Keep God’s Word Close to You

On a recent Sunday morning, our congregation studied Daniel’s prayer of confession on behalf of the ancient Judeans after Darius the Mede had conquered the Babylonians. It’s a beautiful prayer that really helps us understand the main components that any prayer of confession should contain. There is an acknowledgment of sin, an acceptance of responsibility, a plea for mercy, and a statement of dependence upon God for his mercy. 

I didn’t have the opportunity to cover everything about Daniel 9:1-19 that I wanted to in the sermon since my emphasis was primarily on Daniel’s prayer of confession. So, I’ll comment on the first two verses of Daniel 9 now. They’re intriguing. 

“In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans — in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years” (Daniel 9:1-2). 

Besides giving us a historical setting, these verses give us insight into Daniel’s spiritual life and commitment to God’s Word. There had been a transition of leadership in Babylon. The Medes now reigned in the place of the Babylonians. Because of his sensitivity to God’s will and plan for all things, Daniel knew the significance of this transition. 

You may remember that in chapter 2 he interpreted Nebuchadnezar’s dream of a statue with a golden head, abdomen of silver, thighs of bronze, and feet of clay and iron. This dream, according to the LORD, depicted the succession of kingdoms which would rule the region over the next 1000+ years. The Babylonian kingdom would give way to the Medo-Persian Empire. The Medes would surrender to the Greeks, and the Greeks would succumb to the Romans. 

Chapter 9 is set in the first year of the transition from the Babylonian Empire to that of the Medo-Persians. Daniel knew something big was happening. So, he studied Jeremiah’s prophecy because he knew that God had revealed his plans for Judah’s captivity through Jeremiah. When doing so, he revisited that God-ordained timeline with which he was already familiar. Then, he did the math. The seventy years were nearing completion. 

The point I want to make is that Daniel never gave up on the Word of God. He kept it close to his heart. He knew what God had revealed regarding His purpose and plan for His people. He knew God, for God’s Word was never far from him. I wonder if it was Jeremiah’s prophecy that he was reading in view of the window that led to his being thrown into the lion’s den. 

God’s Word is a gift to us. It is His self-revelation to us. It tells us exactly who He is, what He is like, and what He desires from us. It tells us His plans for His glory and our good. We should be like Daniel and keep it close to us. We should keep it in our hearts. We should keep it in our minds. Like Daniel, we will find comfort and wisdom for living every day from it.

Devote yourself to learning God’s Word and studying the Scriptures. You’ll not regret it!