In our message today, we’re going to view Daniel’s prayer of repentance for the nation of Israel. Donald S. Whitney says of prayer, that God “expects us to pray just as a general expects to hear from his soldiers in the battle” and that “prayer is a walkie-talkie for warfare, not a domestic intercom for increasing our conveniences.”(1) In our most recent message, we observed how when Daniel came under attack for his faith and moral convictions, that he responded by getting down on his knees in prayer; and though not engaged in physical confrontation, Daniel actually stood for his faith while on his knees. His first line of defense was prayer; and we will learn today how it was his resolve to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), that actually contributed to the freedom of Israel from captivity in Babylon.
Israel Judged for Seventy Years (vv. 1-2)
1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the lineage of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans – 2 in the first year of his reign – I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years specified by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.
In verse 2, we read how “Daniel, understood . . . by the word of the Lord through Jeremiah the prophet, that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem.” Israel was sentenced to captivity in Babylon, because the people had lived in defiance to God’s commands; and in Jeremiah chapter 25, the prophet warned of this impending judgment, declaring, “Therefore the Lord Almighty says this: ‘Because you have not listened to My words, I will summon all the peoples of the north and My servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them against this land . . . This whole country will become a desolate wasteland, and these nations will serve the king of Babylon seventy years’” (Jeremiah 25:8-9a, 11, NIV).
Israel was sentenced to judgment for seventy long years. The number seventy is a combination of the perfect numbers, seven and ten. In numerology, seven times ten “signifies perfect spiritual order carried out with all spiritual power,”(2) therefore, the captivity was truly divinely orchestrated. The number seventy also has a profound literal basis, because this number is the measure of a human life. It’s written in Psalm chapter 90, verse 10, “The days of our lives are seventy years . . . yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” The seventy-year judgment period was planned as a means of allowing an entire disobedient generation to die off; thus, when the Israelites finally returned home, the succeeding generation would be purged of their rebellion.
The good news is that there would indeed be a return to their homeland! The seventy years in Babylon was just a temporary sojourn, not a permanent appointment. In Jeremiah 29:10-11, we read this: “For thus says the Lord: ‘After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope’.”
They Failed to Keep the Covenant (vv. 3-8)
3 Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes. 4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and made confession, and said:
“O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him, and with those who keep His commandments, 5 we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments. 6 Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.”
7 “O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day-to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You. 8 O Lord, to us belongs shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.”
In the opening words of Daniel’s prayer, he reflected on some key points of the covenant that God had made with Israel. His statement in verse 4 is derived from Deuteronomy 7:9-10, in which the Lord said, “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments; and He repays those who hate Him to their face, to destroy them.” In his prayer, Daniel didn’t quote this last line; because it was already understood that the Lord extends mercy to those who keep His commandments, and that He destroys those who disobey Him. This leads me to ask an important question for the sole purpose of reflection, which is this: “How has America failed to keep the Lord’s commandments; thus, breaking covenant with God”?
Daniel’s statement in verses 5-6, is derived from 2 Chronicles 36:14-17, and 20, which says, “Moreover all the leaders of the priests and the people transgressed more and more, according to all the abominations of the nations, and defiled the house of the Lord which He had consecrated in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent warnings to them by His messengers, rising up early and sending them, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place. But they mocked the messengers of God, despised His words, and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy. Therefore He brought against them the king of the Chaldeans, who . . . carried [them] away to Babylon, where they became servants to him and his sons until the rule of the kingdom of Persia” (2 Chronicles 36:14-17a, 20).
Another good question to ask is this: “How has America failed to heed God’s warnings?” Steve Strang says this: “Thirty-two years ago America was at a crossroads. The nation was in moral decline with recently legalized abortion and a drug culture left over from the hippie era, while Americans were still reeling from the aftermath of Watergate and the Vietnam War . . . The U.S. economy was in the tank and a weak president’s policies seemed to make matters worse.”(3) Strang’s description sounds like our situation here in America today. Forty to fifty years ago, the United States began slipping away from its moral foundation in God, and the phrase “In God We Trust,” had become an American pun; and by the 1980’s, this country had positioned itself in a place of God’s judgment.
