Grace & Peace to you from God our Father and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Welcome to afaithtalk.com. If you are new here, I’m so glad you’ve come. If not, I am thrilled you’re back. We’re beyond the middle of the book of Daniel now, but it’s no less worth studying. I read the NIV so if you have one, grab it, if not you can open a window here.
We’re going to echo Daniel’s prayer today so I’m going to defer to him first.
Please read Daniel 9:1-3
Daniel’s Prayer
“I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures…Jeremiah (25:11)…”
We know all prophetic words will come true. Jesus fulfilled many of them, but not all of them yet. How well do you know the prophets words? I’ll admit I neglect to study them very often.
Spiritual disciplines: prayer & fasting. Yes, Lent begins tomorrow, and many of you probably decide to fast from something during Lent, but did you know fasting can be done any time of the year always to draw closer to God, to want more God in your life? You don’t have to wait for Lent to draw closer, He wants all of your life, every day, every moment, every minute, just Trust that and Listen.
Did you know that John Wesley would not ordain a preacher unless he fasted one day a week?
I know that at NCC the request / challenge that went out recently was fasting from sundown on Wednesday to sundown on Thursday. This after the revival they had and lessons on consecration that preceded the revival. Oh my does watching that service ever bless me.
Read Daniel 9:4-6
‘We have not listened to your servants the prophets.’
Read Daniel 9:7-10
‘Lord, you are righteous, merciful and forgiving even though…’
Side note here: there is a psalm and I don’t know why, but it’s the one my mind always returns to when I want to fall asleep and can’t shut down. It’s part of psalm 32 and these words are so true for us in Christ but even David knew them…
Blessed is the one
whose transgressions are forgiven,
whose sins are covered.
Blessed is the one
whose sin the Lord does not count against them
and in whose spirit is no deceit.
When I kept silent,
my bones wasted away
through my groaning all day long.
For day and night
your hand was heavy on me;
my strength was sapped
as in the heat of summer.
Then I acknowledged my sin to you
and did not cover up my iniquity.
I said, “I will confess
my transgressions to the Lord.”
And you forgave
the guilt of my sin.
Who among us doesn’t know the feeling behind this?
Read Daniel 9:11-13
Remember back in Deuteronomy 28-30 it’s all spelled out what obeying will do and what curses will come for not doing so.
‘We have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by … and giving attention to your truth.’
When I was in elementary school we spent a lot of time with friends of our family and I remember their daughter and I singing Trust and Obey to her grandmother. Trust and obey for there’s no other way, to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
Read Daniel 9:14
John 15:12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.
John 15:17 This is my command: Love each other.
To Love is the command.
Love covers – 1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Love envelopes – Colossians 3:14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
Love never ends – 1 Corinthians 13:13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
God is love – 1 John 4:8 Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.
Love: unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another (m-w.com)
‘the Lord our God is righteous in everything he does’
Read Daniel 9:15-19
‘For your sake, my God, do not delay, because … your people bear your Name.’
Yes, we do. Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit,
Romans 5:5 And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us. And Romans 8:1-2 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you (us) free from the law of sin and death. And
Read Daniel 9:20-23
The Seventy “Sevens”
“As soon as you began to pray, a word went out…, for you are highly esteemed.”
Read Daniel 9:24
Seventy weeks to end transgression and sin, to atone for wickedness and to bring in everlasting righteousness….. and to anoint the Most Holy Place. Or it could be seventy groups of seven weeks which is 490 years. I won’t say I fully understand this to be pre-Christ or with Christ. I don’t know.
Read Daniel 9:25-27
This is why revelation is so hard to understand: is it all about the Greek that will come? Or is it part that and part about Christ? Specifically verse 26 being Christ. I don’t know. What will come via Antiochus and the Greek rule is most likely verse 27. Then again, maybe it’s a many time frame prophecy. Who is to know for certain except God himself?
Still, if you pray like Daniel prayed, as consistently as Daniel prayed, revelation may come to you as well. Trust Jesus, though all of it is hard to understand if He has you and you have Him, there is nothing to fear.
Thank You, Lord Jesus, for what you made clear here and what you kept concealed. While I don’t really understand it all, Lord, I do see what You wanted me to see. Thank You. All for You and with You, through You and for your glory. Amen.