August 20: UTTER DEPENDENCE UPON GOD
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him. Daniel 9:9
Daniel’s prayer is a model of transparency and faith. In contrast to the verse before, this declaration is in the third-person grammatical form. In the verses immediately preceding (5-8), he is addressing the Lord directly, stating the facts of the matter. But in this moment, he reverts to the third-person reference (as in verse 4). This humble distinction reveals Daniel’s painful awareness of the human tendency toward waywardness and self-exaltation yet overshadowed by a settled confidence in the goodness of the LORD. Daniel’s thought patterns reflect the hope of the Psalmist: If You, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared [revered and served]. (Psalm 130:3-4) Central in the Redeemer’s heart of love is the plan to restore His image in His beloved people. Daniel cooperates with the process. He continues in the third person reference, switches to second, then back to third. These subtle variations as Daniel records his prayer indicate that all of his confidence is placed in the character of the LORD, with none in himself or others (compare to John 2:24-25).
We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets. Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice; therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him. vv.10-11
The voice of the LORD our God comes to us in abundant measure, from a thundering one to a quiet, gentle whisper. It is noteworthy that God chose to speak His law directly (Exodus 20:1-17; see also v.22) to the rescued Israelites—with His own voice—and later to write it Himself with His own finger in stone (31:18; 32:16).
His servants the prophets are generously provided as a response to the request of the people. After hearing Him speak, they said to Moses, “You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die” (20:19). Just hearing God’s voice was terrifying to them for, though they had been saved out of the land of Egypt, they were not yet sanctified. This is a valuable lesson for us today: being saved—justified—brings us to the wonderful privilege of sanctification, a process which requires our involvement and cooperation. This is essential for glorification, when we will experience the indescribable joy of seeing God! Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is (1 John 3:2). In utter dependence and humility, allow Him to finish what He has started, for He will soon be revealed, and the sight of His glory will be more than the unprepared can endure (2 Thessalonians 1:7; 2:8).
…being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ. Philippians 1:6
Dig deeper: Deuteronomy 26:16 – 28:62; Job 19:26; 1 Corinthians 13:12; 15:51)