Intercession: The Most Beautiful Aspect of Faith – Daniel Intercedes for Israel

Shared on October 6, 2024

There was a time when our grandparents, parents, and the church would make intercession for those around them. Are we losing that aspect of faith? Watch this week’s lesson as Pastor McCrary looks at the power of Daniel interceding on behalf of his people.

Introduction

Daniel has endured a life of living under Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians.  We have also seen Daniel endure the challenges of living under Persian rule as well.  In other words, we have seen Daniel move in faith and be rewarded for doing so.  In our lesson this week, we continue to explore the faith of Daniel as Daniel intercedes for Israel.  

Interceding on Behalf of Another

One of the most beautiful aspects that I feel being lost in the movement of faith today is that of one interceding for another.  Do you make intercession for your loved ones and all of those around you?  

For example, I think about Paul, in his letter to Philemon, interceding on behalf of Onesimus (Phm. 1:8-17).  I think about Moses and his intercession on behalf of the children of Israel after they worshiped the calf of gold (Ex. 32:11-14).  Then, of course, I consider Jesus who still intercedes on all of our behalfs today (Rom.  8:34).

One of the best ways that you and I can make intercession for those around us is through prayer.  As your grandparents and parents once prayed for you, you should now be praying on behalf of others.  As the church once prayed for everybody, including strangers and adversaries, we must do the same.  

In his letter, James wrote, “the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the lord will him up (Jas. 5:15).”  Then James wrote, “the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (Jas. 5:16).”  Prayer, the prayer of a brother or sister, can help to save and cover a multitude of sins (Jas. 5:20).”

Daniel Prays for the Jews

Our lesson opens with Daniel praying, not for himself, but for his people.  Daniel’s prayer is directed to the Lord as he first acknowledges Him, His covenant, grace, and mercy (Dan. 9:4).  Then Daniel said in his prayer, “we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wicked and rebelled (Dan. 9:5).”  “We” is Daniel talking about he and his people, who we should remember is Judah (Dan. 1:6).

Nearing the end of desolation

So, what led to Daniel praying on behalf of his people?  We are told that he had been reading and studying Jeremiah’s prophecy about the seventy years of desolation (Dan. 9:2).  This is a prophecy that can be read in Jeremiah 25:9-13.  

Specifically, in Jeremiah 25:11, we read, “this whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years.”  This speaks to those of the land of Judah being taken away in exile to Babylon to serve the king.  

Then, in Jeremiah 25:12, we read, “it will come to pass, when seventy years are completed, that I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity,’ says the Lord; ‘and I will make it a perpetual desolation.”  This speaks to the defeat of the Babylonians which came at the hands of Cyrus the Great and the Persians. 

Daniel 9:1 tells us that Daniel’s prayer essentially came after the fall of Babylon.  You could imagine that Daniel was curious to what would become of him and his people after the fall of Babylon.  So, in the first year of Darius the Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans by Cyrus, Daniel studied Jeremiah for answers.  (By the way, this is the same Darius who allowed wicked and evil men to cast Daniel into a den of lions.)

With Babylon’s fall and with the word of God through Jeremiah, Daniel could see the end of desolation in sight as the seventy years were nearing an end.  So, with the end of desolation at hand, Daniel chose to prepare.  What better way to prepare than to pray to the Lord?

Acknowledgment the sin of his people

Daniel’s prayer is one that is very humble.  We will notice right away that in his prayer, Daniel is acknowledging the wrongdoings of his people.  

Daniel acknowledged how they had not heeded the prophets of God (Dan. 9:6).  Ignoring God’s prophets was a major issue for both the northern and southern kingdom which led to the conquering of both kingdoms.  Ignoring God’s word today is still a major problem – what do you think that will lead to?

Daniel acknowledged the great shame of his people because of their unfaithfulness and the sins of their leaders as well (Dan. 9:7-8).  The northern kingdom had completely forsook the Lord and had evil king after evil king which led to it being utterly conquered by the Assyrians.  The southern kingdom had a mix of good and bad kings, but eventually it also turned from God.  

The real shame in all of this is that the Lord remained faithful as He continually reached out to Israel and Judah, but both kingdoms chose to ignore Him.  Again, choosing to forsake (abandon) God is still a major problem today – what do you think will happen to those that choose to forsake the Lord?

