Monday: An Appeal to Grace
Read Daniel 9:3-19. On what basis does Daniel make his plea for mercy?
We should especially note a few points in this prayer.
Image © Lars Justinen at Goodsalt.com
First, nowhere in Daniel’s prayer is he asking for any kind of explanation for the calamities that happened to the Jewish people. He knows the reason. Indeed, the bulk of the prayer consists of Daniel himself recounting the reason: “We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets” (Dan. 9:10, NKJV). The last time we left Daniel having a need to understand something was at the end of Daniel chapter 8, when he says he does not understand the vision of the 2,300 evenings and mornings (see Dan. 8:27).
The second point is that this prayer is an appeal to God’s grace, to God’s willingness to forgive His people even though they have sinned and done evil. In one sense, we see here a powerful illustration of the gospel, of sinful people who have no merit of their own, nevertheless seeking grace that they don’t deserve and for forgiveness that they haven’t earned. Is this not an example of where each one of us is, individually, before God?
Read Daniel 9:18-19. What other reason does Daniel give for the Lord to answer his prayer?
Another aspect of Daniel’s prayer deserves mention: the appeal to the honor of God’s name. That is, the prayer is not motivated by Daniel’s personal convenience or that of his people, but for God’s own sake (Dan. 9:17-19). In other words, the petition must be granted because God’s name will be honored.
| Read 2 Kings 19:15-19. In what ways does Hezekiah’s prayer resemble Daniel’s? What does Matthew 5:16 say about how we, too, can glorify God? |
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The passage in Daniel 9:3-19 is one of two prayers that come to mind about the captivity in Babylon. The other one is Psalms 137.
The last verse is a bit of a hard one for us isn't it?
I am sharing it here because some of you may like to compare it with Daniel's prayer.
Father, we are not perfect! We sinned everyday. We deserve to die, we deserve Your Justice!
At the same time, we come to You with open hearts, hidding nothing, but with sincere desire to be better. Thank You for Your corrections, thank You for Your love. And it is by this love that we plead for mercy. We plead for forgiveness, we plead for a new begining!
We do not fear men, but we fear Your Justice! Because You know everything, our hearts and the hearts of those who have done us wrong! May You be our judge! May You also be our lawyer! In the name of Jesus, amen!
How does one define God’s Justice...punishment of the “perp” (offender), or restoration for the victim?
His justice can be seen by not allowing the actions of the "perp" or the assault on the victim to be a stumbling block in either's opportunity for salvation.
The LORD's aim is to restore every one who agrees to His image as Adam and Ever were created.
How does He achieve this purpose? He offers to purify us but those that reject His offers will be destroyed by that fire.
See the below two passages which give us some insight.
1Jn 3:1-10 Behold what manner of love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God. Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be. But we know that when He shall be revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope on him purifies himself, even as that One is pure. 4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness, for sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was revealed that He might take away our sins, and in Him is no sin. 6 Everyone who abides in Him does not sin. Everyone who sins has not seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, even as that One is righteous. 8 He who practices sin is of the Devil, for the Devil sins from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed, that He might undo the works of the Devil. 9 Everyone who has been born of God does not commit sin, because His seed remains in him, and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God are revealed, and the children of the Devil: everyone not practicing righteousness is not of God, also he who does not love his brother.
2Th 1:5-9 For this is a manifest token of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God for which you also suffer, 6 since it is a righteous thing with God to repay tribulation to those who trouble you, 7 and to give rest with us to you who are troubled, at the revealing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with the angels of His power, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power,
Hi Shirley. I very much enjoyed looking in detail at the passages you provided.
When you stated that “He offers to purify us but those that reject His offers will be destroyed by that fire”, are you saying it is the same fire that purifies or destroys? I am guessing you might be, but that would only be my guess so I thought I would actually check with you.
The reason I ask this is that many people believe that God will destroy people who reject His offers with literal fire. If this is so, is it also literal fire that God uses to purify people too?
I am not asking this to try and trap you or anything like that. Rather, I am asking this because you have hilighted a topic that is the source of fear for a lot of people I meet and therefore one that I believe is worthy of a bit of unpacking.
So I invite you to share your thoughts a bit further before I share a bit more of my thoughts so that together we can provide food for thought for other readers.
Our God is a consuming and refining fire – the righteous live forever in the fire but the wicked are burned up
Sometimes the fire is literal and sometimes it is abstract. John 3:16 is clear - option - eternal life or everlasting death. We see throughout the Bible that spiritual truths are sometime acted out physically. I certainly don't believe that the LORD keeps people alive to burn forever because then they are not dead!
2Th 1:7-9 and to give rest with us to you who are troubled, at the revealing of the Lord Jesus from Heaven with the angels of His power, 8 in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God and who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, 9 who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power.
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
Deu 4:24 For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Exo 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
Dan 3:25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.
Isa 33:14 The sinners in Zion are afraid; trembling hath seized the godless ones: Who among us can dwell with the devouring fire? who among us can dwell with everlasting burnings?
Isa 33:15 He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly;
Isa 48:10 Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.
Zec 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein.
Zec 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:
Rev 3:18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.
1Co 3:13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
Rev_1:14 His head and his hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes were as a flame of fire;
Rev_2:18 And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
Rev_15:2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
Rev_19:12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.
Rev_19:20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.
