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“Between The World and The Word”
(Daniel 9:1-9)
I. Introduction.
A. Daniel was one to whom prayer was an essential part of
life, and a daily part of his relationship with God.
1. Given a choice, there are those who’d much rather
have God speak to them in visions and voices.
These seem so much more dramatic and dynamic –
even “spiritual.” But, reflect on that a moment.
2. A “vision” is temporary. It comes and goes, and
leaves us wondering: “What happened to me? Did
it really happen? Was it just my imagination?” The
same could be said for a “voice,” God’s or anyone
else’s.
3. As time passes, our confidence in such experiences
(seeing visions or hearing voices) diminishes. And
the more rational we are, the more skeptical we are.
We cling to the objective over the subjective
experience. Even Jesus spoke to remind people
that, if they are not willing to hear and heed God’s
written word, even the return of someone from the
dead would not affect them (Luke 16:31):
“. . . If they do not hear Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded though one rise from
the dead.”
4. We, like Daniel, are given the written word – and
the “life-giving Spirit.” These words do not go
away. Their meanings do not change. Daniel
needed no voice or vision – he was gripped by the
written word of God. What he saw, and heard,
around him, often conflicted with, clashed with, the
words. His situation, the captivity of his people,
gave little hope for a return to their homeland. Yet,
God’s words – His promises – were specific.
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B. No conflict arises between the world and the word when we
don’t take the word seriously. We are moved, our life is
affected and changed, when we take the word of God
seriously.
1. Daniel’s prayer arose from the tension, the conflict,
between God’s written truth and the world he saw
around him. We may feel no such tension, or
experience no such conflict, if God’s word drifts
over us as the world drifts by us.
2. But, when we begin to let the word dwell in us, we
experience the tension and conflict. When we begin
to let Scripture become applicable to everyday life,
we experience the tension and the conflict.
C. It’s between the world and the word that we are truly
tested. What did Daniel conclude when confronted with
such a conflict? That the “reality” of the world must be
made to conform to the truth of God’s word. Whatever the
personal cost, Daniel gave himself to prayer, to
supplication, even to fasting. (Daniel 9:3). This was not
some kind of outward “religion.” It was not a “show” of
piety. It was a serious business. The conflict within him
was forcing him to find an answer at any cost.
II. Agitation And Expectation: Daniel.
A. What prompted Daniel’s prayer, in Daniel 9, is found in
verse 2 (RE-READ). According to God’s word,
specifically through the prophet Jeremiah, Israel’s captivity
in Babylon and the desolation of Jerusalem would last 70
years. The time had been fulfilled, but nothing had
happened.
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1. To Daniel, this was more serious than a failure of
prophecy. This was about the God who had made
the promise, the God behind the prophecy. The
prophecy was only a part of the whole picture of a
reliable God.
2. (Illust.) Imagine that someone you knew well, and
trusted absolutely, a close friend, wrote to you and
said he would arrive by plane to spend some time
with you. He gave you his flight number and the
time of its arrival. You go to the airport, the plane
lands, but your friend isn’t among the passengers.
You’re immediately concerned, so you go to the
airline’s desk to ask about him. Getting no real help
there, you wait for the next flight from your friend’s
departure point – maybe even the next two or three.
Something must have happened. It’s just not like
him to not show up. Now you’re concerned and
you do whatever you can to find out what
happened.
But, if your friend was known to be hopelessly
scatterbrained and unreliable, if he repeatedly
failed to show up on time or on schedule, you
would approach the matter far differently, and with
less concern.
3. Daniel was not focusing upon some isolated
prophecy, but upon the whole of God’s word.
And, he was focusing upon the God who gave that
word, who made the promise. How reliable is He?
Has He ever let me down?
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4. Daniel’s prayer is not about a prophecy, it’s about
a reliable, righteous, faithful God; a “. . . great and
awesome God, who keeps his covenant and mercy
with those who keep his commandments.”
