InPerspective

Harry Reeder: So now what do you do when you have concerns after you've gotten a message like this? What do you do? What do I do? I know what we need to do. We need to do what Daniel did. Daniel didn't just worry himself sick. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known to the Lord. So Daniel decides to do two things. He goes to the word and he goes to prayer.

Guest (Male): Putting life in biblical perspective with Dr. Harry L. Reeder. This is In Perspective, a radio and internet ministry of the Alliance of Confessing Evangelicals. You may be familiar with the classic Christian book, With Christ in the School of Prayer by South African pastor and author Andrew Murray.

Well, today we find ourselves with Daniel in the school of prayer as we go to chapter 9 of the book of Daniel and examine the remarkable and powerful prayer of this faithful and influential Old Testament servant of God. Stay with us now as Dr. Reeder continues our series Daniel's Memorable Memoirs and Message and takes us to Daniel chapter 9 and verses 1 through 19. Today's teaching, part one of the message, With Daniel in the School of Prayer.

Harry Reeder: Look with me if you would in Daniel chapter 9. Before we go here, I want to just make a couple of points. As most of you know, in the book of Daniel, Daniel very appropriately should be divided up into two parts. The memoirs of Daniel, that is his life experiences through four kings, at least four kings, and through two kingdoms: the Babylonian kingdom and the Medo-Persian kingdom. And then God's instrument to send the people back.

In other words, Daniel is there from the first deportation of Israel into the Babylonian captivity, and he is there throughout the entire time and then the witness of them returning back under Cyrus and specifically under Darius would they be sent back.

The second section, though, are the visions that are given to Daniel. We have looked and seen two visions of Daniel. The first six chapters took us up all the way into the Medo-Persian empire with the destruction of Babylon and the institution of the Medo-Persian empire under Cyrus.

That happened in the first six chapters, a series of events that we learn much about what it means like Daniel. What does it mean to be in the world but not of the world? How can you be faithful to God's word and yet connect to the society without being conformed to it? Daniel gave us a lot of lessons as well as some extraordinary pictures that point to the coming of Christ to redeem his people out of a fallen world.

Now we're in this section where we've got some of the visions that are given to Daniel that are looking to the future. In Daniel chapter 7, we had our first vision. Daniel chapter 7 looked at the scope of history going from the Babylonian empire ahead to the Medo-Persian empire.

Remember, that vision was given in the years of Belshazzar. It was still in the Babylonian before the Medo-Persian empire had arrived. You see what happens in the second section of Daniel? We recycle back into the Babylonian chronology and then the times of Belshazzar.

And then that vision pointed to the flow of history and how there will rise up out of the kingdoms of this world an antichrist who will use political and economic and military power, and it will be brought in opposition to the Lord through this picture of a little horn.

Then we went to Daniel chapter 8 and we saw a second vision. The second vision was a vision also that ended with a little horn. It was another vision that took us through. This was the third year of Belshazzar's reign. In Belshazzar's reign the third year, he's given another vision.

And this vision is saying that not only do I want you to see the scope of history, that there's coming this Medo-Persian empire and then coming a Grecian empire and then coming a Roman empire, but then I want you to see the time of the end. Now, not the time of the end of time, but the time of the end of indignation.

And that vision pointed to another little horn, but it's a little horn that points further to the antichrist. This little horn will come about before the coming of Christ the first time. That little horn is Antiochus Epiphanes, the one who will bring the abomination of desolation.

As he takes over, Antiochus Epiphanes is a download from the Grecian empire after the death of Alexander the Great and the division. Particularly the Seleucid division, the Grecian empire will be divided into four parts as Daniel 8 says long before it ever happened.

As it divides, the one in the south and toward the east is the Seleucid empire. A series of rulers will culminate in an Antiochus IV or Antiochus Epiphanes, who will even call himself God, raise himself up against God, will profane the temple of God, will kill the people of God.

