Daniel 9:1-19 | Prayer For Deliverance

Prayer for Deliverance in Daniel 9

And I'm gonna let you take a seat and open us in prayer.

Lord we do lift up Israel God that you would just be with those who have lost loved ones. We pray that You would comfort them with your love Lord and especially in the gospel that somehow they would hear now the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Lord we pray for Christians in Palestine as well in the Gaza Strip Lord. We know that there are many there that were not part of this this horrible Atrocity God and we we do also pray that Israel would be able to bring to justice those who perpetrated this.

Lord guard the soldiers as They are going to be in harm's way. Lord we pray that you would just bring Ultimately after this this war Lord peace to Jerusalem God so we we do pray for them Lord and our hearts are disagreed for what's happening Lord.

We pray that other fronts would not open that Hezbollah would be restrained that Pakistan and Iraq and Iran would would hold at bay Lord and that Israel would not be attacked from multiple fronts. We pray for that in Jesus name.

And now Lord we pray for our brother John here as he opens the text of Daniel 9 To us today. We pray that you would lead him in your word in Jesus name. Amen.

Daniel’s Prayer and the Seventy Years of Captivity

Prayer for deliverance, that's what we're going to be. We're in the first 19 verses of Daniel 9. And my opening banner Daniel's praying to God and that's what's happening here. Daniel is praying to God and he's recognizing that God in his sovereignty has already promised to deliver his people and So Daniel is going to open up his heart in prayer In response to God's actual directions for deliverance for his people.

If Rich if you would give me the first two verses.

Daniel 9 Okay in the first year of Darius the son of Aziris of the lineage of the Medes Who has made who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans 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.

Give me Daniel 5 30 to 31 ready. So they just to set ourselves where we are. We're in the last half of the book of Daniel. We've shifted from Accounts of how the Kings Nebuchadnezzar of Shazar Perceived what was going on had visions dreams troublesome and how Daniel and Hananiah Azariah and No Thank you as those four Presented with the opportunities to have perhaps an easier life perhaps to avoid difficulty by just compromising a little bit and they don't and And how God's in his sovereignty Delivers these four young men and how God and his sovereignty is going to predict what's going to happen To the to the nation of Babylon and how God in his sovereignty makes all this stuff true.

So God in his sovereignty is true. Second half now. Shift out into a future. As Jeff mentioned last week as we shifted from seven into eight We shifted in language. The first Seven chapters are in Aramaic and the last five chapters are in Hebrew.

Anybody remember why? The first seven chapters are Gentile nation centric in what they have to teach. The last five chapters are Israel centric in what they have to teach. Now may would have been the language that would have been used to speak to and about the Gentile nations Hebrew The Israel so we're in chapter 9 where the Hebrew section of the section of future prophecy.

But the nation of Israel is and remains in captivity at this point in time. We know that the original sieges by the by the Assyrians was unsuccessful and Because the Shekinah Glory was still in the temple.

We know that things went very very bad Shekinah Glory leaves the temple the doors open and now God uses the Chaldeans the Babylonians and They lay siege and the nation goes into captivity. It actually happens in various waves.

Daniel goes More like 605 BC and the final fall of of Jerusalem is 586 BC. But but the nation is in captivity and so Daniel is there. I mean Daniel 530. This is the end of the of the account of Belshazzar.

Go ahead. That very night Belshazzar the Chaldean King was killed And Darius the Mede received the kingdom being about 62 years old. There is no.

Historical record of a emperor king over The Medes, the Medo-Persians by the name of Darius. Not there. Is the Bible wrong? I asked. I didn't say. What's happening here is is Darius is not the ruler over the Persian media.

He is not. But he has been appointed to be the set-trap to be the governor to be the ruler over the Chaldean realm. It's very possible. It's very possible because you're going to go eventually from from Darius to Cyrus and he shows up in Ezra chapter 1.

God moves to him to to enact what's actually been his prophecy in the first place, but Darius the Mede it says he received the kingdom. He didn't conquer the kingdom. He he receives the kingdom. But again, remember why is he in charge?

