Verses 1-2 – This seems to be the same Darius mentioned in Daniel 5:31 and 6:1. Daniel considers the book of Jeremiah as from God. Daniel is about 1000 miles from Jerusalem, and yet Daniel has not only the book of Jeremiah, but other Old Testament books as well. While Daniel had been in Babylon before the fall of Jerusalem in 586 B.C., Jeremiah had been in Jerusalem during the same time. It has been almost 70 years since Jerusalem had been under Babylonian control, and yet 1000 miles away, Daniel has a copy of Jeremiah’s work. This demonstrates how quickly the Scriptures were distributed and copied, even during times of intense persecution and war. Seventy years as stated in Jeremiah 25:11-12, 29:10 speak of seventy years of captivity. The captivity started with the first attack on Jerusalem in 606 B.C. (when Daniel was taken into captivity). Now in the first year of Darius’ rule (536 B.C.), from reading the book of Jeremiah, Daniel realizes that the time of the captivity is coming to an end. 

Why Seventy Years? The Law of Moses had commanded the Israelites to acknowledge every seventh year as a sabbatical year. The ground was to lie at rest (Leviticus 25:1-7). It seems for hundreds of years Israel ignored God’s law on the Sabbath rest. In their pre-captivity history there seems to be no example of them ever honoring the Sabbath-year law. Thus the seventy years of Babylonian captivity was assigned ‘until the land had enjoyed its sabbaths’ (2 Chronicles 36:21). If each of the seventy captivity-years represented a violation of the sabbatical-year requirement (every seventh year), this would indicate that Israel had neglected the divine law for about 490 years!

Verse 3 – We already know that Daniel took his praying seriously from Daniel 6. Daniel calculated that the captivity period was almost over. Because of this He prays to God. 

Verse 4-19 – These verses contain Daniel’s prayer. Daniel understood that Moses had revealed in the Law the principle on which God would deal with His covenant people: obedience would bring blessing, and disobedience would bring discipline. She would have to return to God and obey His voice; then God would turn back her captivity and restore the people to the land from which they had been dispersed. Daniel knew that the years in Babylon were a divine discipline on Israel. He confessed the sin of his people. We need to be impressed that the proper understanding of the Scriptures will enable us to maintain the right perspective. Instead of being angry at God or thinking that God had either failed Israel or that God did not even exist, Daniel knew what Israel had experienced was due to her own sins. 

Daniel states very clearly “We have sinned” in verses 5-6. Daniel loved Israel, but such love does not make excuses for the people we love. True love sees what people really have done. Daniel points out that Israel was an open shame in verses 7-8. Their sin was obvious to all. The great nation that God had made is own is now in captivity. For the Jews the “open shame” was in the fact that they had been removed from their land and their center of worship destroyed.  Imagine all the questions that the Jewish people kept having to answer from unbelievers concerning “why” such had happened to them?  Imagine all the ridicule they faced for seventy years!  “If you serve the true God, then why is His temple destroyed?”  We also need to realize that when we sin publicly it is brings open shame on the Lord. If we sin privately we still bring shame and grief to God and shame upon ourselves. 

Daniel acknowledges that compassion (mercy NKJ) and forgiveness belong to God in verse 9. In verses 10-11 Daniel notes that Israel rebelled against God, not obeyed His voice, transgressed The Law and turned aside, and sinned against Him. Daniel realizes that mercy from God is conditional on the obedience of His people.

In verse 12 Daniel knows that God keeps His promises. Israel sinned and brought this calamity upon themselves just as God had warned would happen.

In verse 13 Daniel states, “As it is written in the law of Moses”.  Here Daniel, a prophet of God, puts the stamp of divine authority on the law. He makes it clear that in the 6^th century B.C., the Jews understood Moses to be the author (under God) of the law bearing his name. Daniel knows that what was written in the warnings (or cursings) of the Law of Moses had come to pass on Israel because they have “not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquity and giving attention to Thy Truth.”  You know as a Christian, when we do not seek the favor of God and turn from our sins to God’s Truth, we put ourselves in a state of spiritual calamity. Calamity defined is “a state of deep distress and misery, marked by great loss and lasting distress and affliction.” A word closely related would be “disaster”. When we sin as Israel sinned, we put our soul in the state of a disaster. That is not a good place to be.