He becomes a type of the antichrist as he is one of the many antichrists that point to the antichrist. It won't be until he is done away with by the hand of God after three and a half years after he has put Zeus in the holy of holies and then profaned that three and a half years later. He will come to an utter end, and then the vision stated to Daniel: Now the time, the end of the indignation of Israel, has occurred.

Well, that causes Daniel great concern because this is going to stretch on literally for hundreds of years while he is in this Babylonian captivity. It causes him great concern. Look at the end of Daniel chapter 8 and verse 27. "And I, Daniel, was overcome and lay sick for some days. Then I rose and went about the king's business, but I was appalled by the vision and did not understand it."

Daniel was the master of something, a wonderful psychological ploy that all the counselors say don't do, but Daniel did. I'm so glad Daniel did because I find this in my life as well. It's called the marvelous instrument of denial.

Daniel is overcome by this vision to know that the time of indignation against Israel not only did it begin about 70 years prior to that with the Babylonian captivity, but it's going to stretch on and on all the way to this Antiochus Epiphanes through not only the Babylonian empire but the Medo-Persian empire and then the Grecian empire and then the download of the Grecian empire and then beyond that.

So he's appalled and he's sick, but he gets up and goes and does his business. He gets up the next day and goes and does what he's supposed to do for the king. He's still responsible. His deep concerns he doesn't use as an excuse not to be faithful.

So he's about the king's business, but he has some deep concerns. Look at all of this. So now what do you do when you have concerns after you've gotten a message like this? What do you do? What do I do? I know what we need to do. We need to do what Daniel did. Daniel didn't just worry himself sick. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication make your requests known to the Lord. So Daniel decides to do two things. He goes to the word and he goes to prayer.

Those are the two things he decides to do to address the deep concerns of his heart. That's recorded for us in the book of Daniel. After this occurs, we now move forward. Here's the first thing I want us to do is I want us to see the occasion of this that is Daniel's prayer that's recorded for us in this text of scripture. The occasion for it is given in verses 1 through 2. So here's the occasion for it: Daniel's prayer, the origin of Daniel's prayer.

"In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans—in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, 70 years."

Now let's kind of work through this text and don't just slide through it here. What has happened? Well, Belshazzar has been done away with. By the way, those of you that have been following our study, you know that Belshazzar actually on a night that he had a big feast, a handwriting came up on the wall and it was what? Mene, Mene, Tekel, upharsin. You have been found weighed in the balance and found wanting, and your life will be required of you tonight. So that has occurred.

By the way, have you ever wondered why—I'm not trying to psychologically interpret Daniel—but Daniel gets called in front of Belshazzar. There's a big feast that's going on. They're under assault by the Medo-Persians, but Belshazzar's going to throw a party right in the face of all of that. That handwriting, that hand shows up and the handwriting's on the wall. Daniel says your life's going to be required of you tonight. Everybody's drunk. He could turn around and just kill him.

Have you ever wondered why Daniel was so brave? Now, I know Daniel's brave. My goodness, he's been in lions' dens and they've been hanging around fiery furnaces and things like that. I understand that. Can't you fill in some blanks now? Remember how brave he was back there in Daniel chapter 5 when that occurred?

Well, what's one of the reasons why? One of the reasons why is now we know not long before that, he had been given a vision. The vision was that the Babylonian empire's coming to a conclusion and there's coming a Medo-Persian empire. He's already been given that vision. He's been given that vision and then in the third year, he's been given another vision. He's been given a vision of an antichrist out there, and he's been given a vision that tells him when the end of indignation is going to come.

He's had two visions under Belshazzar, and now what happens next? Now comes the feast and the handwriting on the wall. Now what happens next? Now he is in the reign of Cyrus, and Cyrus has a subordinate king who is ruling over the Chaldean part of the Medo-Persian empire. His name is Darius.

So here is Darius, and in the first year of Darius that is now reigning, at that time, remembering that vision back here that had caused him so much trouble, that's troubling his soul, he now goes to prayer and he now goes to the word.