Why is he in rule over? What was the Babylonian realm? Why is he there in the first place? What's the average Sunday school answer to that question? God God God puts him there. He is there for a reason but right now under the realm of Darius Daniel is motivated.

It says here almost With emphasis to pursue the books of the word and to see what is there now. Daniel has all by the way at this point in time Daniel is in his 60s. Okay, probably if he was a young teenager at the time of being brought into the Babylonian Empire.

Being in front of Nebuchadnezzar and the time that Nebuchadnezzar reigned there was some people in between. We had Belshazzar and now we have Darius the Mede. He's he's in his 60s. He's not young anymore but at this point in time he is motivated To pursue the Word of God now some of the things that Daniel has seen and has perhaps been part of his Motivation is one he has seen how the how God's hand has worked.

So specifically. Oh, it's that handwriting many many. Technical portion. Thank you. He's my He's my encyclopedia. Today your Your life will come. You're like you are going to die today and he died that very night and so Daniel has seen At this point time in very recent in his life In very stark evidence the sovereignty of God when God speaks it's going to happen.

And then in Daniel 8 give me Daniel 8 if you would Joe right? Yeah, Daniel 8 18 and 19, please Daniel 8 and 18 and 19. Oh my god. Climb your ear and hear open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that is called by your name.

For we do not present our pleas before you because of our rights. Is that eight? No, I said Eight eight eight chapter eight. Yeah. Tricky and when he had spoken to me, I fell into a deep sleep with my face to the ground.

But he touched me and made me stand up. He said behold I will make known to you What shall be at the latter end of the ignorant indignation for it refers to the appointed time of the end? Daniel is given at this at this Discussion of what's going on now.

This was again in the reign of That one's in the reign of Belshazzar he is he's given an indication start looking ahead start looking ahead. And so he sees God's sovereignty and now there's a focus for the government covenant people that got to start speaking because there's an end Of the time that you need to consider and so we we need to realize it says in the first year of Darius the son of Esau.

By descending me who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans the first year of his reign. I Daniel perceived in the books the number of years that According to the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet must pass before the end of desolations of Jerusalem.

Maybe namely 70 years. There's a promise that God has made and it has it has the threat of this promise has gone All the way from from the book of Exodus all the way up until up until this point in time Exodus 23 John I'm going to ask if you would get that out and then Leviticus 26 Candy notice.

I got that right this time Leviticus 26 34 to 35 and then I'll speak to the others. Give me Exodus. If you would Exodus 23 10. For six years you shall sow your land and gather in its yield. But the seventh year you shall let it rest and my fathom Four of your people may eat and what they leave the beasts of the field may eat.

You shall do likewise with your vineyards and with your olive orchard. This is a this is Instruction as the people in the wilderness about to go into The promised land and when they're in the promised land a land flowing with milk and honey.

They're going to be cared for quite well. And in six years in six years there to do all that they need to do and so in the seventh year They're gonna follow very very similar in a lot of ways to While they were in the wilderness, how did God?

Feed his people.

Sixties and they were.

Why not. It'll rot but it didn't rot on the seventh. No, and and God's God's provision that the the Sabbath was to be a day holy unto the Lord. They weren't supposed to be having to do that and God's provision.

Well, he's singing for the land I want you to plant it for six years and Then let it go for seventh and he would provide for them during that seventh year. If only they would listen. Yeah. Yeah. Deuteronomy 11 is if you obey the way blessings and plenty.

Deuteronomy 11 26 Blessings if you obey and it moves on but curses if you do not. And so this command to give the land rest every seven years Is part of his covenant promise and his command to the people and the people became very Disobedient and falling against God and so the reality that is if you disobey there will be curses Starts to become more and more evident as we look at Habakkuk Where he says I'm gonna raise the Chaldeans that hasty and terrible nation.

And and you are going to be under punishment. Oh, by the way, because you broke my land Leviticus 26, but I give that to you every death is.

Then the land shall enjoy its sacks as long as it lies desolate. While you are in your enemies land, then the land shall rest and enjoy its sacks As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest The rest that it did not have on yourselves when you were going in it.

