Daniel 9

Heavenly Father, we come before you to ask your forgiveness. We seek your direction and your guidance. We know your word says, “Woe to those who call evil good.” But that’s what we’ve done.

We’ve lost our spiritual equilibrium. We have inverted our values. We have ridiculed the absolute truth of your word in the name of moral pluralism. We have worshiped other gods and called it multiculturalism. We have endorsed perversion and called it an alternative lifestyle. We’ve exploited the poor and called it a lottery. We’ve neglected the needy and called it self-preservation. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. In the name of choice, we have killed our unborn. In the name of right to life, we have killed abortionists.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self-esteem. We have abused power and called it political savvy. We have coveted our neighbor’s possessions and called it taxes. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, oh, God, and know our hearts today. Try us. Show us any wickedness within us. Cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Guide and bless these men and women who have been sent here by the people of the State of Kansas, and that they have been ordained by you to govern this great state.

Grant them your wisdom to rule. May their decisions direct us to the center of your will. And, as we continue our prayer and as we come in out of the fog, give us clear minds to accomplish our goals as we begin this Legislature. For we pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Whoops. More than the legislature bargained for, to be sure. But compare Pastor Wright’s prayer with Daniel’s prayer in chapter nine as they both deal with sins of the people, they both name specific sins they’re guilty of, and both use “we” and include themselves in the problem.

So we’ve evolved, right? Perhaps not so much — the prayers display similar characteristics as our society continues to deviate from God’s law, and the government moves more and more to censor God — Daniel 9 sounds like anything we could pray about our country (there’s a lesson in there somewhere).

Society continues to degrade. Robert Bork wrote a book entitled “Slouching toward Gomorrah” — we’re heading toward value relativism and moral relativism, as atheism becomes the official state religion (in opposition to the freedom of religion the country was founded on, but that’s another topic. It’s freedom to, not freedom from). Everybody does what is right in their own eyes, and tolerance doesn’t mean allowing everyone freedom to worship what and how they want, tolerance means no absolutes exist, and anyone claiming so displays intolerance and should be silenced (Doublespeak at its best; Orwell would be proud).

Of course, the ultimate irony comes from the only remaining absolute — there are no absolutes, which makes as much sense as the Cretan saying “all Cretians are liars” (Titus 1:12). No absolute moral authority exists; each person acts according to whatever works for their perception of morality. But value and moral relativism results in bizarre applications (again displaying how bankrupt the concept is), as a recent Texas court ruling makes obvious.

Texas law allows the killing of a fetus to be prosecuted as murder, regardless of the stage of development, but the laws do not apply to abortions, the states’ highest criminal court has ruled … The Texas court said abortion precedent was based on the premise that a woman wants the procedure. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/23/us/23texas.html

First situational ethics, now situational murder. The murder bases itself on the idea the woman wants to kill her baby. If she wants to kill her baby, it’s not murder (does that make sense?). If she doesn’t want to kill her baby, it’s murder. So if an automobile accident occurs on the way to the abortion clinic, it’s murder. But 10 minutes later when the “doctor” dismembers the baby and poisons it with saltwater, that isn’t murder because the woman wants to kill her baby. Huh? Value relativism at it’s best (or worst).

Society de-evolves back to Judges as “everyone does what was right in their own eyes”. Sound familiar? We don’t want to restrict anybody from anything anymore. It’s not a baby, it’s a choice. Value relativism, situational ethics, and 1984-esqe redefinitions of words (George Orwell would be proud, if just a few years late on his predictions) — without God, anything is possible, as Bill Ritchie says.

Many believe the hopelessness of the situation, yet Nineveh was 40 days from destruction — it’s possible to turn it around as God does perform miracles (I believe Billy Graham said if God doesn’t judge America for her sins, he’ll have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah). As value relativism continues to seep across the country like a toxic waste spill, the country loses its moral compass, and the sense of right and wrong. If it feels good, do it.

Christians focus on the wrong issue — the problem lies not with congress or the president, it’s us — the politicians work for us. We hired them, we can fire them; the solution will not come from protesting and waving signs.

If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

We will be held accountable as stewards; we hired the guys leading the county. If they be Godly men and men of integrity, it’s because the people demand it. If they be men without morals and choose to promote sin, it’s because the people allow it. The politicians aren’t the problem, they’re a symptom of the real problem — the attempt to exterminate God from all corners of society.

After the elimination of God, no absolutes remain and it’s a moral free for all (and free-fall); it’s back to the times of the Judges once again (read the book for yourself, and see what happens when a society becomes a moral free-for-all without the absolute standard of God’s Word).

A lot of Christians don’t want to be involved in political matters, yet it’s required of stewards to be faithful (1 Corinthians 4:2). Are you afraid to get involved in your child’s life (we hope not)? Then why be afraid of politics? Compare Daniel’s prayer to today as Daniel involved himself in politics, but not by carrying a sign or protesting (the solution isn’t to be found in PAC’s). What did he do? He took a stand, and supported biblical principles in government. Everything passed through the filter of God’s Word. If it passes the test, it’s acceptable, if not, it isn’t.

We’re not talking about waving signs and protesting or shouting vote for this guy or passing out voter education guides, but a simple idea: Find out what the candidates believe and support those holding biblical principles. We can all agree on that. It’s not supporting one political party over another, but supporting people who hold true to Biblical principles.

We will be held accountable for the stewardship of this country. If the government be Godly, it’s because the people demand it. If it slouches toward Gomorrah, it’s because the people tolerate it. You’re a steward of your vote; do homework and exercise your stewardship wisely. Be like the sons of Issachar, who understood the times and knew what Israel should do (1 Chronicles 12:32). It takes work and dedication, but your stewardship demands no less.

So now, from today’s situation back to Daniel (although it sounds the same).

In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, which was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans; In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem. (Daniel 9:1–2)

Why are they in captivity in the first place? They ignored God’s law; nations ignore God’s law at their own peril. God may allow transgression for a period of time, but that does not mean He approves of it. At some point, judgment comes. For Israel, they ignored the Sabbath for the land and eventually God judged them for it.

Moreover all the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the nations; and polluted the house of the LORD which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the LORD God of their fathers sent to them by his messengers, rising up early, and sending, because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place; But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till there was no remedy. … To fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her Sabbaths; for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfill threescore and ten years. (2 Chronicles 36:14–16, 21)

Just as the Sabbath week existed for man, a Sabbath year for the land existed as well. The land worked six years, and allowed to rest on the seventh. But Israel ignored it so long the Lord says the land must rest for its Sabbaths, and thus the captivity of which Daniel is a part begins.

They had warning — God sent messengers which they ignored. Sound familiar? Today people mock and despise men of God as nobody wants to hear the warnings. But judgment will come. Nevertheless, as the longsuffering and patience of God allows time for repentance, at some point enough is enough and judgment comes.

Daniel understands the fulfillment of Jeremiah in 25:11–12 & 29:10 draws near; about 67 years of the 70 years passed as Daniel begins his prayer. Daniel took Jeremiah’s prophecy literally with no attempt to allegorize it. That’s an important concept when you get to Revelation — take it as it says. When it says one-third of the grass burns up it means just that. Revelation isn’t hard because we don’t understand it, but because we do and don’t like what it says. …