Thanks very much, Dave. So keep your Bibles open there at Daniel 9. We're actually going to be looking at all of it. We didn't read all of it, but we will be looking at it all.
Daniel prayed, and let us pray.
Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. Give ear, O God, and hear.
We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy.
O Lord, listen. O Lord, forgive. O Lord, hear and act.
Father, please, would you give to us your Holy Spirit? Would he act in our lives and within our church to restore us as people and to restore us in the way you call us to live?
May your transforming work be done amongst us today. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.
Well, Daniel is longing to go home. He's been in captivity now for about 67 years.
When he was a young teenager, the Babylonians had come in, attacked his city, defeated and destroyed Jerusalem.
His people were carried away as slaves into exile.
And since that time as a young teenager, he has lived under foreign rule, facing constant opposition and persecution.
For Daniel, being away from home was a little bit like being separated from God.
He had no freedom to pray. He had no freedom to pray. That had been denied.
He had no temple to worship. That had been destroyed.
Everything around him that he saw and witnessed intensified his deep longing and desire to go back home.
Now that longing to go home is what all Christians should feel.
We live life in this world, but we know that this is not our true home.
As Peter in the New Testament tells us, it's like we ourselves are living in exile.
That we're strangers in a foreign land.
We're longing for something better.
Our true home. Our eternal home.
We're longing for this place of peace and security.
Joy and happiness.
We're longing that God would come again and restore everything.
And put things right.
And bring us home.
Well, Daniel chapter 9 is all about this prayer for going home.
A prayer for restoration.
And we're going to see how we can not only pray this prayer, but how we can also have it.
We're going to look at three things.
The promise of God.
The prayer to God.
And the answer from God.
So first, the promise of God.
Restoration.
The promise of God is found in the word of God, which is where we find Daniel.
Look at verse 2.
In the first year of his reign.
This is during the time of the Persians.
I, Daniel, understood from the scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet,
that the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70 years.
Isn't it interesting that as Daniel feels the pain and pressure of being away from home,
Daniel doesn't despair.
Instead, he is driven towards God's word.
And in his reading, he turns, we are told, to the prophet Jeremiah.
He had a copy of the prophecy of Jeremiah.
And here's what I think he was reading.
You might like to turn to it.
In Jeremiah chapter 29.
It's just back a few pages.
If somebody's got a page number, they could call it out and I'll help you along.
Jeremiah 29.
It's on page 789.
So Jeremiah 29 on page 789.
So Daniel has been reading Jeremiah, what we're going to read now.
And here's what I think he was reading.
Jeremiah 29 verse 10.
So this is written 70 years before Daniel read it.
This is what the Lord says.
When 70 years are completed for Babylon,
I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise
to bring you back to this place.
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,
plans to prosper you and not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me,
and I will listen to you.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
I will be found by you, declares the Lord,
and will bring you back from captivity.
I will gather you from the nations and places where I have banished you, declares the Lord,
and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile.
Back to Daniel 9.
What an amazing promise to read in the midst of facing the struggles of life
in a world that you know is not your true home.
And Daniel has picked up the book of Jeremiah and he started reading it,
and we can imagine him being so excited because now it's almost 70 years
since Daniel and God's people have been taken into exile.
His longing to go home is about to become a reality.
God had made this promise all those years ago to restore his people,
and Daniel has been reminded of it as he has read God's word.
So what does he do with the promise?
Well, look at chapter 9, verse 3.
Daniel 9, verse 3.
So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition,
in fasting, in sackcloth and ashes.
The promise of God has motivated Daniel to ask God
to fulfil the promise that he has made.
God's word causes Daniel to start praying
for the very thing that God has planned and purposed to do.
So this promise is found in God's word,
but it is also found, or also rests, in the character of God.
Look at verse 4.
I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed,
O Lord, the great and awesome God,
who keeps his covenant of love with all those who love him
and obey his commands.
Through this prayer, Daniel is reminding himself
of the God that he has, the God who loves him.
He tells us in verse 4, he's great and he's awesome.
And God shows his greatness and his awesomeness,
again look at verse 4,
by keeping his covenant of love.
God doesn't forget his people.
He doesn't give up on his people.
He doesn't abandon his people.
God's character demands that he keeps his promise.
