Bible Study - Disciplines (4) - Maintaining Focus on JESUS - Daniel 9 - February 14, 2021

Bible Study – Disciplines (3A/4) – Maintaining Focus on JESUS – February 14, 2021

This is lesson four in our series entitled, “Spiritual Disciplines: Becoming More Like JESUS.” It will include some thoughts on unity which carryover from last week’s study.

Later, we will look back at our last week’s scripture which focused on JESUS’ prayer as written in John 17 and this week’s scripture which focuses on Daniel’s prayer in Daniel 9:1-7, 17-19. The key being the importance of scripture both from the Old and New Testaments. What gems are buried in scripture that need to be revealed for times like these?

Happy Valentine’s Day to all!

Knowing GOD is vital to having the right relationship with HIM. We hear about GOD but to really know GOD requires a personal relationship with HIM through faith in JESUS. In the Old Testament the Israelites had more of a physical relationship with GOD. GOD revealed to them, if they continued in their wicked ways, HE was going to punish them collectively as a nation.

The pagans and pagan kings/kingdoms that occupied the land knew that Israel had a unique relationship with one GOD, YAHWEH. Israel collectively represented the One True GOD. When they sinned, GOD punished them. When they repented, GOD forgave and restored them.

Sound familiar? We, as Christians, grow cold toward GOD and fall out of fellowship with JESUS. GOD has to get our attention. We drift away and GOD has to hit us in the head with HIS love stick of correction because HE loves us and cares for us.

In our lesson we focus on a period of time where GOD had disciplined Israel for its sin. Jerusalem had been destroyed because of sin and the Jews had been placed in exile in a foreign land. Daniel was a prophet with them. He had a relationship with GOD and access to scripture which was written by GOD through the prophet Jeremiah.

This is a testimony to the importance of scripture when we, even today, encounter issues in our lives. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Daniel 9:1-4:

9 In the first year of Darius, the son of Ahasuerus, a Mede by birth, who was made king over the Chaldean kingdom— ² in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the books according to the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremiah that the number of years for the desolation of Jerusalem would be seventy. ³ So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek him by prayer and petitions, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

⁴ I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed:

Ah, Lord—the great and awe-inspiring God who keeps his gracious covenant with those who love him and keep his commands—

Daniel gives us the time period, 538 BC, when GOD revealed to him through scripture which profoundly and directly impacted the future of Israel. Daniel’s relationship with GOD/YAHWEH is revealed in his prayer, “I prayed to the Lord (covenant name) my God and confessed.”

During Jeremiah’s time as Israel’s prophet from 627 BC to 586 BC GOD revealed the next steps for Israel to take. Daniel was led to read the Book of Jeremiah and discovered precious hope and guidance from GOD for the future of Israel. Precious treasure is hidden in GOD’S Word until released by the Holy Spirit to those seeking guidance and hope.

What else is hidden in GOD’S Word that guides Christians today, as we approach the second coming of JESUS?

Notice, Daniel first confessed his relationship with the one true GOD of Israel, GOD’S covenant name, YAHWEH.

Let’s read Daniel 9:5-16:

⁵ we have sinned, done wrong, acted wickedly, rebelled, and turned away from your commands and ordinances. ⁶ We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, leaders, ancestors, and all the people of the land.

⁷ Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but this day public shame belongs to us: the men of Judah, the residents of Jerusalem, and all Israel—those who are near and those who are far, in all the countries where you have banished them because of the disloyalty they have shown toward you. ⁸ Lord, public shame belongs to us, our kings, our leaders, and our ancestors, because we have sinned against you. ⁹ Compassion and forgiveness belong to the Lord our God, though we have rebelled against him ¹⁰ and have not obeyed the Lord our God by following his instructions that he set before us through his servants the prophets.

¹¹ All Israel has broken your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. The promised curse^[a] written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, has been poured out on us because we have sinned against him. ¹² He has carried out his words that he spoke against us and against our rulers^[b] by bringing on us a disaster that is so great that nothing like what has been done to Jerusalem has ever been done under all of heaven. ¹³ Just as it is written in the law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our iniquities and paying attention to your truth. ¹⁴ So the Lord kept the disaster in mind and brought it on us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all he has done. But we have not obeyed him.

¹⁵ Now, Lord our God—who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a strong hand and made your name renowned as it is this day—we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. ¹⁶ Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, may your anger and wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our ancestors, Jerusalem and your people have become an object of ridicule to all those around us.

Daniel did not hold back on how he along with the Israelites had sinned against GOD and GOD, true to HIS Word, punished the nation.

