7.1 – Discussion of Daniel 9 verses 1- 3

>>> Verse1: We are in 538 BC. Darius the Mede was the smaller horn from Daniel 8 verse 3. Darius the Mede ruled over the kingdom of the Chaldeans, the Neo-Babylonian Empire, which began in 626 BC and ended in 539 BC.     

The last king of the Babylonian Empire (Belshazzar) is overthrown by the Median and Persian armies in 539BC by King Cyrus.

>>> Verse 2: What Daniel does is to search for insight in God’s plan with his people, Israel, and with Jerusalem. See Psalms 119 verse 24: “Your instructions give me pleasure; they are my advisers”. And verse 33: “Teach me, Lord, the meaning of your laws, and I will obey them at all times”. Also see verses 35, 57, 59, 105 and many more. Daniel understood from the “sacred books” that the reason of their exile was their sin. The direct reason is as described in 2 Chron. 36 verse 21: “And so what the Lord had foretold through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: “The land will lie desolate for seventy years, to make up for the Sabbath rest that has not been observed.” And also Jer.25 verse 11: “This whole land will be left in ruins and will be a shocking sight, and the neighboring nations will serve the king of Babylonia for seventy years”. Together with this, Daniel understands also that, after the 70 years are over, the Lord will bring his people back to their country, as it is written in  Jer.29 verses 10-14: “The Lord says, ‘When Babylonia's seventy years are over, I will show my concern for you and keep my promise to bring you back home. I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to bring you prosperity and not disaster, plans to bring about the future you hope for. Then you will call to me. You will come and pray to me, and I will answer you.   You will seek me, and you will find me because you will seek me with all your heart. Yes, I say, you will find me, and I will restore you to your land. I will gather you from every country and from every place to which I have scattered you, and I will bring you back to the land from which I had sent you away into exile. I, the Lord, have spoken”.

The “Sabbath rest”, was the requirement of the Law of Moses that every seventh year the land was not to be farmed. This served as witness of their faith. Israel’s wish, to live in the same manner as the nations around them, (without the Sabbath rest) showed their unbelief.   The interruption of the “Sabbath rest” started in 1096BC, when Saul was anointed to be the first king over Israel. Since that time there is no indication of any Sabbath rest. And exactly 490 years later (490=70*7), occurs the first exile of the Jews to Babylon. This happens under king Jehoiakim, in 606 BC. It is now almost 536BC. It is with this view in mind, (the expectance of the end of the 70 years ), that Daniel directs his prayers to God.

>>> Verse 3: The sin of disbelief and separation from God by his people is now being confessed by Daniel, who takes the role of priest and intercessor for all his people. He begs for God's mercy. Similar intercessions can also be found in Nehemiah 9: 32-37, and in Ezra 9, verses 5-15: ……..  I got up from where I had been grieving, and still wearing my torn clothes, I knelt in prayer and stretched out my hands to the Lord my God. I said, “O God, I am too ashamed to raise my head in your presence. Our sins pile up higher than our heads; they reach as high as the heavens…. “ … And, of course, the example of our Great Intercessor: Jesus-Christ.