrew people that the prayer of Daniel more especially appertains.
And to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Particularly to them, as the heaviest calamities had come upon them, and as they had been prominent in the sins for which these judgments had come upon the people.
And unto all Israel. All the people who are descendants of Israel or Jacob, wherever they may be, embracing not only those of the kingdom of Judah properly so called, but all who appertain to the nation. They were all of one blood. They had had a common country. They had all revolted, and a succession of heavy judgments had come upon the nation as such, and all had occasion for shame and confusion of face.
That are near, and that are far off. Whether in Babylon, in Assyria, or in more remote countries. The ten tribes had been carried away some two hundred years before this prayer was offered by Daniel, and they were scattered in far distant lands.
Through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, &c. In Babylonia, in Assyria, in Egypt, or in other lands. They were scattered everywhere, and wherever they were they had common cause for humiliation and shame. (Barnes, A. (1853). Notes on the Old Testament: Daniel (Vol. 2, pp. 130–131). London: Blackie & Son.)
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7 O Lord, righteousness ǁbelongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are far off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against thee. (Poole, M. (1853). Annotations upon the Holy Bible (Vol. 2, pp. 836–837). New York: Robert Carter and Brothers.)
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Daniel’s prayer is worthy of many studies. It is, as Calvin said, an “example … guide … [and] kind of common form” for prayer for the whole church. It has three parts. First, it contains a confession of Daniel’s and the people’s sin (Dan. 9:4–11). Second, there is acknowledgment that it is because of this sin that the just judgments of God had come upon them (vv. 11–14). Third, there is a shift in the prayer to plead for God’s mercy (vv. 15–19). These are the three necessary marks of all true prayer: acknowledgment of sin and of the fact that sin always brings judgment and a plea for God’s mercy. There is no other way we can approach God except as sinners seeking grace.
Notice one more important thing about this prayer. When Daniel prayed for his people, confessing the sin that caused God to punish them by the deportation, he did not distance himself from his people but rather identified himself intimately with them in his confession. Notice how he uses the first person plural pronoun:
“We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; We have turned away from your commands and laws” (v. 5);
“we have not listened to your servants the prophets” (v. 6);
“we are covered with shame” (v. 7);
“O Lord, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you” (v. 8);
“we have rebelled” (v. 9);
“we have not obeyed the Lord our God” (v. 10);
“we have sinned against you” (v. 11);
“we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins” (v. 13);
“we have not obeyed him” (v. 14);
“we have sinned, we have done wrong” (v. 15);
“we do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy” (v. 18).
When we confess sin, we have a tendency to confess the sins of other people, or if we do not do that, we confess sin in a manner meant to excuse ourselves. Daniel was not like this. If anyone could have done this, he could have. Nothing bad is said about Daniel in all the Bible. He was only a youth at the time of the fall of Jerusalem, and he had led an exemplary life in the wicked city of Babylon for sixty-seven years. Daniel could have pleaded his innocence. Yet he took the part of his people and confessed his own sin with theirs, saying, “we … we … we … we.”
That is the kind of prayer God honors. Daniel prayed with a highly emotional and moving cry, “O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name.” It is no wonder, then, that God sent Gabriel with the revelation with which (Boice, J. M. (2003). Daniel: an expositional commentary (pp. 98–99). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.)
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Ver. 7. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, &c.] It is essential to him, it is his nature, and appears in all his works; he is perfectly pure, holy, and righteous; he is just, and without iniquity; and there is no unrighteousness in him, nor any to be charged upon him, on account of any thing done by him: punitive justice belongs to him; nor is he to be complained of because of his judgments, which are righteous altogether; nor had the prophet, or any of his countrymen, just reason to complain of the evils brought on them; the desolations of their land, city, and temple, and their captivity in a strange land; by all which no injustice was done, nor could they charge the Lord with any: and with him also is righteousness wrought out by his Son, to justify sinners that believe in him; he has accepted of it, and imputes it without works. But unto us confusion of face, as at this day; both on account of their sins, which stared them in the face, loaded their consciences with guilt, and filled them with shame; and on account of their punishment, the miserable condition in which their country was, and they themselves were at that day; which declared to all the world what sinners they had been, and what sins they had committed, which had brought this ruin upon them, and them into such sad circumstances: to the men of Judah, and inhabitants of Jerusalem; or, man of Judah; to every man of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin; who once dwelt in that land flowing with milk and honey, and now in a strange land for their sins; and to every inhabitant of that renowned city of Jerusalem, the metropolis of the nation, the seat of the kings of Judah; yea, the city of the great King, where the temple stood, and divine worship was performed, but now lay in ruins, through the iniquity of its inhabitants, and therefore had just reason to be ashamed: and unto all Israel, that are near, and that are afar off, through all the countries whither thou hast driven them, because of the trespass that they have trespassed against thee; shame and confusion of face also belonged to the ten tribes of Israel; to such of them as were mixed with the Jews in Babylon, or were in those parts of Assyria that lay nearest to it; and to those that were at a greater distance, in Media, Iberia, Colchis, and other places; yea, in all kingdoms and countries where they were dispersed for their trespass against the Lord; particularly in worshipping the calves at Dan and Beth-el, and other acts of idolatry and impiety. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, pp. 339–340). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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FROM MY READING:
The “Shall Nots” of Scripture
“The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.” (Psalm 34:10)
Many worldly minded people tend to resent the Bible as a book of prohibitions, or “thou shalt not”s, as in the Ten Commandments. The fact is, however, that many of God’s most precious promises use the phrase “shall not” in a diametrically opposite way, not listing prohibitions, but provisions!
