In today’s episode, we explore the rich tapestry of prayer, prophecy, and historical reflection found in Daniel Chapter 9. From Daniel’s earnest pleas for mercy and forgiveness to the prophetic revelation delivered by Gabriel, this episode encourages listeners to engage with scripture thoughtfully and prayerfully. Host Allen J. Huth shares personal insights from his Bible reading journals, urging the importance of being a person of the word and prayer, drawing parallels to our modern lives. Join us as we uncover these timeless truths together.
Welcome to Add Bible, an audio daily devotion from the Ezra Project. We join Allen J. Huth as he shares Bible passages and comments from over 30 years of his personal Bible reading journals.
SPEAKER 01 :
Today brings us to Daniel chapter 9. We’ll listen to Faith Comes By Hearing’s recording of the 27 verses of Daniel 9. Daniel 9
SPEAKER 04 :
In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, by descent to Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans, in 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 the desolations of Jerusalem, namely seventy years. Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confessions, saying, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us because we have sinned against him. He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us. Yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for yourself, as at this day we have sinned, we have done wickedly. O Lord, according to all your righteous acts… Let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and do his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline 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 righteousness, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not for your own sake. O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name. While I was speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my plea before the Lord my God for the holy hill of my God, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision of the first, came to me in swift flight at the time of the evening sacrifice. He made me understand, speaking with me and saying,
SPEAKER 02 :
O Daniel, I have now come out to give you insight and understanding. At the beginning of your pleas for mercy, a word went out, and I have come to tell it to you, for you are greatly loved. Therefore, consider the word and understand the vision. Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city to finish the transgression, to put an end to sin, and to atone for iniquity. to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal both vision and prophet, and to anoint a most holy place. Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.” and after the sixty-two weeks an anointed one shall be cut off and shall have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. Its end shall come with a flood, and to the end there shall be war. Desolations are decreed, and he shall make a strong covenant with many for one week, and for half of the week he shall put an end to sacrifice and offering.’ and on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator.
SPEAKER 01 :
In 1988, after reading Daniel chapter 9 about Jeremiah’s 70 weeks and Daniel’s wonderful prayer, I wrote, Vision of 70 Weeks. Daniel read scripture, studied Jeremiah, law of Moses. He interceded for his nation. It appears he prayed all day. According to chapter 9, verses 3 through 21, God honored his prayer. Angels carry messages from heaven. Lord, give me insight and understanding. In 2005, after reading Daniel 9, I wrote Daniel was a Bible reader. He read Jeremiah to know about the 70 weeks. He was a prayer. He petitioned God to honor his word, not on account of any merits of our own, but on account of your great compassion. He was referring to verse 18. He cried out to God, O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and take action. Verse 19, God hears our prayers. He sent Gabriel to answer Daniel. Verse 21, God’s plan is not changed, but revealed to man through prayer. And in 2012, after reading Daniel 9, I wrote, The 70 weeks may not be able to be interpreted clearly, but Daniel’s prayer can be. First, Daniel was reading his Bible, Jeremiah. Reading God’s Word caused him to seek the Lord in prayer. He makes confession of sin, disobedience, wickedness, rebellion, treachery, transgressions against God’s laws. He relates Israel’s current exile to the sin it committed in the past. Daniel then appeals to God to turn his wrath and anger against Jerusalem away and restore them. He asks God for mercy, forgiveness. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. And I was quoting verse 18. We don’t deserve the mercy and forgiveness of God. It is his gift to us, a sinful, disobedient people. God hears our prayers and here sends Gabriel, to answer Daniel. Maybe he sends angels with answers for us too. God can answer with insight and understanding. Verse 22. Our applications from Daniel chapter 9 are be a Bible reader and be a prayer. Verse 2 says, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that according to the words of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely 70 years. Remember, Daniel is in captivity in Babylon and yet he somehow has a copy of God’s word and he’s reading the book of Jeremiah. Praise God, Daniel was a Bible reader. Are you? Do you spend time in God’s Word each and every day? Reading God’s Word caused Daniel to go to prayer. Verse 3, Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking Him by prayer, and pleased for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. And I love the prayers in the Bible. Verses 3 through 19 are one of the great prayers of Scripture. I encourage you to get your Bible after this and read this prayer again. Find some time today to go over the prayer of Daniel in Daniel chapter 9. So model Daniel’s behavior. Be a Bible reader and be a prayer. Because you might get the same response Daniel did. He got an answer from the angel Gabriel. Just a little side note here. It appears that Gabriel and Daniel are becoming sort of acquainted with each other. Because he says in verse 21, While I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at first, came to me in swift flight. This time he recognizes Gabriel immediately. And once again, the angel Gabriel gives Daniel the understanding of the 70 weeks in the book of Jeremiah. As I mentioned in my journal, maybe God answers our prayers too by sending angels with those answers. Father, we thank you for Daniel chapter 9, a reminder to us to be people of the word and people of prayer. Help us, Lord, like Daniel, to spend time in your word, to think about what we’re reading, to pray it through, to ask you to give us wisdom, knowledge, and understanding. And Lord, if it be your will that you might send your answers to our prayers by your holy angels. Wow. But like Daniel, we say, we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. Thank you for loving Daniel enough to answer his prayers. Thank you for loving us enough to answer our prayers. Hallelujah. In Jesus’ name, amen. Thanks for listening to AdBible today. We make very few financial appeals after our daily programs, yet from time to time it is necessary to do so. Today is one of those days, so please don’t shut me off. The Ezra Project started in 2002 with one mission, to connect God’s people to God’s Word. Back then and still today, I believe the number one need in the Christian church is to come back to God’s Word. I’m not a preacher. I don’t have a pulpit to encourage Christians to engage in their Bibles or a church to support this radio program. But with your help, we can continue to proclaim God’s Word to you and thousands of others. Ours is a unique approach. We don’t preach the Word or even teach the Word. We share the powerful impact of God’s Word in a normal life over 50 years of daily Bible reading. I started reading my Bible at 15 years old and have virtually read my Bible every day since. In Add Bible, I share my personal Bible reading journal starting in 1983 and continuing to this day. I share from my heart how the Bible has intersected my life and how it can intersect yours. We need less preaching about the Bible and more personal engagement in the Bible. We need to know the Bible is still applicable to a 21st century life. That’s our mission at the Ezra Project. If you agree that the greatest need among Christians is to get back into the Bible and apply it to our daily lives, I invite you to visit our website, EzraProject.net, and donate today. You can do it online or by mail. 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