Study # 1
January 15, 2023
Broadlands, Louisiana
(Download Audio)
Thesis: Daniel's prayer reveals the proper response to the divine revelation given through Jeremiah regarding the promised end of the Babylonian captivity.
Introduction: In our study last week, we considered Daniel's vision of a ram and a male goat that was given in the
third year of Belshazzar. This was two years after the vision of chapter seven in which Daniel had been given a vision of four beasts; a vision that was a repetition of the major issue that was established in chapter two. In the vision of chapter eight, Daniel was filled in on the second and third of the four kingdoms which were to dominate human history because in chapter seven, there was very little information given because Daniel's attention was focused upon the fourth beast and its boastful horn. Thus, chapter eight, with its presentation of a ram and a male goat, was a reinforcement of the vision of chapter two with its silver and bronze kingdoms and of chapter seven's bear and leopard kingdoms. In the vision in chapter eight, the focus gradually turned to a "horn" in the downline development of the kingdom of Greece after the conspicuous horn identified as Alexander the Great was broken so that four horns arose in his stead.
In our study this evening, we are going to look into Daniel's response to the revelation given to Jeremiah regarding the length of time involved in the captivity of Judah by Babylon.
- I. The Revelation Given To Jeremiah.
- A. Jeremiah 25.
- 1. This chapter contains the revelation that was given in the "first year of Nebuchadnezzar" that was also the fourth year of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, king of Judah.
- a. Josiah was a faithful king (2 Kings 22:1-2) and he was described with the words of 2 Kings 23:25: "And before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him".
- b. Pharaoh Neco made Jehoiakim king in Judah after Josiah was killed in battle (2 Kings 23:24).
- 2. This chapter revealed the prophecy of Jeremiah that the captivity of Judah by Babylon would last 70 years (25:9-12 and 29:10).
- B. This revelation reached Daniel "in the books"; an apparent allusion to some form of communication between Judah and Daniel that resulted in his having "the books".
- 2. Daniel's Response: Prayer.
- A. The issues were of such significance that Daniel went "all in" (9:3).
- 1. There are two forms of "prayer".
- 2. They were attended by "fasting" (Jeremiah 36:9), "sackcloth" (Jonah 3:5-8), and ashes (Ezekiel 27:30).
- B. The contents of his prayer.
- 1. He begins by acknowledging the vast difference between "the great and awesome God" and himself and the people of Judah (9:4-5).
- 2. Then he pursues this contrast by a continual litany of the failure of the people and the characteristics of Yahweh our God (9:6-14).
- 3. Then he arrives at his appeal (9:15-19).
