Daniel 9:1

Darius was made rule of Babylon by Cyrus. Some consider Darius another name

for Cyrus.

The year is 539 or 538

Daniel was taken captive in 605, so he is 80+ years old. This is 12 years after the

vision recorded in chapter 8.

 

9:2

“Scriptures” or  literally “writings” which were considered sacred and the word of God.

            This indicates there was an identifiable set of books that the Jews considered

inspired including Jeremiah’s.

“Word of the Lord given to Jeremiah” = verbal inspiration. The prophecies were the very 

            Word of God.

“to completely fill up the desolations of Jerusalem” is the literal

“seventy years” from Jeremiah 25:11-12 and Jeremiah 29:10. 

            Jeremiah 25:11 was given by Jeremiah in 605 BC (Jer. 25:1) the same year as

Daniel’s captivity.

605 – 70 = 535 (If you count 605 as a year it is now 536 which is the year the

foundation for the Temple was laid  according to Ezra 3:1, 7, 8)

Ezra 1:1-2 is Cyrus’ words in 538 so it took about 18-24 months for the people to

            Get organized, leave, travel, settle and begin to lay the foundation

 

The destruction of the Temple occurred in 586

            586 – 70 = 516 (which is the year the Temple was completed, Ezra 7:15

 

“I understood” indicates in the first year of Darius that Daniel “understood”

 

Prophecy Guidelines:

  1. Daniel took the prophecy literally
  2. Daniel knew God would fulfill it and complete it
  3. Daniel understood the number 70 to be a literal 70 years
  4. Daniel knew God was watching and waiting for the time he had predicted
  5. Daniel was the master of dream interpretation and was gifted at unraveling symbolism. But, Daniel did not use these skills to “interpret” or “unravel” a literal number.

 

Daniel uses the name YHWH for the first time in 9:2 and uses it again in 4,10,13,14,20

 

 

The Prayer (Daniel 9:3) –

 

Daniel knows God is sovereign but he also realizes the importance of this prayer and confession of national sin.


Note: Revelation 22:20 “Yes, come, Lord Jesus.”

 

Fasting = concern for God, his word, understanding, focus

Sackcloth and Ashes = expressions of humility and need before God

 

9:4

YHWH = LORD in NIV – the covenant God of Israel, the personal God who loves Israel

Adonai = Lord in NIV – the master, the lord, the owner, the ruler

Elohim = God in NIV – the general name for God

 

Daniel uses scripture in his prayer. Noticably from Deuteronomy, Solomon’s prayer in

1 Kings 8 and Jeremiah

 

Prayer Outline of Daniel:

  1. Introduction 9:4
  2.   Adoration 9:4
  3. Confession 9:5-14
  4. Petition 9:15-19

The basic pattern is praise, confession and request.

 

“Prayed” is in the emphatic position in the Hebrew meaning it was  fervent and focused

“My God” states openly who Daniel is worshipping and trusting.

            Nabonidus followed Nebo

            Nebuchadnezzer followed Marduk

            Daniel has choosen YHWH

 

The Recognition of God’s Person – Adoration, Praise:

  1. God’s sovereignty is addressed
  2. God is recognized as the one to be feared “awesome” is “nora” and comes from the Hebrew which means “to fear” and means “the one who inspires fear”
  3. God is faithful, he keeps his covenants –
    1. Covenant of Love is literally “The Covenant and The Love” indicating two different things. Love is not an adjective.
    2. “The Covenant” refers to the covenant God made with Abraham that Daniel and the faithful Jewish people remember, followed and counted on
    3. “The Love” is the that loyal love or nature of God that identifies the character of God the means he is faithful and trustworthy to fulfill his covenant.

 

The Confession

The Request