And on the wing of abominations shall come one who makes desolate, until the decreed end is poured out on the desolator. Daniel 9:27
I continue my study of Daniel in conjunction with a disciple/small group study with my church's men's wake up call. This morning my focus is Daniel 9:20-27 as I lean on my commentary for this text, which outlines the following divisions:
I. God Hears the Passionate Prayers of His Beloved Children (9:20-23): Here, the commentary encourages us to see Daniel's prayer as a model, including "[w]ho we pray to, what we pray for, and how we pray are ...[as they] are all important to God." It notes that Daniel "is praying to the right person with the right posture, something that always characterizes real and authentic praying." It also notes, how, despite being in exile, Daniel is aware of the time of day when Gabriel arrives as being "about the time of of the evening sacrifice....There had been no evening sacrifices at the temple in Jerusalem since it was destroyed in 586 BC. Nevertheless, Daniel still tells time according to his religious calendar. “He still functions on ‘Jerusalem time,’” says Dale Davis (Message of Daniel, 124). Daniel at eighty-plus years of age has not lost his spiritual identity. Yahweh’s clock is his clock."
II. God Has a Prophetic Plan to Bring about Our Salvation (9:24-27): The commentary notes that Israel's exile is not 70 years, but 70 times 7 or 490 years. It shares how there is significant scholarly debate about the details of the prophecy provided here but there is no debate about how it points to Jesus, Jerusalem's destruction and the period to follow, and end times.
He has risen!
Comment and discuss this post.
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and mercy for me as You sacrificed Yourself so that I could have life, including victory over sin and death. Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such grace and the greatest gift of all time. My sin is great and it continues...daily. Please forgive me Jesus and help me turn from and overcome my sin and turn towards You. Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me. Help me grow in my faith. Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength. Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo. Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior. Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin. Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.