490 years the people did not do what they were supposed to do and Dividing that by seven lead it comes out to 70 years. God is going to give the land its rest that it should have been accumulating all along and he's going to give its 70 years of rest.

It's going to enjoy it while you are in Captivity. And so right coming back from Exodus now all the way as we're moving into Leviticus. What is going to happen? He is predicting that the land is going to get 70 years of rest.

And it comes back down to the Deuteronomy 11. It's curses if you don't obey Jeremiah 25. Joe I'm going to ask if you would get that and then Jeremiah 29. Carol if you would get that Jeremiah 25 11 and 12.

This is direct reference back to in the first year of his reign. I Daniel perceived in the books the number of years. According to the Word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet go ahead.

This entire land will become a desolate wasteland. Israel and the neighboring land will serve the king of Babylon for 70 years. Want to call. Keep going. Then after the 70 years of captivity are over I will punish the king of Babylon and his people for their sinning.

This. Okay.

This goes back to the teachings that Jeff has that God Raises kings and he uses them for his purpose. Even wicked Kings are being used for his purpose. But those wicked Kings are going to be judged for what they do.

I have to believe That in the sovereignty of God Hamas and Hezbollah Palestine. They're not they're not doing this completely on their own. This is still God's sovereignty. Now why he's choosing to punish Israel in this way.

I am NOT going to go down and I don't have an answer to that, but I still have a sovereign God. But I do believe along with the promise in Jeremiah 2512 that his Hezbollah Hamas Palestine, they are going to be judged for their wicked deeds.

There is no denying of that.

Jeremiah 29 10 This is what the Lord says you will be in Babylon for 70 years But then I will come and do for you all the good things. I have promised and I will bring you home again.

Wouldn't that be amazing? Here's Daniel now who has gone through. Maybe 62 he was maybe 15. That's what. 40 47 years he's been under the domain of Babylon and now the Medes. And he's he's motivated to go to the scrolls go to the Word of God and see.

Isn't this supposed. And for to read these words when 70 years are complete I will visit and fulfill all of my good words. The excitement that there had to have been in Daniel at that point in time. Recognizing that now he is going to actually.

There are there are instructions in 2nd Chronicles and he's going to follow these instructions. For for what he should be doing with this new information I'm going to ask if you would read 2nd Chronicles 7 11 to 22, please.

The Solomon finished the house of the Lord and the king's house. All that Solomon had planned to do in the house of the Lord and in his own house. He successfully accomplished. Then the Lord appeared to Solomon in the night and said to him I've heard your prayer and have chosen this place for my place for myself as a house of sacrifice.

When I step to heaven so that there is no rain or command the locusts to devour land. Or send pestilence among my people. If my people all by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and Forgive their sin and I will heal the heal their land.

Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayer that is made in this place. For now I have chosen and consecrated this house that my name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will be there for all time and It's for you.

If you will walk before me as David your father walked Doing according with all I have commanded you and keeping my statutes and my rules. Then I will establish your world throne as I covenant with David your father saying you should not lack a man to run to rule Israel.

But if you turn aside and forsake my statutes And my commandments that I have set before you and go and serve other gods and worship them. Then I will pluck you up from my land that I have given you and take this house I've consecrated for my name.

I will cast out of my sight and I will make it a proverb and a byword among the people and This house which was exalted. Everyone passing by will be astonished to say why has the Lord done thus to the land and this house?

Then they will say because they have abandoned the Lord The God their fathers who brought them out of land of Egypt and laid hold of other gods and worship them and serve them. Therefore he has brought all this disaster on them.

Now I recognize this has a prophecy it's To a large extent going to be mirrored in the book of Jeremiah the book of Jeremiah. An interesting thing to do when you read through the book of Jeremiah is to note the but gods therefore gods But the people and it really tells a strong strong story the promise of the people Staying true to God turning back to God staying the inevitable.

This is is what this is all about. But then there's also I think Jeff talks a lot about multiple mountain peaks. Of the people are in captivity, where's the temple at this point in time it's not there.