However, something changed that spared our country from destruction. “At that time God put on John Gimenez’s heart to call America to prayer. He wasn’t well-known but he persuaded [national] leaders . . . to join him in calling believers to pray on the mall in front of the nation’s Capitol. They called it Washington for Jesus, and many believe it was a spiritual turning point that helped move our nation in the right direction.”(4) I will share more on Washington for Jesus in a few moments.
John Gimenez served as a prophet to his generation, warning of the need for prayer and repentance. Many heeded his words and interceded for the nation, and things improved in America for a while. However, this repentance was short-lived. Strang continues to say, “The entertainment industry continued to go downhill from a moral point of view. The threat of Islamic terrorism continued to grow. What is now called the ‘gay agenda’ was articulated for the first time. And the church reeled from one scandal after another. Today the problems of the 1980’s seem mild to what is an all-out attack on our Christian values in the culture and even in government.”(5) In verse 8, Daniel declared, “To us belongs shame of face,” and America has truly entered into shameful times.
God Appointed Terror over Them (vv. 9-14)
9 “To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. 10 We have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. 11 Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.”
12 “And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster; for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us; yet we have not made our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.”
Daniel spoke here of “the curse and oath written in the law of Moses” (v. 11), concerning how God would bring about “great disaster” (v. 12) on the disobedient; and Daniel mentioned that God had “kept the disaster in mind” (v. 14), remembering His words, should Israel ever depart from the Law of Moses. The curse to which Daniel referred can be found in Leviticus chapter 26, where the Lord states, “But if you do not obey Me, and do not observe all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes, or if your soul abhors My judgments, so that you do not perform all My commandments, but break My covenant, I also will do this to you: I will even appoint terror over you . . . I will set My face against you, and you shall be defeated by your enemies. Those who hate you shall reign over you . . . I will break the pride of your power” (Leviticus 26:14-16a, 17a, 19a).
Perry Stone believes that Israel and America are spiritually linked. “America is almost a reflection of Israel,” Stone says. “Israel crossed the Red Sea to get to the Promised Land. Our founders crossed the sea to get to America. Israel and America were both divided between the North and the South. Israel had thirteen tribes; America had thirteen colonies.”(6) Based on these parallels, Stone describes how he realized the same blessings promised to ancient Israel are promised to America if the nation obeys God’s Word. Likewise, the same curses Israel experienced for disobedience would also be experienced by America for not obeying God’s commands.(7)
Perry Stone continues to tell us this: “The very first warning God gave Israel was, ‘If you disobey My Word, break My commandments and don’t hearken to My Word, I will appoint over you terror’.” He says, “When I realized in 2001 that there was an inflation of a ‘War on Terror,’ I started following those passages to see what else it indicated for America’s future.”(8) The event which awakened Perry Stone to the rise in terrorism was the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Towers that resulted in 2,751 civilian casualties. This information leads me to ask, “What does this rise in terrorism on our own shores tell us about America’s standing before God? Has the Lord appointed terror over the United States?” If so, then it’s a battle that can’t be won by mere human strength.
Daniel Interceded for the Nation (vv. 15-19)
15 “And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day – we have sinned, we have done wickedly! 16 O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.”
17 “Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. 19 O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Daniel took it upon himself to intercede on behalf of the entire nation. When it appears that the majority of the people around us does not worship God, and are living in defiance to Him, then it’s easy to get discouraged and feel as if there’s no hope; but let Daniel’s example be a source of encouragement. He was just one individual, and yet the Lord heard his prayer. God will intervene on behalf of the few who fear His name and seek His face. For example, Abraham asked God if He would still destroy wicked Sodom if there were found ten faithful individuals left within the city; and the Lord replied, “I will not destroy it for the sake of ten” (Genesis 18:32). It might appear as though our country is going down the tubes, but if God’s faithful remnant get serious about praying for America, then it’s never too late to turn things around.