I have promised to restore you
and I will restore you.
So Daniel turns to prayer,
knowing that this God, his God,
is faithful and loyal
and will do what he says he will do.
That's the trust, the confidence that he has.
And we know from history,
about three years after Daniel read this
and prayed this prayer,
when the 70 years were up,
God's people were allowed to return home,
back to Jerusalem,
to settle in their own land.
God did keep his promise.
And what I want us to grasp is this,
that this is the same promise keeping God
that we know and that we have access to.
God has plans to prosper us.
God has plans not to harm us.
God has plans to give us a hope and a future.
So what are those plans?
Are we somehow to return to the land like Daniel did?
Well, no, in the full story of Scripture,
we know that this plan for a future and a hope
is so much more and so much greater.
Turn with me.
Keep your finger in Daniel 9
and go forward to 1 Peter.
It's on page 1217.
1 Peter, chapter 1.
Verse 1.
It's on page 1217.
And here we read these words.
Peter actually picks up this theme of exile.
And he says,
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
to God's elect,
this is God's people,
strangers in the world
who've been scattered.
So God's people have been scattered
throughout the world
and they feel like strangers.
They're in exile.
And then look what he goes on to tell them.
Verse 3.
Praise be to the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In his great mercy,
he has given us new birth
into a living hope
through the resurrection
of Jesus Christ from the dead
and into an inheritance
that can never perish,
spoil or fade,
kept in heaven for you.
Who through faith
are shielded by God's power
until the coming of salvation
that is ready to be revealed
in the last time.
This is God's plan for you.
This is God's promise for you.
He will come and gather up those
who have been scattered,
who do not feel at home
and are longing for their eternal home.
God has promised
promised
and God will deliver
on his promise.
So first we have
the promise of God,
restoration.
Second,
the prayer to God
which is all about
confession
and reputation.
God has made the promise
to restore his people.
He is going to bring them home.
But to experience
this,
we've got to listen carefully
to Daniel's prayer.
It starts,
first of all,
with confession of sin.
Daniel 9 verse 5.
Listen to his prayer.
We have sinned
and done wrong.
We have been wicked
and have rebelled.
We have turned away
from your commands
and laws.
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.
Do you see what's going on here?
Before there can be
restoration,
there must be
confession.
Before restoration,
there must be
confession.
You see,
the reason why
they were in captivity
in the first place
is because of their sin.
Look at verse 7.
Lord,
you are righteous,
but this day
we are covered
with shame.
The men of Judah,
the people of Jerusalem
and all Israel,
both near and far,
in all the countries
where you have scattered us,
because of
our
unfaithfulness
to you.
Yes,
it's true,
Nebuchadnezzar,
the king of the Babylonians,
had come and defeated
God's people
and destroyed
God's temple.
But the reason
why this happened
was because of their sin.
The reason why
they are not at home
presently
is because they had
turned away from God
and did not
listen to God.
So before you
and I can experience
restoration,
we must take
responsibility
for our action.
Daniel,
through the prayer,
is pleading
that we take ownership
for what we have done.
Regret
is not enough.
This is not a prayer
of regret.
Regret simply means
feeling sorry for yourself.
There's no heart change.
Repentance
is what is required.
Repentance
owns
our behaviour
and longs
for God's mercy
and looks to him
to change
our heart.
Verse 15.
Now,
O Lord,
our God,
who brought
your people
out of Egypt
with a mighty hand
and who made
for yourself
a name
that endures
to this day,
we have sinned.
We
have done wrong.
O Lord,
in keeping
with all
your righteous
acts,
turn away
your anger
and your wrath
from Jerusalem,
your city,
your holy hill.
There must be
confession
and it's no
different for you
or I.
If we are to
experience
God's restoration
in our lives,
we've got to
face up to
our sin.
Sin is too
serious.
It can't
be ignored.
We can't
pretend it's
not there.
And Daniel
was saying
to the people
and he's
saying to us
and God
is saying
to us,
there is
no moving
on.
There is
no going
home.
There is
no restoration
until it
is dealt
with.
But not
only must
we confess
our own
sin.
Part of
this also
means that
we go on
to seek
the reputation
of God.
Look at
verse 17.
