Shining in Babylon | Daniel 9

We are in the last few weeks of our journey through the Book of Daniel! This week, we took a look at Daniel 9. Here’s an overview of the chapter and what we can learn from it.

*This post is a summary of Pastor Bobby’s sermon on 7/31/2022. You can find the sermon video below.

Daniel 9

This chapter begins with a humble confession from Daniel for the entire nation of Israel. He confesses that his people have sinned against the Lord and turned from his decrees. He acknowledges the goodness of God and the fact that all that has happened is a result of Israel’s actions.

After his humble confession, Daniel then asks the Lord to turn His anger and wrath away from Israel. He pleads with the Lord to save them – not because they deserve it – but because they are called by His name.

While Daniel is praying, the angel, Gabriel, comes to him with a vision. He gives Daniel insight and understanding into not only the fate of Israel but of the entire world! In verses 24-27, we read that the “Seventy Weeks of Daniel,” which include prophecies about the end of all things.

Conclusion

Daniel’s prayer of confession in this chapter becomes the doorway to insight and understanding. When Daniel prayed, he didn’t point fingers or pass the blame. He confessed his own sin along with the rest of Israel’s.

We can learn from his example by practicing this in our lives. Instead of pointing out how everyone else is failing, we should be confessing our own failures. Here’s a breakdown of Daniel’s prayer that we can model our own prayers after:

• The posture of humility (v. 3)
• Stating the problem (v. 4-6)
• Stating our condition (v. 7-10)
• Stating the hardness of our hearts (v. 11-13)
• Affirming the goodness of God, and not blaming (v. 14-15)
• Clarifying our motives (v. 16-19)

We also see in this chapter that the purpose of humble confession is not for us to prosper, but for God’s name to be exalted. When we confess our sins (and our nation’s sins), our humility can be used by God to save others and to glorify Him.