Seeking mercy and forgiveness from God

So, let me ask you this question:  why do you think Daniel is opening this prayer by acknowledging the sin of his people?  We know for a fact that Daniel was making intercession for his people, but for what reason?  What is Daniel trying to accomplish?

If you answered that Daniel was seeking God’s mercy and forgiveness on behalf of the people then you are correct.  I hope you remember the steps of forgiveness as shown by Jesus.  When Jesus taught the disciples about forgiveness, He showed them that there are three steps to be taken.  Do you remember them?

In Luke 17:3, Jesus told His disciples that if one sinned against them they should rebuke them first.  In other words, the one sinned against should acknowledge they have been wronged and offer a means of correction to those that wronged them.  The second step calls on the wrongdoer to acknowledge they have done wrong and to follow the offered steps to make corrections.  The third step calls on the one that’s been wrong to forgive the wrongdoer when they feel the wrong has been corrected.

With those steps in mind, we can see that Daniel is following the steps for one to be forgiven, on behalf of his people.  You see, before they were in exile, God, through the prophets, had already rebuked the people.  Isaiah 1:11-13 comes to my mind as God issued a very sharp rebuke to the people about their futile offerings.  God sought sincere offerings – praise – rather than that of foolish religion.

So, to be clear, Daniel is trying to make things right for his people seeing as the end of desolation was in sight.  The end of desolation being in sight meant a return back to the land of Judea.  Daniel had a desire that his people be on good ground with the Lord. As we will see, Daniel acknowledges that mercy and forgiveness belongs to the Lord (Dan. 9:9).  Again, Daniel is making preparation to ask for the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness.  

Notice the degree of Daniel acknowledging the sin – blatant sin – of his people.  Daniel said they didn’t obey God’s voice, nor walk in God’s way (Dan. 9:10).  Notice that Daniel said, “Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law (Dan. 9:11).”

I feel like a lot of times when we pray, we like to dress up our prayers.  What I mean by this is that we like to try to justify our actions when we talk to the Lord.  When you are seeking the Lord’s mercy and forgiveness, you have to be honest with yourself and the Lord.  Daniel wasn’t hiding anything from God in acknowledging their wrongdoing – he was being brutally honest!

Future Implication of Daniel’s Prayer?

I honestly don’t want to belabor the point of what Daniel was doing in his prayer any more.  The selected scripture of our lesson ends on a note with Daniel essentially acknowledging that God was right in His judgment of punishing Israel and Judah (Dan. 9:12-14).

However, what I do want to point out is the example that Daniel’s prayer sets for us today.  You may be wondering to yourself, how does Daniel’s prayer set an example for us today?

In a manner of speaking, whether you realize it or not, we are living in a kind of exile and desolation.  When I say “we”, I am speaking about mankind as a whole.  Mankind’s desolation is a spiritual desolation.  However, I want to make a point that spiritual desolation, nowadays, is a choice!  

The reason why it is a choice is because God gave the world His only begotten Son because of His love— His grace.  By Christ, all things have been reconciled (restored to harmony) to Himself.  By faith, we are saved and restored to harmony through our fellowship with Him.  Sincere believers don’t live in desolation but live in the justification of their sins through Christ.

However, the sinner lives in desolation because they chose to stray further and further away from God.  In their desolation, they are choosing to live in an exile of their choosing.  Now, they can come out of that exile any time by walking with Christ, but again, that choice is theirs to make!  

As Daniel did, we can consult the word of God and see that the end of such desolation is in sight.  Jesus, in His ministry, announced that the kingdom of God was at hand – meaning it is near (Mark 1:14-15).  We may not know the day nor the hour of His second coming but the fact that He has already come, died on the cross, rose from the grave and ascended has set things in order for His return.

Of His second coming, Jesus likened it to a thief randomly coming in the middle of the night (Matt. 24:42-44).  So, His second coming is certainly in sight and guess what we should be doing?  Jesus said that we should be watching and waiting – being prayerful, alert, and faithful.  Just like Daniel, we should be getting ourselves ready, in fact, all people should be getting themselves ready.