Now,
our God,
hear the
prayers and
petitions of
your servant.
For your
sake,
O Lord,
look with
favour on
your desolate
sanctuary.
Give ear,
O God,
and hear.
Open your
eyes and
see the
desolation
of the
city that
bears your
name.
This is
your city,
your people.
God was
so involved
with his
people,
he loved
and treasured
his people
so much,
he had
given them
his own
name.
His
reputation
was wrapped
up in the
lives of
these people.
God
and the
God
was
involved
in the
God
whom
they
said
they
followed.
God
was
involved
intimately
with them.
But the
problem is
they had
dragged the
name,
the reputation
of God
through the
mud.
Just back
up a little
bit to the
end of
verse 16,
the second
half of
verse 16.
He says
our sins
and the
iniquities
of our
fathers
have made
Jerusalem
and your
people
an object
of scorn
to all
those around
us.
God
had become
a joke.
No one
was taking
God
seriously
because they
didn't care
for the
reputation
of God.
They were
living as
they pleased.
If God's
people were
going to
experience
anything
of God's
restoration,
that had
to change.
Verse 19,
O Lord,
listen,
O Lord,
forgive,
O Lord,
hear and
act for
your sake.
O my
God,
do not
delay
because
your city
and your
people
bear
your name.
This is
about
transformation.
And what
about us?
What about
this reputation
of God
being restored
in our
lives?
Well,
when Jesus
died on
the cross,
he exchanged
names
with us.
He took
my name
and in
its place
he gave
us his
name.
and because
we now
bear his
name,
we can
enter in.
That name,
the name
of Jesus
on our
lives,
guarantees
our future
hope.
It gives
us access
to our
eternal
home.
It gives
us access
to our
heavenly
father.
It gives
us the
confidence
and the
assurance
to come
to him.
Christ
took our
sinful
reputation
so that
we might
gain his
perfect
reputation.
He gave
us his
name so
that we
would live
for God
in this
world,
so that
people who
look at
us and
see us
would be
drawn towards
the love
and the
beauty of
God and
experience
his
restoration
in their
lives.
Before
there is
restoration,
there must
be confession
and a
seeking
after the
reputation
of God.
So God
has given
his promise,
Daniel has
responded in
prayer,
and third,
God gives
his answer.
Look at
verse 23.
As soon
as you
began to
pray,
an answer
was given
which I
have come
to tell
you,
for you
are highly
esteemed,
which means
you are
treasured,
you are
loved,
my child.
I will
answer you.
Therefore,
consider the
message and
understand the
vision.
So here's
God's answer
to Daniel's
prayer,
and it's not
straightforward,
it comes by
way of a
vision,
and as we've
been seeing
over the
last few
weeks,
when Daniel
has a
vision,
it's really
not
straightforward,
it's a
bit complicated,
and we're
going to
get into
a whole
lot of
numbers here,
but we'll
explain that
in just a
minute.
But what I
want us to
focus on
here is,
God's
answer is
full of
expectation,
of hope,
of a
future.
Look at
verse 24,
here's how
the answer
starts.
77s are
decreed for
your people.
77s.
I thought
we were in
church,
not in
school.
What are
we to
make of
77s?
Well,
here's my
take and
my understanding
of it,
and I
think this
is how
most of
the
commentators
go on
this.
We're not
to take
it literally.
We're not
to take
these numbers
literally,
but symbolically.
First,
remember,
Daniel was
told that
they would
return after
70 years.
That 70
years was
a set
period of
time.
But here
he's talking
about 77s,
or if you
like,
70 times
7.
So you
can do
the maths
on that
one.
In other
words,
this is a
time that
is going
to last
much longer
than 70
years.
It's going
to go
on and
on.
second,
the number
7 in
the Bible
represents
perfection
and
completion.
So you
read some
of these
visions here
and in
Revelation as
well.
Whenever
7 comes
up,
it tends
to refer
to perfection
and completion.
So 70
times 7
means a
multiplication.
That means
perfection
times perfection.
Now we
put all
that together
and we've
got this
timescale
that is
going on
and on
to which
there seems
no end.
And it
is marked
by absolute
perfection
and completion.
So God's
answer to
Daniel is
he's giving
him a
picture of
full and
final
restoration.