But the people are still able to go to the presence of God. Although there isn't a temple. Where's the Shekinah glory right now? It's not there but the glory of God is there and I love the way you're emphasizing that 66 books is a story of the glory of God.

So the people knowing that there is but God but the people. There has to be a mandate To restore yourself to God and so give me verse 14 one more time if you would if my people.

Were called by my name Humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways Then I will hear from heaven will forgive their sin and will hear their lame. What passage is that? 14 2nd Chronicles 7 14 7 14.

2nd Chronicles 7 verse 14 Know that we it's tough to take verses out of context and apply them. That's called doing an eisegesis if you would. But I don't think it's improper To even tell that to modern-day Israel.

From from what I think I know. The nation has been re-established in 1948, but the heart of the people has not been re-established that being said coming out of 2nd Chronicles 7. They talk about the temple as the presence of the Lord, but the people have never Been told they can't go into God's very very presence.

Daniel. Clearly throughout this book of Daniel goes into the presence of God seeking God desiring from God. Honoring God being obedient to God. But then there is judgment that's in 2nd Chronicles. That's in Daniel.

And then if my people will humble themselves and pray and I and I have to believe that as I look in now starting in verse 3 and beyond. That says 3 through 111 that's a mistype. Starts out in verse 3.

Then I turned my face to the Lord. Okay, coming to him Seeking him by prayer and pleas of mercy with fasting sackcloth and ashes and I made Confession isn't this isn't this the pattern. That he would have been able to see in these scrolls from 2nd Chronicles before they were ever put into captivity that they might be Sustained in the land, but now they're there now God's punishment has happened and the obligation is the same turn to him.

Humble yourself. Pray turn from your wicked ways. That's that's the desire. That's what he's going to be going to be doing here. Then I will hear and heal and what happens in the beginning of the book of Ezra in the time of Silas.

He writes a decree. He writes a decree that you get to go back to the land. And rebuild the temple. Mm-hmm. This is this is hard. This is our Sovereign God, I will hear good, but don't forget the warning in verse 19.

But if you turn away and forsake my statutes my commands, okay there is judgment to come and so we have now in verse 3 and I Was gonna come up with a cute name Debbie. No, give me three three one 111.

Three through 11.

Three through 11. So I turn to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition in fasting and in sackcloth and ashes. I pray to the Lord my God and confessed. Oh Lord the great and awesome God Who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands?

We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled. We have turned away from his commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets who spoke in your name to our kings Princes and our fathers and to all people of the land.

Lord, you are righteous. But this day we are covered with shame the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem. And all Israel both near and far in all the countries where you have scattered us. Because of our unfaithfulness to you Oh Lord.

We are kings and our princes our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving. Even though we have rebelled against him We have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws.

He gave us through his servants and the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away refusing to obey. Therefore the curses and sworn judgment written in the law of Moses the Sermon of God.

Have been poured out on us because we have sinned against you. Mm-hmm.

He starts out by surrendering to God. It says I turned my face to the Lord our God he is not being Discouraged by the circumstances he's not being Compromised to to find an easier way of life that he having.

Now I think becoming aware of the sovereignty of God and Perceiving that the God has already spoken of an end to this Captivity. Specifically to the end of this captivity He goes directly to the Lord and seeks to the Lord surrenders to him.

He goes to him in prayer He pleads for him mercy and the picture of sackcloth and ashes and fasting is one of totally Subserving yourself to God taking away of all of your pride, you know all of your stature everything else.

It's just laying yourself bare in front of the Lord God. To have the opportunity to To have God instruct you to give you to help you through this does start with an attitude of surrender to God. It could be family situations.

It could be work situations. Just submitting yourself and seeking going and going to the God who has the answer in the first place. But not only does he surrender to God then he does something very important when it comes to restoring a relationship.

Restoring your status in front of God. That has to do with confessing sin. What are the benefits of confessing sin? Restoration. Good yes, go ahead.

