Sermon Tone Analysis
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Before we being tonight, a quick recap.
are much different than .
is a major transition in the book of Daniel.
Up to , the book of Daniel has been about stories of Daniel and his three friends.
We learned about their faith and courage in the face of very trying circumstances.
We were confronted with the concept of God’s sovereign control over all things, even when it seems like things are out of control.
ushers in a new genre of what we call apocalyptic material.
Apocalyptic means “revelation” and communicates a sense of impending doom.
We use the term when we mean all things are coming to a head or end.
It is the Apocalypse.
It is a violent end to all things.
The Biblical Apocalypse is not about doom, but rather about hope, optimism, and joy.
is a major transition in the book of Daniel.
Up to this point, the book of Daniel has been about stories of Daniel and his three friends.
We learned about their faith and courage in the face of very trying circumstances.
We were confronted with the concept of God’s sovereign control over all things, even when it seems like things are out of control.
The end of days ushers in the final victory for the saints of God.
God brings an end to the corruption of the this world.
It is a celebration of victory over God’s enemies.
God is in control and will overcome evil, not just human evil, but also the spiritual evils.
Apocalyptic literature is often not literal, rather it is full of imagery and metaphor.
We use the term when we mean all things are coming to a head or end.
It is the Apocalypse.
It is a violent end to all things.
In , we talked about a vision of four beasts.
In , we talked about a vision of a ram, a goat, and a little horn.
In , we are going to look at a prayer by Daniel.
Apocalyptic literature is often not literal, rather it is full of imagery and metaphor.
gives us the context in which it takes place.
1. Introduction
A. Time Period: The first year of Darius the Mede, 539 B.C.
B. Daniel’s prayer is full of theological understandings and practical understandings.
Many scholars, to their shame, bypass Daniel’s prayer in favor of paying attention to the last seven verses of the chapter known as Daniel’s 70 weeks.
The seventy weeks of Daniel has been the inspiration for a a bewildering array of interpretations.
Before we talk about the 70 weeks, we need to consider Daniel’s prayer.
2. Preparation for Prayer ()
A. The fall of the Babylonian Empire caused Daniel to turn to the Scriptures for understanding.
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Daniel looked to the book of Jeremiah to understand what was going on.
This is important because rarely do we see the reference of one book of the Bible to another.
It is also important to note that Daniel understood the book of Jeremiah to be the Word of God.
Most likely Daniel was reading from ;
Babylon would dominate the world for a time, but their time would end.
They would be replaced and when Babylon was replaced, the nation of Israel would be restored to its place.
Again, we shouldn’t push the number too specifically because of the representation of the idea of seven.
Seventy is about completeness and perfection.
It may also be seen as a person’s lifetime.
B. Daniel prepared for prayer with fasting, confession, and repentance.
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Now, let’s pause for a moment.
Daniel took prayer seriously.
He was not flippant when approaching the Almighty.
Do you think there is anything for us to learn in how Daniel approached prayer versus how we approach prayer?
One caveat, remember, the book of Hebrews tells us that we can approach God boldly and he is our Friend, who is also our Sovereign.
How do you balance the two ideas?
3. Invocation and Confession ()
A. Daniel begins by addressing God directly.
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i. God is great and awe-inspiring.
ii.
God keeps his gracious covenant.
iii.
Man has a responsibility to love God and keep his commands.
B. Daniel acknowledged the sin of God’s people.
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They did not listen to the prophets.
They did not change their behaviors.
They rebelled and acted wickedly.
The prophets were supposed to deliver God’s message to the people and the people were supposed to respond, but instead, the people did whatever they wanted to do and ignored the warnings of the prophets.
C. Daniel contrasted the character of people and the character of God.
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i. God is righteous.
People are disloyal and shameful.
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ii.
God is compassionate and forgiving.
People are rebellious.
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Bottom line: People have problems because they don’t want to follow God’s ways.
4. God’s Punishment ()
A. Daniel draws a direct connection between the present situation of the people of Israel and their present condition.
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B.
Even though the people were suffering in captivity, they did not turn back to God’s ways.
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C. God’s punishment was not arbitrary, but rather was a consequence of their sinful action.
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God was righteous in what he allowed to happen to the people of Israel.
They did not obey.
They did not do what was right.
God’s righteousness does not sleep.
He is longsuffering, but he also must deal with the unrepentant and the rebellious.
5. Appeal for Mercy ()
A. Daniel’s prayer has not been for himself, but as representative of the people of Israel.
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He is not confessing personal sins, but national sins.
Do you think there is a place for this today?
We are not the nation of Israel, but as a nation we have acted wickedly.
B. Daniel appealed for the mercy of God.
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He appealed to God as the One who delivered his people from Egypt.
In essence, Daniel was asking God for a second chance, a second exodus.
C. Daniel’s appeal is based in God’s character, not in the people’s actions.
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The people are still sinful.
They are still not following God as they should.
The plea for deliverance would have to be based on God’s character and reputation.
It is for his own name’s sake.
I would contend that this is always our strongest appeal to God.
It is for his name’s sake.
We bear his name and we exist for his glory.
6.
The prophecy of the 70 weeks ()
A. Daniel’s prayer was abruptly interrupted by an appearance of the angel Gabriel.
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