In the year of Darius, now we're in the Medo-Persian empire. Babylonians have been done away with. Belshazzar's been done away with. We're now in the Medo-Persian empire. Darius, a subordinate king under Cyrus ruling over this area now, is in control over the realm of the Chaldeans. It's the first year that he is reigning. Daniel is still in a position of favor, and Daniel then during that year as his troubled soul continues to find rest, he has gone to God's word. And when he goes to God's word, he finds out something.

Yes, the time of indignation is going to go forth hundreds of years. But the time of what? Look at this. The desolation of Jerusalem is only going to go on how long? 70 years. The time of indignation, that is God disciplining Israel, is going to go on and on all the way through the Grecian empire, but the desolation of Jerusalem, that's going to end prior to this.

That is the captivity's going to be over and the people who were brought into captivity will be allowed to go back to rebuild Jerusalem. When will they be allowed to do that? Jeremiah says in 70 years.

Now what I love to do is to go to historical places and know what happened right there and to stand right there and then know, "Now, this happened right here." When I was in Israel this last time, I had everybody bend over just to see how they'd drink water out of Gideon's spring to find out who's in my army or not and then just shared with them. Now, here's what happened literally thousands of years ago at this spot.

I love to do that. I just love to go back to a historical site and remember what happened right there. Right now, thousands of years ago, Daniel's soul was troubled and he's trying to find out, "Okay, the time of indignation's going to go on. God's going to keep disciplining Israel. What about Jerusalem? What about the desolation of Jerusalem? What's going to happen there?"

So one night, Daniel said, "I think I'm going to turn to Jeremiah chapter 25." So now you can do what Daniel did that very night: turn to Jeremiah chapter 25. Jeremiah chapter 25, and Daniel was doing his personal Bible study during his quiet time early that morning. He was reading right here and this is what he read, verse 8:

"Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts: Because you have not obeyed my words (that is Israel), behold, I will send for all the tribes of the north (declares the Lord) and for Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, my servant, and I will bring them against this land and its inhabitants and against all these surrounding nations. I will devote them to destruction; I will make them a horror, a hissing, and an everlasting (what?) desolation." That's Jerusalem.

"Moreover, I will banish from them the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the grinding of the millstones, the light of the lamp. This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon (how long?) 70 years. Then after 70 years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity (declares the Lord), making the land an everlasting waste.

"I will bring upon that land all the words that I have uttered against it, everything written in this book, which Jeremiah prophesied against all the nations. For many nations and great kings shall make slaves even of them, and I will recompense them according to their deeds and the work of their hands."

So here he says, "I'm going to raise up the king of Babylon, he's going to be my instrument to discipline my people. Jerusalem's going to be a desolation, the people are going to be carried into captivity for 70 years." Now the time of indignation's going to continue all the way to Antiochus Epiphanes, but the desolation of Jerusalem, just 70 years. God has promised it and prophesied it through Jeremiah, one of the prophets of the Babylonian exile.

Now, by the way, let me do a qualifier. Daniel didn't say, "Let's turn to Jeremiah 25:11," because there wasn't a Jeremiah 25:11, but there was Jeremiah 25:11, it just wasn't called Jeremiah 25:11 yet. And so that's what he was reading. So you just read what Daniel read. When Daniel read this prophesied promise that God was going to bring his people back as soon as he destroyed the Babylonian empire in 70 years—by the way, who's ruling now? Darius. What is he? Medo-Persian. What does that tell you? Babylonian empire's done away with just like Jeremiah prophesied.

So what's next? Trip home. 70 years are close. Now what does Daniel then do? Daniel begins a prayer. Now let's look at the elements of Daniel's prayer beginning in verse 3. Go back with me to Daniel chapter 9. Look with me in verse 3. After getting into God's word, "Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession."

Now what happens first of all? The first element of his prayer we find in verses 3 through 4. The first element is adoration. "I turned my face to the Lord God, I sought him in prayer, I would make a plea for mercy." How? "I was engaged in fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, and I prayed to the Lord my God, and I made confession saying, 'O Lord, the great and awesome God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments.'"