People of America, I hope you do not think America will escape GOD’S punishment if we do not repent of our sins and return to HIM. GOD’S Word gives us what we need to do as a nation, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14:

¹⁴ and my people, who bear my name, humble themselves, pray and seek my face, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land. 

We can be a stiff-necked people and GOD can show us that HE is still on HIS Throne and is in charge of the affairs of earth until the end. The choice is individually and collectively. Who leads the way? All who know the truth, teach the truth, preach the truth and live the truth. Remaining silent about what is happening in America, in essence, endorses the bad behavior. It is time for we who know the truth to pray to our LORD to bring victory out of chaos.

Let’s read Daniel 9:17-19:

¹⁷ Therefore, our God, hear the prayer and the petitions of your servant. Make your face shine on your desolate sanctuary for the Lord’s sake. ¹⁸ Listen closely,^[c] my God, and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations and the city that bears your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before you based on our righteous acts, but based on your abundant compassion. ¹⁹ Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, listen and act! My God, for your own sake, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your name.

Daniel asked GOD to listen to what he was praying about.

How did GOD respond?

Let’s read Daniel 9:20-23:

²⁰ While I was speaking, praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my petition before the Lord my God concerning the holy mountain of my God— ²¹ while I was praying, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the first vision, reached me in my extreme weariness, about the time of the evening offering. ²² He gave me this explanation: “Daniel, I’ve come now to give you understanding. ²³ At the beginning of your petitions an answer went out, and I have come to give it, for you are treasured by God.^[d] So consider the message and understand the vision:

Often, we may think that GOD does not hear us when we pray. Prayer is talking to GOD and as in any conversation, we need to pause and listen. GOD communicated with Daniel in a profound way. GOD communicates with HIS Children through the indwelling Holy Spirit today. We need to pause and listen. When we pause to listen, do we trust what GOD is revealing to us? That requires being in right relationship with GOD.

But GOD knows where we are Spiritually and is patient with us. HIS desire is for us to learn to trust HIM and obey HIM.

This brings us back to our last week’s lesson, JESUS’ prayer for HIS disciples, Himself and future Christians. The overarching message in last weeks study was on unity. JESUS was in GOD and all who have accepted JESUS as their Savior are Spiritually born into GOD’S Family. They are in unity with JESUS and GOD and nothing will snatch those Spiritually born out of GOD’S hands. This is double protection - Christians are in JESUS and JESUS is in GOD and we have the assurance by the indwelling Holy Spirit that we belong to GOD through faith in JESUS. This is unity!

Let’s read John 1:1-5:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ All things were created through him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. ⁴ In him was life,^[a] and that life was the light of men. ⁵ That light shines in the darkness, and yet the darkness did not overcome^[b] it.

Who was the Apostle John referring to? Who was the Word? If you said JESUS, you are correct. JESUS is the second person of the Trinity – GOD, THE FATHER, GOD, THE SON and GOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT.

What do we know from this? The THREE are ONE. Unity is an absolute. If you ask a question, you get the same answer from any one of the three. But the way to GOD is through faith in JESUS!

GOD’S desire is for us, as HIS Children, is to live and function in unity. In last week’s lesson, I was led to write about the human race being one race with different skin colors.

In Genesis 3:20:

²⁰ The man named his wife Eve^[g] because she was the mother of all the living. ²¹ The Lord God made clothing from skins for the man and his wife, and he clothed them

All humans sprang from the same mother but with different skin tones.

Our original parents sinned and lost eternal life for themselves and their children. JESUS, THE WORD, willingly came to earth to live as 100% human to be the perfect sacrifice for all who will place their faith in HIM as their Messiah. JESUS got hungry, tired, sleepy, thirsty, tempted in every way humans are tempted, yet without sin. If HE stuck HIS finger with a briar, splinter or hit his finger with a mallet, it hurt.

So, why did JESUS come to earth? Let’s read John 3:14-21:

¹⁴ “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, ¹⁵ so that everyone who believes in him may^[d] have eternal life. ¹⁶ For God loved the world in this way:^[e] He gave^[f] his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. ¹⁷ For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. ¹⁸ Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. ¹⁹ This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. ²⁰ For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it,^[g] so that his deeds may not be exposed. ²¹ But anyone who lives by^[h] the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished by God.”

Brothers and sisters in CHRIST, we are the light and the salt of the earth. We must let the light of the Good News reflect through our lives and the salt be a savory seasoning to the lives of others. JESUS is the hope of the world and that message is contained in these jars of clay (human body or earth suit).

Rejoice, GOD is still on HIS Throne and is in charge. We, as Christians, must live like it and share the Good News with others as our LORD gives us opportunity. Pastors preach and teach GOD’S Word as led by the Holy Spirit.   Blessings!!!