If we confess our sins, he's faithful and just. He forgives our sins and to cleanse us from all righteousness. You're quoting scripture, aren't you?

What is the dangers of not confessing sin.

Broken fellowship with God.

We just need to pursue that. You're that's that's the right answer. We need to pursue that for a minute. How is the fellowship with God broken? He's not going to hear your prayers for one right. Okay, so I'm going to ask you a question now if a prayer of confession and repentance Is given Does God hear that prayer?

Right emphasis on His faithfulness. He is faithful and just to forgive our sins.

What prayers are not heard? I go into the beginning of Isaiah, and it says even when you pray I will not listen.

Prayers that are just said over and over again. Self-centered prayers.

That's it. That's it that. That's the answer. If a heart is being clouded with sin. Knowing what it actually means to pray to God is clouded over and the prayers become self-centric not God honoring.

Matthew 5 8 blessed are the pure in heart for they will see God. Put that one on the other side. First are those who are not pure of heart because they can't even approach God.

Psalm 66 18 if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear there it is.

There there's the impact of sin is you're you're now. Not opening up to who God is. You're not surrendering to who God is. You're placing yourself in the throne you're. You have placed bricks between you and God.

God has not placed any bricks there. But you've placed bricks there so that your prayers aren't even reflective of God's will. They're neither reflective of a heart. That is that is confessing sin. He's going to start out here turning to God because that's where he needs to turn.

Seeking after God because that where he is where he needs to go. And then in verses 4 to 6 I've prayed to the Lord my God and made confession. And the beginning of that confession is you are great and awesome.

That's that's the beginning of the confession. You are great and awesome again if I flip that on the opposite side I'm not great and awesome. Even though in my sin I might think that I am and I don't need you you are great and awesome.

You keep the covenants. You are the one with steadfast love to those who love you. And now comes the confession, but we have sinned. This Section here has got a couple of uses of the words. We've said that what are the two of the most beautiful words in Scripture are what?

But God. Ephesians 2. But God. Two of the Most frightening words in Scripture are. But we. But we. Because in the context of what's going on here you have a God who keeps us covenant a God who is love.

We have not listened and then later it says but to us open shame and then to us the Lord belongs open shame the. The reality is that if God has a covenant promise and the willingness to love and a prayer can be made to him.

The danger is that sin blocks us from actually going there. That's it has to be confessed. That's it has to be acknowledged. The confession of sin has to be made to God because it's against God that we sin.

Now we do hurt our brother and our sister and things like that in sin. But the real danger of sin is that it's against against God. What he does here is he just starts to open up the book on the extent.

The vastness of the sin and it does not hold it back. We have sinned we have done wrong. We have acted wickedly. We have rebelled. To us open shame at this day to the men of Judah to those who are near and far.

We have done all these things and he's opening it up. He's not hiding it and he is actually committing it to God. In profession and he does so by first of all as I said putting honor and sovereignty where it belongs at the throne of God.

To us O Lord belongs to you O Lord. I turned my face to the Lord God in verse 3 the phrase the turn of the phrase the Lord God in the Hebrew if you. If you go into how it's constructed. My God to God my God.

Not God. And this is important to to put God in position of respect. But then to profess that he is he's my God. Is what it is what he's calling out and he's he's begging for this relationship.

Yeah, you know it can be when we're talking about this. But you don't mind if I could read it's David please. In Psalm 51 it says have mercy on me of God according to your steadfast love according to your abundant mercy.

Why that my transgressions and wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin for I know my Transgressions that my sin is ever before me against you and you only if I sin and then was evil in your sight.

So you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment. Because I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin that my mother deceived me. Behold you delight in truth and in word being and teach me wisdom in a secret heart hurt you with hyssop and Cleanse and wash me that I may be whiter than snow.

Let me hear the joy and glance and the burns that you have broken in me. Create me a clean heart and renew a steadfast spirit within me. We were saying that my mom went back to David and What he did adultery and to a murder, but he said against you and you only in my scent.

