Setting – Daniel prays for the restoration of Jerusalem
Content – Daniel read in Jeremiah that Israel would be restored after 70 years of desolation (v. 11 NLT) “All Israel has disobeyed your law and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. "So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out against us because of our sin”. He also confessed Israel’s sin (v. 20 NLT) “I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sins of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain”, this being the reason of the 70 desolation. But Israel was not asking God for forgiveness (v. 13b NLT) “But we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth.” Daniel pleas to restore Jerusalem in order that God might be honored (v. 19 NLT) “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, O my God, do not delay, for your people and your city bear your name.”
God gives Daniel information about the restoration of Jerusalem (v. 25b NLT) “Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times”, and to the end-times (v. 27 NLT) “He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.”
Application – Daniel in studying the scripture understood the reason for the condition that Israel was in, captivity. Israel should have been confessing their sin and asking for God’s mercy, but they weren’t. Instead Daniel asked on their behalf. God loved Daniel and gave an answer to more than Daniel’s request about the restoration of Jerusalem; He also gave information to the culmination of the end-times. Because of this information, we are all privy to ‘how the story ends’.
God’s wants His people to stay connected to Him and avoid sin. He also provides information about how things will turn out for those who love Him. God is a gracious God who not only forgives the sinner (and the nation that sins), but reveals the information that pertains to all mankind. God’s purpose is to bring His creation back into a relationship with Him. He is also a God who refuses to let sin continue and will judge the sinner and put to death sin eliminating how it separated God from His creation.
Content – Daniel read in Jeremiah that Israel would be restored after 70 years of desolation (v. 11 NLT) “All Israel has disobeyed your law and turned away, refusing to listen to your voice. "So now the solemn curses and judgments written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out against us because of our sin”. He also confessed Israel’s sin (v. 20 NLT) “I went on praying and confessing my sin and the sins of my people, pleading with the LORD my God for Jerusalem, his holy mountain”, this being the reason of the 70 desolation. But Israel was not asking God for forgiveness (v. 13b NLT) “But we have refused to seek mercy from the LORD our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth.” Daniel pleas to restore Jerusalem in order that God might be honored (v. 19 NLT) “O Lord, hear. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, listen and act! For your own sake, O my God, do not delay, for your people and your city bear your name.”
God gives Daniel information about the restoration of Jerusalem (v. 25b NLT) “Jerusalem will be rebuilt with streets and strong defenses, despite the perilous times”, and to the end-times (v. 27 NLT) “He will make a treaty with the people for a period of one set of seven, but after half this time, he will put an end to the sacrifices and offerings. Then as a climax to all his terrible deeds, he will set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration, until the end that has been decreed is poured out on this defiler.”
Application – Daniel in studying the scripture understood the reason for the condition that Israel was in, captivity. Israel should have been confessing their sin and asking for God’s mercy, but they weren’t. Instead Daniel asked on their behalf. God loved Daniel and gave an answer to more than Daniel’s request about the restoration of Jerusalem; He also gave information to the culmination of the end-times. Because of this information, we are all privy to ‘how the story ends’.
God’s wants His people to stay connected to Him and avoid sin. He also provides information about how things will turn out for those who love Him. God is a gracious God who not only forgives the sinner (and the nation that sins), but reveals the information that pertains to all mankind. God’s purpose is to bring His creation back into a relationship with Him. He is also a God who refuses to let sin continue and will judge the sinner and put to death sin eliminating how it separated God from His creation.
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