Continuing in Daniel 9 from the previous article, Daniel continued to emphasize the same two points (from earlier verses) in different ways through verses 7-13. I might sum these up as: God is good, but His people have not been good. Despite God’s mercy (or compassion) and forgiveness, the people have grossly broken God’s instructions.
And, as a result, the punishment outlined in the Law of Moses for disobedience has rightly been applied to the people – Daniel’s people – who rebelled against God. Let’s pick up in verse 14.
The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster on us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
Daniel 9:14 NIV
Even with this punishment (described as a “disaster”), the people still didn’t repent and seek God again. Now, there seem to have been exceptions, like Daniel and the three other Jewish exiles who are mentioned earlier in this book. As a whole, though, Daniel describes how the people are sinning, and yet, while they are paying the price for their sins, they are continuing to sin.
Like the fabled doctor who is told, “Doctor, it hurts when I do this”, we might want to just shout to the general population of the Jewish people in Daniel’s era, “Then don’t do that!” However, if we’re honest, do we keep doing things that aren’t good for us, that aren’t righteous, and that don’t follow God’s direction for our lives?
I think that the human condition means that we continue to fight the battle between what we know that we should do, and what we actually do. If you’ve mastered this and don’t struggle with doing the right things, you’re better off than the Apostle Paul, I guess (see Romans 7:7-25), and definitely better off than me.
However, given Daniel’s prayer here, it seems like the Jewish people – in general – aren’t even trying to seek out God and follow Him.
So, how about us? Do we start our prayers with a list of requests? It’s OK to be bold and bring our unfiltered selves to God. After all, He know us better than we know ourselves, anyway. However, sometimes I think that its good to acknowledge that at least some – if not all – of the problems we find around us are due to the sin of humankind, and that each of us has contributed to the overall mess.
Of course, I’m not suggesting that an innocent child deserves to be harmed by another, or that any of us are merely reaping the consequences of our own personal sins in some sort of one-to-one relationship. Jesus made that pretty clear in John 9:17, for instance. However, before we ask God to fix things – even when we are citing promises that He has made to us – let’s not forget to step back and consider whether we should be making better choices, listening to His guidance, and cleaning up our own act.
We also give God credit when we acknowledge His justice, when punishment is correctly given to those who deserve it. We appreciate God’s love when we acknowledge how He disciplines those He cares about, so that they will return to a better condition. We proclaim God’s holiness when we share that His goal for humanity is the complete absence of sin, because – among other reasons – sin harms humanity.
God doesn’t require us to be perfect before He blesses us. He didn’t require us to stop sinning before sending salvation. Still, even the model prayer from Jesus in Matthew 6:9-13 includes a request for forgiveness, and a reminder that we should forgive others. Let’s be part of the solution for bringing about God’s will on earth “as it is in heaven”.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for June 30, 2024
References:
- The Lookout, June 30, 2024, © 2024 Christian Standard Media.
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Esther & Daniel, by Mark Mangano. © 2001 College Press Publishing Co.
- The Bible and Archaeology, by J.A. Thompson, © 1962, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., p.166-171.
- The Chronology of Ancient Kingdoms…, by Sir Isaac Newton, London, 1728.
- Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John, by Sir Isaac Newton, London, 1733.
Those Who Sin Differently 