Tag: Daniel 9:4-19

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BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 7, Day 3: Daniel 9:4-19

by atozmom, posted in BSF Exile & Return: A Time to Build 2025/2026

Summary of Daniel 9:4-19

Daniel prays and confesses to God that He is great, that they, the people of the Lord, are sinners and have not listened to Him and His commands, and that they are covered in shame. But God is merciful and forgiving. He asks God to hear his requests and to not delay out of His great mercy.

BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 7, Day 3: Daniel 9:4-19

5a) God is great, awesome, He keeps His covenant of love. He is righteous, merciful, and forgiving. He is just and executes judgment.
b) The people have been wicked and have rebelled; they have turned away from your commands and laws. They have not listened to your servants, the prophets. The people were unfaithful to God. They have sinned and rebelled against God. They have not obeyed the Lord our God or kept the laws he gave. The result of the people’s sins against God was judgment and exile to Babylon.
6a) Daniel asks God to turn away His anger and wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. He asks God to hear his prayers and look with favor upon His people. He asks God to forgive and act quickly.
Daniel recalls that God brought his people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and made for yourself a name that endures to this day. The people’s sins and the iniquities of their ancestors have made Jerusalem and the people an object of scorn to all. But God is merciful.
b) God is holy and in control of everything. We are sinners and rely on His infinite mercy and compassion to forgive us and help us to be more like Jesus. We all need God’s mercy every day, and coming to God humbly is the only way to approach Him.
7a)  Humanity’s sin justly requires judgment and separation. Because humans cannot bridge this gap, the only hope for restoration comes not from human merit, but from an appeal to God’s own mercy. Humans cannot bridge this gap on our own. God has addressed the issue of man’s sin by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins forever. It is through Jesus that we all come to God.
b) It definitely makes me more humble, reverent, and full of awe. I know that God is the One and Only. We can approach God in confidence, trust, and hope.

Conclusions BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 7, Day 3: Daniel 9:4-19

Such a great example of prayer and faith, what that looks like, and how we can improve our prayer life, too.

End Notes BSF Study Questions Exile & Return: A Time to Build Lesson 7, Day 3: Daniel 9:4-19

Daniel started his prayer by recognizing God’s goodness and greatness. He understood God.

Everyone falls short of God. Israel had failed God, not the other way around. Sinners never deserve God’s mercy.

Daniel did not complain, he confessed.

Daniel proclaimed God’s goodness, confessed our sins, and then asked God for His mercy, forgiveness, and restoration. This would accomplish God’s work and give Him glory.

We pray in Jesus’ righteousness, not our own, when we pray in the name of Jesus.

Daniel trusted and depended on God. Daniel prayed fervently for God to act; so should we.

END NOTES SUMMARIZED

Daniel 9:4-19 is the prophet’s profound prayer of intercession on behalf of his exiled people, serving as a timeless model of corporate confession and humility.

The interpretation of its key elements is as follows:

  • Corporate Confession: Daniel, a righteous man, completely identifies with the sins of his nation. He consistently uses “we” (“we have sinned,” “we have rebelled”), taking on the full weight of Israel’s guilt rather than separating himself from it. This demonstrates the heart of a true intercessor.
  • Affirmation of God’s Justice: The prayer does not question God’s actions. Instead, Daniel affirms that the exile and desolation were the just and righteous fulfillment of the curses promised in the Law of Moses for disobedience. He agrees with God that the punishment was deserved.
  • Appeal Based on God’s Character, Not Human Merit: This is the central argument of the prayer. Daniel’s plea for mercy is based entirely on who God is, not on any worthiness of the people. He appeals to God’s reputation (“your Name”), His history as a deliverer (the Exodus), and His “great mercy,” explicitly stating, “We do not make requests of you because we are righteous.”

In conclusion, Daniel’s prayer is a masterful demonstration of how to approach a holy God. It moves from a complete and honest confession of sin to a bold appeal for restoration. This appeal is not based on any deserving quality in the people, but solely on the mercy and covenant faithfulness of God, for the ultimate purpose of glorifying His own name.

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