And he
begins to
give us an
insight of
what it's
going to be
like.
Look at
verse 24
we'll read
it all.
Seventy
sevens are
decreed for
your people
this long
time that
goes on
and on
of perfection.
A time
decreed for
your people
and your
holy city
to finish
transgression,
to put an
end to
sin,
to atone
for wickedness,
to cover it
up once and
for all,
to bring in
everlasting
righteousness,
to seal up
vision and
prophecy,
that is to
bring in
fulfilment of
all that's
been said,
and to
anoint the
most holy,
God's
king.
God's
answer to
Daniel is
so much
more than
Daniel expected.
Daniel just
wanted to
go home to
his earthly
city in
Jerusalem,
just down
the road.
That was
what he was
praying for.
God's
answer to
Daniel is
a promise
that is
bigger and
greater than
he could
ever imagine.
This was
full and
final restoration
in not an
earthly city,
but an
eternal city.
Sin and
suffering free,
where there
would be the
end of sin,
where there
would be
everlasting
righteousness.
This is the
answer that
God gives.
And what we
see in the
rest of
chapter 9 is
that this
answer is
expanded in
three ways.
So he fills
out this
answer in
three ways.
First, he
shows us
what it's
going to be
like, what
this home is
going to be
like.
Look at
verse 25.
No one
understand this.
From the
issuing of
the decree
to restore
and rebuild
Jerusalem
until the
anointed one,
the ruler,
comes,
there will be
seven sevens
and sixty-two
sevens.
Now again, I
don't want us to
get caught up in
numbers here,
but simply to
see this as
periods of
time.
seven sevens
refers to the
time when
Daniel and
God's people
return home to
build the
temple.
They're going
to be brought
back from
exile to their
homeland.
And that
initial time is
going to be a
time of peace
and security,
joy and
happiness.
The people
will settle
and they'll
begin to
rebuild,
but it will
be a limited
time.
Because God
wants them to
understand that
while God is
bringing them
restoration,
it is only
partial
restoration.
It's only a
taste of what
is to come.
In other words,
the return from
exile to their
homeland is just
a picture of
the final
restoration that
is to come.
It's like the
starter before
the main
course.
It's the
crumbs before
the big
meal.
And it's
exactly the
same for us.
God is giving
us an insight
to say,
when you
turn to
Christ,
that is
only the
beginnings.
It is only
the taste
of what is
to come.
The new
life that
you have
now is
nothing
compared to
the eternal
life and
the blessings
that are to
come in the
future.
So he
begins to
give us a
picture of
what it will
be like.
And it will
be just like
Daniel returning
home to his
land for
peace and
security,
joy and
happiness.
But he
also tells
us what
to expect
while we're
waiting for
the home.
So look at
verse 25
again.
The end of
it he says
there will be
seven sevens
and sixty-two
sevens.
So this
sixty-two
sevens is
talking about
to another
period of
time which
is a bit
longer.
He says it
will be
rebuilt with
streets and
a trench but
in times of
trouble.
Look at the
end of
verse 26.
He says the
end will come
like a flood.
War will
continue until
the end and
desolations,
trouble, have
been decreed.
So this
sixty-two
sevens is
referring to a
time which
follows the
return to
exile right
into the
future.
And he's
telling us that
it's not going
to be an
easy time.
Look at
verse 26.
After the
sixty-two
sevens the
anointed one
will be cut
off.
The anointed
one was
Jesus Christ,
the one to
come.
He will be
rejected and
ignored.
He will be
crucified.
But that's
not just going
to happen to
Jesus.
God's people
will continue
to live in
times of
trouble.
war.
There will
be continued
opposition in
persecution.
In other
words, he's
telling Daniel
and us
that we are
to have a
measured
expectation.
A measured
expectation.
Don't get
ahead of
ourselves too
quickly.
Don't think
that just
because we've
become Christians
that all of a
sudden we're
going to get
all the future
blessings right
here, right
now.
That is not
the case.
He's saying
we are to
prepare for
suffering now
and glory
later.
We are to
prepare for
suffering now
and glory
later.
So he shows
us what to
expect.
And third,
he shows us
what's going
to happen
at the very
end.
let's read
verse 27
and again
we'll just
pick out the
main things
here and
not get
too caught
up in the
minute detail.