In verses 14-15 Daniel acknowledges that God is righteous and His people have not obeyed his voice. Daniel makes no excuses for him or the people because he knows what they have done. 

Daniel’s concern (verses 16-17) is for the city and the sanctuary. Both were desolate, and both brought ridicule for God and His people. Like Moses, Daniel is concerned about God’s reputation among the nations. Daniel also realizes in verse 18 that Israel does not deserve to be forgiven. They have not earned any forgiveness by their deeds. Yet in verse 19 Daniel begs that God do three things; hear, forgive, and take action. When we sin brethren, we must realize that we do not earn forgiveness but it comes by begging God for forgiveness. 

Daniel was a righteous man, yet he did sin. In verse 20 he states that his confession includes his sins. I think it is interesting that he first mentions his sins. Jesus teaches we need to look at ourselves first before we can help others in sin. Even though Daniel had not sinned like many other rebellious Israelites before the fall of Jerusalem, this does not give Daniel any comfort concerning his own sin. Daniel needed God’s mercy just as much as the most unfaithful Israelite; his own personal sins had created a debt that he could not pay. Often people will separate themselves and say; “well I am not as bad as the rest” or “I have not sinned the terrible sins that others have committed.” Daniel realized that his sins had contributed to the downfall and corruption of Israel. In a similar fashion we Christians need to realize that our sins contributed to the need for the sacrifice of Jesus.  

Verses 20-23 – Daniel had prayed that God would not “delay” (9:19), and God did not delay, for the angel Gabriel was standing before Daniel with the answer to his prayer before Daniel even finished praying, “while I was still speaking in prayer” (9:21).  Gabriel had appeared before to Daniel in 8:15-16.  “In my extreme weariness”:  Are we worn out after we pray?  Do we put our entire being into our prayers to God? 

The “evening offering” was one of two daily sacrifices required in the Law (Numbers 28:3-4).  Even though the temple had been destroyed for some 47 years so that sacrifices could not be offered, Daniel continued to observe that time of day as an appointed time of worship. “

Prayer is difficult for us because we are always so busy. We need to make time for prayer. Notice how God is eager to hear and answer our prayers. A righteous man is praying, haste is needed!

Gabriel notes that he will give Daniel insight with understanding. He also tells him that he is highly esteemed (desirable, precious, greatly beloved). Daniel has been blessed with honor from God because of His faithfulness and as a result Gabriel tells him some very special things. Do you think God feels that way about you and I?

Verses 24-27 – Note some information from Halley’s Bible Handbook (page 349):

The 70 weeks is subdivided into 7 weeks, 62 weeks, and 1 week (25, 27). It is difficult to see the application of the “7 weeks”; but the 69 weeks (including the 7) equal 483 days, that is, on the year-day theory (Ezekiel 4:6), which is the commonly accepted interpretation, 483 years.

This 483 years is the period between the decree to rebuild Jerusalem and the coming of the “Anointed One” (25). The decree to rebuild Jerusalem, as noted above, was 457 B.C. Adding 483 years to 457 B.C. brings us to A.D. 26, the very year that Jesus was baptized and began His public ministry. A most remarkable fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy, even to the year.

Further, within 3 ½ years Jesus was crucified, that is, “in the midst of the one week” “the Anointed One” was “cut off,” “purged away sin and brought in everlasting righteousness” (24, 26, 27).

Thus the book of Daniel (as revealed by Gabriel from God) foretold not only the Time at which the Messiah would appear, but also the Duration of his Public Ministry, and his Atoning Death for Human Sin.

Daniel prayed that he and the Israelites could be free of the bondage they had been in for 70 years. If you are not a Christian you are in the bondage of sin. Jesus died so you could come out from your bondage and be spiritually free of your sins and the guilt of them. We all need to come out of this bondage because it makes us a slave to satan. By coming to Jesus we can be free of that bondage and become a slave of righteousness (Romans 6:17-18).

Maybe you are a Christian who is struggling with sin in your life. Maybe you could use the encouragement and prayers of the saints to help you overcome them. Daniel prayed for his brethren and we can pray for you this morning!

If we can help you, please come forward while we stand and sing.