(Daniel 9:4).
a. To Daniel, God was real. His majesty filled
the universe. He taught His people respect
by His might acts and terrible judgments:
“O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but
to us shame of face, as it is this day - . . .”
(Daniel 9:7).
b. To Daniel, there is no inconsistency between
the severity and mercy of God. Why?
Because Daniel knew God’s word, and the
God of the word. (“To the Lord our God
belong mercy and forgiveness, though we
have rebelled against Him.” Daniel 9:9).
B. Daniel knew God, and he knew people in the world. As
one of these, he included himself among those who have
sinned: “we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have
done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from Your
precepts and Your judgments.” (Daniel 9:6).
1. But, isn’t this the man of purity and integrity? Isn’t
this the one who, even as a teenager took a stand for
God’s law in what he would and would not eat?
Isn’t this the one who refused to stop praying even
when it could cost him his life in a den of lions?
Isn’t he the man whose enemies could only accuse
him of doing something good?
2. If anyone has a right to pray “My people have
sinned” and omit himself, surely David does. But,
no such distinction occurs to him. And, it shouldn’t
occur to us, either.
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C. We, too, are between the world and the word. We, too,
must pray to a just, and righteous, God: “Have mercy
on us.”
1. Objection: “I’m a Christian. Don’t identify me
with unbelievers. I’m praying for the lost and
those living in sin.”
2. Are we more deserving than others? Did God
save us for our superior potential? Have we ceased
to be human because we are a Christian?
3. To pray as Daniel did, with his perspective and his
zeal, we have to recognize the conflict that exists
between the truth of God’s word and the reality of
the world in which we live. To pray as Daniel did
we have to recognize that God is jealous of His
name and His honor.
a. Our human jealousy comes from weakness;
a reaction of someone not sure of his or her
personal worth.
b. When we talk about God’s jealousy, we’re
talking about something entirely different.
God is supreme, and fully aware of His
majesty, His power, His perfection, His
unlimited knowledge and unfathomable
wisdom. He is neither vain nor insecure.
He has nothing to prove.
c. Think of it this way: Do you have any
particular concern about what a colony of
ants thinks of you? Probably not. Nor does
God need to be concerned about what
people think of Him. Yet, He is concerned.
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d. (Illust.) Suppose that you have the power to
change the conditions of ants; to raise them
to a higher level of existence and a different
kind of life. Also, let’s suppose that you
loved these ants and you desired their trust
so you could give them the gift of this
higher form of life. You might be anxious
to make them aware of your power and your
love. And, for their sakes, you would be
jealous of your reputation among them, to
have their trust and their love. The depth of
that jealousy would be a measure of your
love – not arising from personal insecurity,
but out of concern for the well-being of the
ants who could not help themselves unless
they understood your ability – and trusted in
your ability – to help them.
D. God’s jealous concern about the honor of His name among
people, which reflects His character, derives from His love
for people. Our trusting adoration adds nothing to Him, but
it does make it possible for us to be delivered from our sin.
He wants us to know Him because He loves us and cares
for us in our sad condition.
1. We hinder God’s power by our own inadequate
view of God.
2. Daniel knew a greater God. He grasped the
importance of God’s name being upheld before
all people. His prayer goes beyond himself and his
personal problems and takes him to a higher level.
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III. Conclusion.
A. We may never be more aware of God’s reality, power and
glory than reading parts of the Old Testament. “Did these
things really happen? Did the ten plagues come at the word
of Moses? Did the Red Sea divide? Did the rock pour out
water? Did Jordan’s waters roll back? Did a trumpet blast
bring down the walls of Jericho?”
B. When I read David’s bold words to Goliath, I wonder
whether I can dare to count on the God of Israel as David
did: “You come to me with a sword and with a spear and
with a javelin; but I come to you in the name of the Lord
of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, who you have
defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand,
and I will strike you down, and cut off your head . . . that
all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and
that all this assembly may know that the Lord saves not
with a sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s and He
will give you into our hand.” (I Samuel 17:45-47).
C. The word and the world are both vying for your
attention and affection. What will you choose?