He,
verse 27,
so here it's
talking about
an enemy
of God.
He will
confirm a
covenant with
many people.
So he's going
to bring many
people to
himself.
For one
seven, this
period of
time.
In the middle
of the seven
he will put
an end to
sacrifice and
offering.
So he's going
to be opposed
to all that
God does.
And on the
wing of the
temple he
will set up
an abomination
that causes
desolation
until the
end that
is decreed
is poured
out on
him.
Now I
think this
one seven
refers to
the time
at the
very end
just before
Christ returns.
And up
until that
time,
until Christ
returns,
there's going
to be
hatred
towards
God.
There
will be
an enemy
and there
is an
enemy
that is
against
God
and against
his people.
But look
what it
tells us
at the
very end
of verse
27.
Until
the end
that is
decreed
is poured
out on
him.
So God
is telling
us that
there is a
specified
time that
has been
set in
God's
calendar
time that
will
God's
ultimate
enemy,
Satan
himself,
will be
destroyed
once and
for all.
That time
has been
decreed.
That end
will come.
The enemy
will be
destroyed
once and
for all
and God's
people will
enjoy full
and final
restoration
at that
time.
God
gives us
a picture,
a glimpse
of you
into what
is to
come.
So all
the troubles
that we
see around
us today,
all the
troubles that
we may be
in today
and that
we experience
today,
God says
you will
walk through
them.
But I
will be
with you
and I
am bringing
you towards
a final
end
when the
enemy and
all his
opposition
will be
destroyed
and his
end will
come.
Do you
see what
Daniel prayed
for in
all of
this?
He was
praying for
something
really small.
I just
want to go
home,
home to
my land.
And God
answered his
prayer by
giving him
something so
much greater
and superior,
an eternal
home.
our true
home.
And we
are to
pray this
big
prayer,
these
eternal
things in
mind,
that God
would come
and restore
people today
and restore
people for
an eternal
future to
come.
God
as we
finish,
go with
me please
to 1
Peter
again.
It's on
page
1217.
1
Peter.
And let's
just read
these few
verses
by way of
reflection,
by way of
meditation.
salvation.
This is
what is
ours in
Christ.
Let me
read from
verse 3
and just
follow along
and be
amazed at
what we
have,
what we
have to
face,
and what
is to
come.
praise be
to the
God and
Father of
our Lord
Jesus
Christ.
In his
great mercy
he has
given us
new birth
into a
living hope
through the
resurrection
of Jesus
Christ from
the dead
and into
an inheritance
that can
never perish,
spoil or
fade,
kept in
heaven for
you.
Who
through faith
are shielded
by God's
power until
the coming
of that
salvation
that is
ready to
be revealed
in the
last time.
In
this
you
greatly
rejoice,
though now
for a little
while you
have had to
suffer grief
in all
kinds of
trials.
These have
come so
that your
faith of
greater worth
than gold,
which perishes
even though
refined by
fire,
may be
proved
genuine
and may
result in
praise,
glory and
honour when
Jesus Christ
is revealed.
Though you
have not
seen him,
you love
him,
and though
you do not
see him
now,
you believe
in him
and are
filled with
an inexpressible
and glorious
joy,
for you
are receiving
the goal
of your
faith,
the salvation
salvation
of your
souls.
Let's
pray.
Let's
pray.
Our
Father God,
we pray that
you would
expand
our vision,
not to
be so
confined to
our little
lives in
this little
space and
time right
here,
right now,
but you
would expand
our vision
to see the
grand and
great
restoration
that you
are bringing
about
and that you
will one day
bring to its
full and final
conclusion.
until that
day,
Father,
would you do
your work in
our lives?
Would you
cause people,
our community
and ourselves
as well to be
people of
confession,
seeking your
reputation?
And we
pray that
people will
know the
restoration that
you alone can
bring of
new life,
forgiveness of
all of our
sins,
the promise
of your
spirit,
of life to
come in
the new
heaven and
the new
earth.
We thank
you for all
that you
have given
to us.
We thank
you for
this wonderful
plan,
a plan not
to harm
us,
a plan not
to do us
any difficulty,
a plan to
prosper us
and give us
hope and a
future.
thank you
Lord.
Amen.