What's the first thing he does in his prayer but adoration? He subjects himself to sackcloth and ashes, humiliation of himself, and then adoration of the Lord.

And by the way, notice how he is fully focused upon the Lord. It says that he humiliated himself in fasting, sackcloth, and ashes, and then he prayed to the Lord my God and I made confession. Then what's his confession? Adoration. He adores the Lord, the great and awesome God, the God who is faithful to keep covenant, the God who is steadfast with love, and the God who loves those. Because of his love, there are those who love him, and he loves those, and those who love him will keep his commandments.

So that is how he brings adoration. Now what's the second element of his prayer? The second element of his prayer is confession. His confession starts in verse 5. He has already acknowledged that he's a sinner, he's already engaged in humiliation.

Now look at his confessions: "We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and your rules, your laws." Now folks, stop right there. You may be looking at that and say, "Wait a minute, why didn't he do some personal confession?" Well, he will and has done personal confession, but the judgment upon Israel that has put them in 70 years of captivity was why? Because they had together turned against the Lord.

Daniel now on behalf of the people who have turned against the Lord, he now on behalf of the people confesses the sins of the people as a people before the Lord. "We have sinned, we have done wrong, we have acted wickedly, we have rebelled, we have turned aside from your commandments and your rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land."

"To you, O Lord, to you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery they have committed against you."

In other words, why have we been dispersed into captivity? Because of our treachery. "To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him. We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he has set before us by his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out upon us."

What's he referring to if you don't mind? We don't have time to turn there. In the day when Moses wrote out the book of Deuteronomy, he then said to the people there will come a time you will turn away from the Lord, and the Lord will raise up a nation who is not his nation and he will use that nation to bring judgment against my people.

But when you have turned, I will bring you back into your land. So just what had been declared in the days of Moses has now come upon us. Go if you would to verse 12. "He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice."

Now let me just jot down for you four things in that confession. He says God, you've been faithful, we've been unfaithful, and here's the proof of our unfaithfulness. Four things. Number one: We have neglected your word. When I saw that in this text and wrote it down, I confess to you a chill over my soul.

How many times have I in the mornings neglected his word? On the Lord's Day, neglected his word? How many times have I looked to the wisdom of the world from talking heads to written pieces to editorials and not, like Daniel, when his heart was weary and overwhelmed, he went to the word.

Daniel says we have not done that. We are under your discipline because we have neglected your word. And he confesses it. Secondly, we have broken your laws. We've broken your laws two ways, he says in the text: one, we've broken your laws by omitting obedience and by committing transgression. We call those sins of omission and sins of commission. We have not done what your law calls us to do, and we have transgressed what it forbids us to do.

Guest (Male): The elements of Daniel's prayer include heartfelt adoration, earnest confession of personal, corporate, and national sin, and intense petition for God's grace and mercy on behalf of his people. You are listening to In Perspective, featuring the teaching of Dr. Harry L. Reeder. Our current sermon series, Daniel's Memorable Memoirs and Message. Visit inperspective.org for additional teaching by Dr. Reeder.

John the Baptist said, "I baptize you with a water of repentance." Yet Jesus, who was without sin, came to John to be baptized with him. Why? While many have said it was so Jesus could identify with us, there is another reason, and Dr. Reeder explains why Jesus, without sin, needed to be baptized by John. Discover the answer in Dr. Reeder's five-part series, Unlocking the Relationship of Baptism and the Great Commission. This series is our gift to you. Call us at 1-800-488-1888. We'll be pleased to send you Unlocking the Relationship of Baptism and the Great Commission.

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If you enjoy the teaching by Dr. Reeder on In Perspective, we think you'll also benefit from his daily five-minute devotional entitled Fresh Bread. Listen and subscribe to Fresh Bread at inperspective.org. In a national crisis, Daniel did not throw up his hands in despair. Rather, he went to his knees in prayer. Join us again next time as Dr. Reeder resumes our lesson with Daniel in the school of prayer. That's next time, as we turn back to the scriptures to put life in biblical perspective.