Sound we're gonna say Know my heart and judge me. What a scary thing to say if you haven't done. What when you just read there. He's got here in verse 7 to you Lord belongs righteousness. And confession is involved with knowing that righteousness is defined by God.

It's there's no relative Position of righteousness. I am more righteous than than my next door. No, there's none of that. There's no balance. I've done more good deeds than I have bad. There's none of that.

Righteousness is pure righteousness. And he says to you Oh Lord Belongs righteousness and to know. Again, and we move fast forward into continuing on to the to the glory story. I'm gonna start calling it the glory story.

I used to call it the love letter, but that works, too. Every sin that Daniel is going to confess that the people have committed was on the cross with Jesus. Amen. Jesus said my God my God, why have you forsaken me?

And then he said he said to tell us but to us. It says here open shame. The confession that says you are God you are ultimately God you are righteous and I am NOT. And what I am is shameful and deserving.

He's going to talk about The universe of guilt in verses 7 and 8. He's going to say to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to the men of Judah to all Israel who are near to those are far. To the kings to the princes to our fathers.

This is all inclusive that the sin of the nation of Israel Includes all people in all realms and it includes the princes includes everybody. We are guilty in your sight. I am guilty in your sight. The universality of sin to being a profession.

And verses 11 he talks. It's very specific. That we've transgressed we've turned aside we've refused to obey. We have sinned against him. The impact and the specificity of sin must be Confessed. And then and I want to reread verse 9 to the Lord our God belongs mercy and forgiveness.

And he is taking this time at the beginning as he has now read the books and he has perceived. That God has fulfilled the promise that you must keep the land. Every seventh year you must keep it fallow and then for 490 years they didn't and then the promise of Curses that will come and then the promise to Habakkuk and then the reality in Jeremiah.

That the land is going to land lay fallow. You're going to be in Babylon for 70 years. But then in Jeremiah 29 10 when those 70 years are complete I will visit and fulfill my good work. And so to prepare for that time Daniel goes back into the Commands coming out of 2nd Chronicles and he turns his heart and he professes confession.

Before God we as a people must acknowledge our sins. I Think that as we pray for each other, this is good to pray for the needs of each other. But it would be exciting if we loved each other enough. We don't have to know the specifics of it.

But if we loved each other enough to say I pray that my brother my sister is in good relationship with God. That's not a bad prayer. We can have all of the Bible studies we can have all of the outreach programs VBS's whatever else I pray that my brother and sister are walking in the Lord.

That if they need to they've confessed sin and they're clean and walking blessed are the pure at heart. For the same they will see God. I pray Joe sees God every day. So that's that's kind of a cool prayer.

This is where he's going in the beginning of this is he's confessing sins. So that so that things will be ready when the time Comes Janet, if you would give me verses 12 to 15, please in Daniel 8.

He has confirmed his words which he spoke against us and against our judges. He judged us by bringing upon us a great disaster. For under the whole of it under the whole heaven Such has never been done as what has been done to do.

As it is written in the law of Moses all this disasters come upon us yet. We have not made a prayer before the Lord our God that we might turn from our iniquities and understand your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind and brought it upon us.

For the Lord our God is righteous in all the works Which he does though we have not obeyed his voice. And now a Lord a Lord our God Who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and made yourself a name as it is this day.

We have sinned we have done wickedly.

There is no oh, woe is us. We did not deserve this hot. What have we done to deserve all of this time? Here no. He is saying that you Confirmed the word that you actually spoke that will be having as it will be written as it was written in the law of Moses.

All of this calamity has came upon us because we didn't turn to you and therefore God has kept his word. So here we are but God kept his word and he placed us here and now we're actually going to call on the sovereignty and In the consistency of God who has promised to bring us back out again, and so he's calling for that.

The judgment was foretold of what would happen. There is a reality the nations are going to be judged for what they did. How they do it and what they do that's illegal evil. But but God is using them to confirm the words that he spoke all through the prophecies leading up to this point in time.

And then verse 15 and now Lord our God. You bought your people it says who. But let's read that our Lord your God you bought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand. You have made a name for yourself as this day.