“Daniel… You Are Greatly Loved”

Daniel 9

July 24, 2005

Background:

A. From father to son and now to grandson the story of Jerusalem and it’s former glory had been for nearly 70 years (Jer. 17:4; 27:7; 29:10-12) at family meals and religious holidays. “Grandpa, what was it like in the war?”

B. Babylon had come in like a flood and conquered Judah two times and finally in the third time they destroyed Jerusalem and scattered the people to keep rebellion from arising a fourth time. Everything looked grim for Israel except that God had warned them that this would happen and that He would after 70 years bring them back again. Isaiah 44:28 150 years before had declared it and so had Jeremiah. Before that, Moses had warned them, also.

C. What have we learned about Daniel?

a. Daniel purposed in His heart not to defile himself: a man of integrity

b. Daniel was a man of prayer

c. Daniel was a prophet

d. Daniel looked beyond himself and kept his mission in focus (not a victim)

e. Daniel was faithful in prayer even under threat of his life

f. Today we find Daniel is a Bible student, intercessor and greatly loved of God. This sets the context for one of the most phenomenal prophecies in all the Bible.

D. The year is 531 BC the first year of Darius the Mede

I. Daniel’s Prayer

A. Daniel’s strong purpose for prayer

a. Inspired by what he discovered in the study of the Word. This one of most important activities of the Christian: the Word and prayer. Old saying: “Seven days without the Word and prayer makes one weak.”

i. Neh. 9:3 And they stood up in their place, and read in the book of the law of the Lord their God one fourth part of the day; and another fourth part they confessed, and worshipped the Lord their God.

ii. Acts 6:4   But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

b. Inspired by knowing the willing of God. It was God’s will that Israel return to their land and it was going to be soon. (READ Jer. 29: 10-13)

c. Inspired by knowing the condition of his people. They were still in sin. If God were to return the people back to their land in their condition, it would have caused judgment to fall again and they would be ousted again.

i. The Forgiving God wanted to pardon all their sin. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

ii. Forgiving: sin; iniquity; wickedness; rebellion

d. Your life has meaning and purpose and it isn’t so that you can consume the stuff of this world upon your interests and have all the services of a church serve you. It is so you can be a part of God’s redemptive plan for our bi-county area. Know the Word, the will of God and the condition of the people around you. Pray and then watch what God will do. Start now.

B. Daniel’s strong pursuit of prayer

a. Concentrated/focused prayer, “I set my face toward the Lord God…”

i. e.g. Jesus “set His face” to go to Jerusalem = that was his single minded goal (Lk. 9:51);

ii. e.g. Lance Armstrong’s race the last two weeks was the result of years of training. It takes a professional rider one year of preparation to face two weeks of the Tour de France.

iii. Paul… laying aside the weights that so easily disturb/distract/disrupt/detour

b. Consecrated prayer, “prayer… supplications… fasting… sack cloth… ashes”

i. Humble in position and purpose: note that Daniel didn’t pray for the people around by saying, “Lord, convict this wicked nation that vexes my spirit day by day…”

ii. Humble in personal consecration: “We have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled…” (9:4) “…I was speaking, praying and confessing my sin and the sin of my people”

iii. Humble in personal identification with his people; God’s people

a. Jesus would come and fully identify with man

b. Too many Christians in pride become so judgmental they lose all perspective on themselves and others and in the Name of Jesus do really dumb things

c. Jesus still “ever lives to make intercession for us”

iv. Humble in practical prayer; not pious sounding prayer but real, genuine, honest, heartfelt prayer.

II. Daniel’s Power in Prayer

A. Power for a quick response

a. “At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you…”

b. “Before you ask, I will answer…” So many of God’s answers to our prayers come from answers He began before we even started to pray.

B. Power of a close relationship with God

a.“You are greatly loved

i. “behold what manner of love…”

ii. God showed his love…

iii. Name in the palms of His hand

iv. No respecter of persons

v. Rewarder of them that diligently seek Him

b. Some may discount themselves from responsibility to be an interessor…

III. Daniel’s Powerful Prophecy

A. Note the accuracy of God’s Word

a. “Seventy weeks” = 70 heptads i.e. sets of seven’

i. 490 years – note there were 490 years from Ab. to the Exodus; Exodus to the Temple; Temple to Artazerxes’ edict to free Israel; From the edict to Jesus’ coming

ii. Where is that number in the NT? Matt. 18:22 – the number associated with forgiveness.

b. Purpose: Your people/your holy city

i. Finish the transgression

ii. Make an end of sins

iii. Make reconciliation for iniquity

iv. Bring in everlasting righteousness

v. Seal up vision and prophecy

vi. Anoint the Most Holy

c. The going forth of the command

i. March 14, 445 BC – Neh. 2

ii. 360 day Heb. & Babylonian year with 30 day months = 483 years or 130,880 days (Sir Robert Anderson’s book The Coming Prince calculates it allowing for the Julian calendar errors and leap years, etc and arrived at AD April 16, 32… the day of the Triumphal Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem. (Read Luke 9:38 – 44; Zech. 9:9)

B. Take action upon God’s Word

a. He is merciful: 9:9   To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;

b. He is powerful: 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, that hast brought thy people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and hast gotten thee renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.