Tag Archives: Prayers

Daniel 9-10

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Daniel 9-10

Scripture Thought (What I Learned):

I learned two VERY important principles from Daniel 9-10. First in Daniel chapter 9, I learned that bad things happen to us, because we need to learn from those experiences to help us change our evil ways. It is like an alcoholic who gets a DUI and spends time in jail… that might make that person change. God does the same thing, if his people misbehave, bad things will happen until they turn from those evils and walk in his path.

The second thing I learned was that the moment we decide to not do evil and follow in God’s commandments, that is the same day he will listen to us and help us! “…for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understanding… thy words were heard…” (Daniel 10:12)

Chapter 9: Daniel prays for Israel

Daniel fasts, confesses and prays for all Israel, confessing the sins of the people. Daniel knows from Jeremiah that the Babylonian exile will last seventy years. The curses in the Law of Moses (towards the end of Deuteronomy) have come to pass. Daniel asks that God forgive and restore Jerusalem.

“…all this evil is come upon us… that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth.” (Daniel 9:13) Essentially, when we ask God, ‘why did this have to happen?’ we need to ask ourselves, what did we do to bring this upon ourselves?

As he prays, Daniel is visited by Gabriel. Gabriel says that in seventy weeks (meaning seventy sets of seven years, ie, 490 years), reconciliation will be made for iniquity, everlasting righteousness will be brought in, and the Most Holy anointed. From the command to restore Jerusalem to the coming of the Messiah, there will be seven weeks and sixty weeks ((7+62) x 7 years = 483 years). The Messiah will be cut off, but for the sake of others, not for himself. This is when Jesus will come and be crucified, so that he can atone for our sins through his blood. The people of the prince who is to come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary. There will be a flood, and desolations are determined until the end of the war. The coming prince will make a covenant with Israel for the final unit of seven years, completing the seventy weeks prophesied for the Jewish people and Jerusalem. The covenant will be broken in the middle of this final seven year period. On the wing of abominations shall be one who makes desolate, until the consummation is determined.

Chapter 10: Daniel sees the Lord

Daniel sees the Lord and others in a glorious vision. Daniel’s vision occurs in the third year of Cyrus’ reign. Daniel has been mourning for three weeks on the banks of the Tigris, Daniel sees a glorious man clothed in linen, girded with a golden belt; his face was like lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet were like burnished bronze, and his voice like that of a multitude. Daniel’s companions do not see the vision – but they are terrified nonetheless, and flee. The glorious man says he has faced opposition from the prince of the kingdom of Persia, and was helped by the prince Michael. Daniel feels overwhelmed by weakness, but is reassured and told to be strong. The glorious person says he must fight the prince of Persia and then the prince of Greece. Michael assists him. He has confirmed and strengthened Darius.

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Jeremiah 13-14

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Jeremiah 13-14

Chapter 13: Israel and Judah shall not

The Lord tells Jeremiah to place his girdle in the hole of a rock at the Euphrates. After a couple of days, it is marred. The Lord tells Jeremiah that after this manner will He mar the pride of Judah. The house of Israel and Judah cleaved unto me as a girdle cleaves unto a man, but is now good for nothing. The elite of Judah will destroy each other in drunkenness. Give glory to the Lord, before he changes light to darkness.

The Lord Counsels: “Hear ye, and give ear; be not proud: for the Lord hath spoken.” (Jeremiah 13:15) In other words… DON’T BE PRIDEFUL!

Chapter 14: The Lord will not hear thy prayers

Jeremiah surveys the famine, and admits iniquities on behalf of his people, providing a model of repentance. The Lord tells Jeremiah not to pray for his people. False prophets are rebuked. Jeremiah prays on behalf of the people once more.

1 Samuel 13-14

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1 Samuel 13-14

Chapter 13: The Lord Chooses Another

Saul reigned over Israel (up to this point for 2 years), 2 mark his 2 years he chose three thousand men, two thousand to stay with him in Michmash and in mount Beth-el and the other thousand men were to reside with Jonathan in Gibeah of Benjamin.  The rest of the men were sent home.

Jonathan decides to really smite the Philistines and sounds a trumpet throughout all the land to let the Hebrews know. The Philistines gather to fight Israel and bring with them 30,000 chariots, 6,000 horsemen and people “numbering the same as the grains of sand in the ocean”. Naturally the Israelites begin to tremble and even hide in caves and high places. So Saul calls for a burnt offering to be made. He makes the offering and is them met by Samuel, who came to salute him.

Samuel tells Saul that he has done foolishly and because of him (and his lack of obedience to the Lord’s commandments) Israel shall be destroyed. Saul quickly goes to find a smith in the land to make weapons, but they are unable to find anyone to make weapons. Because of this they are going to fight the Philistines with absolutely nothing as for weapons.

The Lord rejects Saul and appoints a new captain over the Israelites.

Chapter 14: God does not Always Answer Prayers

Saul and six hundred of his men are in the outskirts of Gibeah with a priest named Ahijah. Jonathan decides to leave one day with is armour-bearer (he doesn’t tell his father or anyone, he just goes!)

Jonathan heads for an outpost on the a hill. Jonathan asks God as to whether or not he should attack the Philistines. They decide to show themselves to the Philistines and if they tell them to stay where they are, they will do it. But if they tell them to go to the top of the cliff, then they will take that as a sign from God to attack the Philistines.

The Philistines ask them to go up, so Jonathan and his armour-bearer attack some 20 armed Philistines in an area of about 1 acre. Because of this the Philistines freak out and start to panic, causing there army to spread across the land. Saul back home doesn’t know what is going on, so he calls the troops to be numbered and prepared for war. This is where they realize that Jonathan and his armour-bearer are missing. Saul calls for the Ark, but in the last minute tells the priest to just summon all the men into battle.

When Saul and his army get to the battle, they find the Philistines so confused that some of them are actually striking each other with their own swords! The Lord rescues Israel. Saul commands a fast in the land until the evening, so that they can defeat the Philistines. He puts death as a punishment for not fasting.

The troops go through a forest where honey is oozing out of hives. Jonathan unaware of this oath tastes some and has one soldier telling him about the oath. Jonathan basically says that he thinks it is stupid and blames Saul for putting this burden on weaken troops, who could have fought better having been full.

They finish their battle with the Philistines and start to plunder, by slaughtering animals to eat. They are so hungry that some of them eat meat with the blood still on it. Saul gets upset and tells them that they are sinning and sets up a stone where they can properly butcher and cook the meat. Saul builds an altar to the Lord.

Saul decides to go back and plunder the Philistines again, the priest that is with them suggests that they ask God first. So, Saul asks God and receives NO ANSWER! (1 Samuel 14:37). Saul gets worried that someone has sinned, and because of this God is not taking any favor in him. So he calls all of the men and finds out that Jonathan had sinned by tasting the honey, when they took an oath to not eat (by fasting).

Saul wants to put Jonathan to death for doing what he did. But the men of Israel won’t let Saul kill Jonathan. The chapter ends by telling us that; Saul’s wife is named Ahinoam, he has three sons; Jonathan, Ishvi, and Malki-Shua. He also has two daughters; Merab and Michal. Saul has an uncle named Ner, and Ner’s son; Abner is the commander of Saul’s army.