August 22: FOR HIS NAME’S SAKE

Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us; for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice. And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day—we have sinned, we have done wickedly! O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because of our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us. Daniel 9:14-16

Remember that Gabriel had come to help Daniel understand the vision of the ram and the goat, the little horn and the two thousand three hundred days (8:16). Well, the ram and goat—regarding Medo-Persia and Greece—were very clear (vv.20-22), but the details of the little horn (vv.23-25) were extremely unsettling, and the brief reference to the longest prophecy: the evenings and mornings which was told was true (v.26), did not help him to grasp its meaning. In short, it was a big load of bad news.

As Daniel continues to affirm the righteousness of God and the disobedience of His people, he cites the amazing rescue of His people out of the land of Egypt. Even without the internet, this news of such great magnitude had traveled to every corner of the world. Truly, the LORD made a name for Himself by His mighty act of saving. Daniel appeals to God on behalf of the honor of His great name in the eyes of the world. This subject is central to the “magnetic drawing power” of the Gospel message. For God to be well-represented—in a world where Satan works nonstop to misrepresent Him—is a vital facet of the LORD’s sanctifying power at work in the heart of a believer. King David expressed it this way: He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake (Psalm 23:3). Ezekiel quoted the LORD: “I had concern for My holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the nations wherever they went” (Ezekiel 36:22). Paul said: For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you (Romans 2:24).

Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications, and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate. O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name; for we do not present our supplications to You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies. O Lord, hear! O Lord forgive! O Lord, listen and act! Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name. Daniel 9:17-19

Yes, Daniel appeals to God on behalf of the honor of His great name in the eyes of the world. Since the time he was violently taken captive as a teen (605BC), the walls and the city of Jerusalem and the temple that Solomon had built lay in ruins. Now Daniel is an old man. His childhood upbringing, training, and social life centered around the God that he loved and His temple. How he longs for the restoration of all the good things he experienced in the place of his childhood! And he knows that God has a plan…

For thus says the LORD: After seventy years are completed at Babylon, I will visit you and perform My good word toward you, and cause you to return to this place. Jeremiah 29:10