As a beautiful example, there is the opening verse of the much-loved 23rd Psalm—“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.” Or, as in the words of our text, “they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing.”
There is the great promise of salvation and everlasting life: “He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation” (John 5:24). Following salvation, there is the promise of divine guidance. “He that followeth meshall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12). With such assurances, we can rejoice with the psalmist: “The LORD . . . is at my right hand, I shall not be moved; . . . Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalm 16:8; 37:24). No matter how great the trial, the Lord will not leave us. “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee” (Isaiah 43:2).
God’s Word and God’s purposes can never fail. “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24:35). “Upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matthew 16:18). “Sin shall not have dominion over you” (Romans 6:14).
We should never resent God’s “negative” commands, for His gracious “shall not” promises are far greater! (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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2 Kings 19
When Sennacherib attacks Jerusalem, Hezekiah calls upon the Lord.
INSIGHT
In spite of all the trouble that comes upon Israel and Judah, God wants to bless them. It is only as He is blessing them that His desire for the world is advanced. All that is needed is obedience. Hezekiah demonstrates just how quickly everything can turn around. He is looking into the jaws of an Assyrian military machine one minute, and the Assyrians are routed the next. God is not reluctant to bless us. But we must be sure we are eligible by being faithful to Him. (Quiet Walk)
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THE REAL REASONS FOR REVIVAL: THE GLORY OF GOD
And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people: Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation. And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand? Exodus 32:9-11
You see Moses’ concern? He is concerned about the name—that is, the reputation and the glory—of God. And that is the point he is making here. “This nation,” he says, “is Thy people.” He is saying, in effect, that God’s honor and God’s glory is involved in this situation. They are, after all, His people; they have claimed that, He has given indications of that, and He has brought them out of Egypt in a marvelous and a miraculous manner. He has brought them through the Red Sea. Is He going to leave them here in the wilderness? What will the Egyptians say? What will the other nations say? Has He failed? He promised them great things. Can He not execute them? Can He not bring them to fulfillment?
Moses is suggesting to God that His own glory, His own honor, is involved in this whole situation. Now you will find this plea endlessly in the Psalms. You will find it constantly in the prophets. Their prayer to God is, “for Thine own name’s sake,” as if to say, “We have no right to speak, but for the sake of Thine eternal honor.” Moses thus had a concern for and was jealous about the name and the glory of God. And here he is asking God, for His own sake, to do this extra, this special, thing.
A Thought to Ponder: Moses was concerned about the name and the glory of God. (From Revival, pp. 188-189. by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the great German past, theologian, martyr, spy was asked in 1943 how it was possible for the Church to sit back and let Hitler seize absolute power. His firm answer “It was the teaching of cheap grace.”
Cheap grace is the preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer.
We live in a time and culture that not only teaches cheap grace but praises it.
(Truth and Grace)
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America has seen an alarming decrease in individual responsibility and a heightened increase in personal rights in the last fifty to sixty years. (p. 99)
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The very fact that you have lawsuits among you means you have been completely defeated already. …. By suing one another we openly display to the world that our faith in Christ makes no difference when it comes to settling personal disputes. (p. 101)
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Finally, suffering a wrong provides an opportunity to demonstrate your hope in another world. (p. 108)
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Let us take our vengeance, and like a pitcher of water, pour it out at the foot of the cross. There we received endless and repeated pardon, and let us now extend it to others. (p. 112)
(WHEN YOU’VE BEEN WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer)
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