Daniel 9:4
The scripture for today is Daniel 9:4
Daniel 9:4 And I prayed unto the LORD my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and awesome God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.
God promised Israel that even if they were in exile for sin, if they would repent and confess their sin, God would remember His covenant with them and would restore them. When God makes a promise, He does not relent. He does, however, require sincere prayer from a humble heart to secure the forgiveness necessary to receive the promises.
Daniel became an intercessor for his people. He confessed the sins of the nation before God. “Yea, all Israel have transgressed your law, even by departing, that they might not obey your voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against Him.” Daniel 9:11 Daniel cried out to God for mercy and forgiveness on behalf of his people. “O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do; defer not, for your own sake, O my God: for your city and your people are called by your name.” Daniel 9:19
God heard the intercession of Daniel and sent the angel Gabriel to give him a most remarkable prophecy which would not only impact the Jewish people, but the entire world. It was a prophecy that outlined the coming of the Messiah and His sacrificial ministry to save the world.
God has shown in His word time and again that He keeps “His covenant and mercy to them that love Him, and to them that keep His commandments.” Daniel knew this, and it was on the basis of the covenant that he humbled himself and prayed to God.
God has a New Covenant with His people today; a covenant that is better than the covenant He had in Daniel’s day. The New Covenant is not ratified with the blood of animals, but with the blood of Jesus Christ. That covenant is written in the hearts and minds of true believers, “the Israel of God.” “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.” Hebrews 8:10 Every true believer has the commandments of God written in the heart, and keeping His commandments is the sure test of love for God; "If you love me, keep my commandments." John 14:15
We are in need of intercessors today. May we see the condition of the people just as Daniel did and may we, like Daniel, go to God in fasting and prayer to secure forgiveness and mercy for His people today. May we, as a people, have the mercy of God shown to us and receive the outpouring of the Holy Spirit through revival and reformation in these last days. "If He be a God to be feared for His justice, He is one to be trusted for His mercy.” Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary
God bless you as you continue in His service.
Tim