Dan.8:1-9 [ 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. 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.9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. NOTE: In this chapter we have, I. Daniel’s prayer for the restoration of the Jews who were in captivity, in which he confesses sin, and acknowledges the justice of God in their calamities, but pleads God’s promises of mercy which he had yet in store for them [v.1-19.[ An immediate answer sent him by an angel to his prayer, in which, 1. He is assured of the speedy release of the Jews out of their captivity [v.20-23). And, . He is informed concerning the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ (of which that was a type), what should be the nature of it and when it should be accomplished (v.24-27]. And it is the clearest, brightest, prophecy of the Messiah, in all the Old Testament. daniel prayed for all Israel and Judah, far and near for the ten tribe had been taken into assyrian captivity 133 years before Judah. all Israel and Judah were in all provinces of the empire of Assyria. Babylon and Media Persia and no doubt in other countriesv.7] The dispised prophets were recognized by Israel after Israel had suffered, and many of their prophets prediction had been fulfilled.Israelites even in apostasy and dispersion , are consider the chosen people of God . God is going to bring them to repentance and eternal obedience and fulfill the covenant made with them.Daniel request of God for Israel, let your anger and fury be turned away from Jerusalem and Mount Zion., hear my prayer oh Lord, hear my supplications,cause your face to shine upon your sanctuary, incline your ears to hear,open your eyes and see our desolation, forgive our sins,harken and do, defer not my answer for your people. LET US PRAY: Father of all nation we give thanks in the name Jesus Christ in whom ther is all power and authority .we thank you for saving grace . you have redeemed those who were sitting in darkness without a shepherd and have given life to those who call upon you , but most of all we thank you that you will bring your people Israel back into your bosom and fulfill the covenant of blessings that you had made with them , we love you for you are an awsome God who is merciful towards your creation glory to your name AMEN |