In verse 15, Daniel confessed the sins of the nation, and pleaded with God to turn back His anger and wrath. When he did so, Daniel had in mind the Lord’s instructions about repentance, found in Leviticus 26:40-42, which says, “But if they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness in which they were unfaithful to Me, and that they also have walked contrary to Me, and that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies; if their uncircumcised hearts are humbled, and they accept their guilt – then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and My covenant with Isaac and My covenant with Abraham I will remember; I will remember the land.” Listen closely as I share a true story about repentance presented by Jonathan Cahn, the author of The Harbinger:
It was the late 1970’s. America was failing. Its economy was paralyzed by simultaneous inflation and stagnation. Inflation was skyrocketing, as was unemployment. Gas lines filled the land as a result of a Middle East oil embargo. American embassies around the world were under attack. Americans were being held in hostage in Iran. Every night, Americans watched in horrified paralysis as multitudes of Iranians shouted, “Death to America.” The debacle of a disastrous military attempt to rescue the hostages caused a palpable despair to settle over the nation. The American age appeared to be coming to a close rapidly.
In late April 1980, believers gathered from all around the nation to pray in the nation’s capitol at the Washington Mall. It was called Washington for Jesus, and its theme was 2 Chronicles 7:14: [“If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land”]. The Scripture was repeated over and over again. People came to humble themselves, repent, pray and seek the face of God. They prayed that God would intervene. Near the end, the multitudes lifted their hands to the steps of the capitol building and prayed that God would bring men and women into the government who would do His will. I remember. I was there.
Months later came the presidential election and revolution at the polls . . . Those supported by Christian voters were swept into office. In January, the president-elect readied to take the presidential oath when he made an unprecedented change. For more than a century, the presidential inauguration had been held on the eastern steps of the Capitol Building. Yet this president-elect changed the location to the western steps. As he was sworn into office that day, he faced the same ground on which the believers prayed, according to 2 Chronicles 7:14, nearly nine months earlier to send leaders who would do God’s will. Those who had prayed in April had their arms literally pointing to the place where the new president was standing.
They also prayed for the release of the American hostages in Iran. At the very hour the new president was sworn in, news came from Iran that the hostages were being released. Both prayers were answered in the same hour and manifested on the same ground on which those believers had prayed months before. That day and hour marked a turning point in American history . . . The economy experienced a dramatic change, leading to some of the most prosperous years in the country’s history. Unemployment faded, along with inflation. American military power was revived and reverenced throughout the world. Soon after, America won the Cold War and became the world’s only superpower.(9)
In verse 18, Daniel declared, “We do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.” Daniel had in mind Deuteronomy 7:7-8, and 9, which says, “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lord loves you . . . Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments.”
It is important for a country to realize that it stands as a seat of power only by the love and grace of God; not by human strength and military fortification. If we fail to put God first, then no amount of government plans, bailouts or acts of diplomacy will succeed in rescuing our failing nation. The only thing that can save our country is for God’s people to get down on their knees in intercession, and offer up prayers of repentance on behalf of America.
Time of Reflection
Repentance is the only thing that will save a nation; and it’s the only thing that will save a soul. David once declared, “I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,’ and You forgave the iniquity of my sin” (Psalm 32:5). In the book of Job, the prophet Elihu stated, “He shall pray to God . . . and say, ‘I have sinned, and perverted what was right, and it did not profit me.’ [And the Lord] will redeem his soul from going down to the Pit, and his life shall see the light” (Job 33:26a, 27-28). Salvation comes through repentance and the confession of sin. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
NOTES
(1) Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: Navpress, 1991), p. 68.
(2) “The Meaning of Numbers in the Bible: The Number Seventy,” BibleStudy.org: www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/70.html (Accessed January 8, 2013).
(3) Steve Strang, “If My People Will Pray,” Charisma (October 2012), p. 11.
(4) Ibid., p. 11.
(5) Ibid., p. 11.
(6) Troy Anderson, “America at the End,” Charisma (December 2012), pp. 40-41.
(7) Ibid., p. 41.
(8) Ibid., p. 41.
(9) Jonathan Cahn, “America in the Balance,” Charisma (October 2012), p. 18.