Rev_20:9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
Rev_20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
Rev_20:14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
Rev_20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Rev_21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Jud 1:7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them, in like manner to these, committing fornication, and going away after other flesh, laid down an example before-times, undergoing vengeance of everlasting fire.
Gen_19:24 Then Jehovah rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from Jehovah out of the heavens.
Gen_19:28 And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the lands of the plain, and saw, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.
Deu_29:23 the whole land shall be burned with brimstone, and salt; it shall not be sown; nor shall it sprout; nor shall there be any grass in it. It shall be like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which Jehovah overthrew in His anger, and in His wrath,
Phil, although some have come to understand the ultimate truth of the LORD's character I believe He has explained it progressively in different ways, mostly concretely and sometimes abstractly so that whatever the level of spirituality of a person they understand His character.
We must be careful not to confuse people and imply that the explanation at a certain stage and the Bible are not true.
So I don't have a problem in believing that there is a real lake of fire into which people are thrown.
Just like I don't have a problem believing in an actual river of life and a tree with 12 different fruits.
Rev 20:14-15 And death and hell were cast into the Lake of Fire. This is the second death. 15 And if anyone was not found having been written in the Book of Life, he was cast into the Lake of Fire.
Rev 22:1-2 And he showed me a pure river of Water of Life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the midst of its street, and of the river, from here and from there, was the Tree of Life, which bore twelve fruits, each yielding its fruit according to one month. And the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.
Thanks for your reply Shirley.
I have reviewed all the verses you posted.
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
When will we learn to humble ourselves in the presence of the Lord.
When was the last time as a corporate church came together in fasting prayer?
2 Chronicles 7:14
I will hear
I will forgive
I will heal
God forgive us because we have no clue how we have limited your work on this earth.
Guided by the Holy Ghost. I am not alone for my father is with me.
In Daniel prayer he didn’t excluded himself as not being the one for the predicament they found themselves in. He said because he and them have committed sins. He was a righteous man. In Leviticus as well as Deuteronomy 27-31 the Lord told Moses to tell the people about the curses in disobedience as well as the Blessing in obedience. Daniel acknowledgement they have sin, confessed their sins and was asking for pardon. God loves sinners but he hates sins. Daniel was not downplaying sin as if it was ok and the Lord should understand they are humans and humans make mistakes. Daniel came clean and truthful with God. The people were receiving payment for their works. The wrath of a loving God.
If me, Lyn continue to excuse sin as something not so bad, Lyn will receive the wrath of God. His mercies will not be there to protect me in disobedience.
If we continue to excuse sin, but then turn to God for forgiveness and repentance, He will give us grace through faith in the cleansing blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He also gives us strength to repent, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Awesome, we are saved from the wrath of God by faith.
Roman 5:9
Hello John,
I appreciated your citation but would include the previous verse:
I do not believe there is anything in the Greek Textus Receptus that determines exactly whose wrath it is that we are saved from. The translator's interpretation of the Greek text determines that. But given the context, if God commends his love toward us by the sacrifice of his Son for us, exactly what would motivate him to angry wrath towards us at the same time? For this reason, it makes no sense to think this is God’s wrath when he has emptied himself of life in the person of his Son for us.
So if it is not God’s wrath, then whose is it? It would be mankind’s angry fearful feelings toward God because mankind has chosen to believe Satan’s deceitful lies about God’s character. But thank God! We are saved from the wrath that consumes our hope and joy when we believe the truth about God as it is in Christ Jesus, that is, God is love, and that marvelous powerful love is for each of us. Amen.
Richard Ferguson
Yes, absolutly.
Yet verse 9, you see defines who's wrath it is. Theologians call this exegesis. Explanation of one verse is sometimes found in verse or verse's before or after.
As I read Deuteronomy chapter 9, I see the Lord our God is capable of wrath. If we provoke God's wrath, then we turn to Him for forgiveness and we do not resist the drawing of Christ who died to save us from Gods wrath, He in His loving kindness, longsuffering, forebearence, with great faithfulness even unto us, saves us. Yes God's marvelous love is unparalleled.
This must have been a Psalm written by someone who was actually a captive other than David himself who had already slept
Your observation is correct. While we associate David's name with quite a few of the Psalms, some of them were not written by him.
For by grace we are saved, not by our works. When we pray for grace we are actually praying for salvation. As Daniel in chapter 9 prays for God to forgive Israel of their sins and deliver them from bondage we also look ordeliverance from the bondage of sin when we pray for grace. May God's amazing grace deliver us and give us salvation.
Once again the prayer reveals that Daniel studied the scriptures very well.. this is Leviticus 26 :40
If we continue to excuse sin, but then turn to God for forgiveness and repentance, He will give us grace through faith in the cleansing blood of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. He also gives us strength to repent, through the power of the Holy Spirit. Awesome, we are saved from the wrath of God by faith.
Roman 5:9
Thanks brother john for the wonderful words .we need to humble ourselfs to christ in order for Him to cleance us from our sins and bring blessings to our sanctuary.
Am asking class .on what basis does Daniel make his plea for mercy ?
I would say on His name. He is known as a merciful God. Mercy is showing compassion and forgiveness to someone who deserves punishment. God is a compassionate God Ps 86:15 and a forging God Ex 34:6,7. His goal, as Shirley said above, is to restore us to His image. Showing us mercy is a way for Him to achieve this goal.