DISCOURSE: 1139
THE ANSWER TO DANIEL’S PRAYER
Daniel 9:17-23. O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine upon thy sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake. O my God, incline thine ear, and hear; open thine eyes, and behold our desolations, and the city which is called by thy name: for we do not present our supplications before thee for our righteous nesses, but for thy great mercies. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken, and do; defer not, for thine own sake, O my God: for thy city and thy people are called by thy name. And whiles I was speaking, and. praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before the Lord my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, whiles I was speaking in prayer, even the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee skill and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved; therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.
AN inquiry into prophecy is highly commendable; and more especially now that so many prophecies are on the very eve of their accomplishment. But it is not by study alone that we shall be able to attain the true interpretation of the prophetic writings. We must pray to God to reflect the true light upon them, and to enable us by his good Spirit rightly to apprehend them. This was the way which Daniel took, when he saw, by the writings of Jeremiah, that the seventy years of captivity were drawing to a close [Note: Jeremiah 29:10.]: he could not tell the precise time from which they should be numbered; and consequently could not ascertain the period for their termination: but he was anxious to know when the happy time was to commence. He set himself therefore to study the prophecies of Jeremiah, and to seek instructions from God in a way of humiliation, and fasting, and prayer [Note: ver. 2, 3.]. The success which he met with deserves particular attention, inasmuch as it affords an encouragement to all to follow his example. Let us consider,
I. The record here given—
In this are two things to be noticed;
1. The prayer of Daniel—
[To enter into this aright, the whole chapter should be attentively perused. The first thing that strikes us in this prayer is, his just view of the Deity; of his majesty, as a “great and dreadful” God; his unchanging faithfulness, in “keeping covenant and mercy to his loving and obedient people [Note: ver. 4.];” his justice, in all the judgments that he inflicts on the disobedient [Note: ver. 7.];” his mercy, in pardoning those who have rebelled against him [Note: ver. 9.]; and his truth, in executing every word that he has ever spoken [Note: ver. 11, 12.]. From this comprehensive view of the Divine perfections arose that just mixture of humility and confidence which is visible throughout the whole of his address.
The next thing to be observed in Daniel’s prayer is, his deep humiliation before God. On the subject of his own and his people’s sins, he so accumulates expressions as to shew that he thought he could never sufficiently abase himself before his God [Note: ver. 5, 6.]— — — In a Word, nothing but shame and “confusion of face” seemed to him to be suited to his condition as a sinner; though of all the saints in the Old Testament he seems to have been the most perfect; not one thing during the course of a long, and public, and laborious life being laid to his charge, either by God or man.
His earnest pleadings with God are vet further deserving of especial regard. He seems as if he would take no denial, yea, as if his spirit could brook no delay [Note: ver. 19.]. Every thing that might be supposed to influence the Deity is brought forward as a plea, to incline him to have mercy on his afflicted people: the consideration of God’s former mercies to them in Egypt [Note: ver. 15.]; a regard for his own honour, since they still bare the same relation to him as ever [Note: ver. 19.]; and a love to the promised Messiah, whose glory would ultimately be promoted by it [Note: ver. 17.]. All these pleas shew how earnest and importunate he was, even like Jacob when wrestling with the Angel, “I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.”]
2. The answer given him—
[How marvellous was the condescension of God, in sending the angel Gabriel to give unto his servant an answer of peace! But here it will be peculiarly profitable to compare the answer with the prayer:—“O Lord, hear! O Lord, defer not!”—‘ Go Gabriel; fly with all possible expedition: do not so much as look back to behold my glory: mind nothing but your errand: tell him, in answer to what he is saying, “To me belongeth shame and confusion of face,” “O Daniel, thou art greatly beloved.” In answer to his request, that “I would not defer,” tell him that at the very beginning of his supplications the commandment was given thee to go and answer them from me: and, whereas he has only prayed for information respecting the redemption of my people from Babylon, which Jeremiah predicted to be wrought in the space of seventy years from the time of his prophecy; tell him of that infinitely greater redemption which that typifies, and which is now to be accomplished in seventy weeks of years; explain to him every thing relating to the vicarious sufferings of the Messiah, and the righteousness which He will bring in thereby for the deliverance and salvation of a ruined world [Note: ver. 24–27.]. And let this answer be to all the future generations of mankind a memorial of my grace, and a pledge of my condescension to all my praying people.’]
Instead of dilating much on the circumstances of this instructive history, we have merely glanced at them, that we may more largely dwell upon,
II.
The instruction to be gathered from it—
Behold then here,
1. The nature of prayer—
[Prayer is an application of the soul to God for some desired blessing. But it will be proper distinctly to notice its constituent parts.
There must be, in the first place, a just apprehension of the Divine perfections. If we view not God as a Being of infinite majesty, and holiness and power, we shall not approach him with that reverential fear that becomes us: and if his goodness, and mercy, and truth, and faithfulness be not borne in mind, we shall be destitute of all those encouragements that are necessary for the support of our souls. The greatest of men must never for a moment forget the former, nor the vilest of men the latter. Abraham, Moses, Job, Isaiah, were all abased, as it were, in dust and ashes, by their discoveries of God; whilst, on the other hand, the very murderers of the Lord of Glory had in one moment their terrors dissipated, and their souls revived, by a single glimpse of God, as reconciled to them in Christ Jesus. A partial view of God will lead either to despondency or presumption; but a just view of him will call into exercise all the best feelings of the heart, combining activity with confidence, and fear with love [Note: Here a distinct view may be taken of all the perfections before mentioned.] — — —
Next, there must be a contrite sense of our own extreme tin unworthiness. No prayer can come up with acceptance before God, which docs not proceed from a broken and contrite spirit, Angels who have never fallen may offer praises without any other kind of humiliation than that which proceeds from a sense of their utter meanness and insignificance; but a sinner, though redeemed, must never forget that he is a sinner, or neglect to blend contrition even with his most exalted services. In heaven itself the redeemed cast their crowns before the Saviour’s feet, in acknowledgment that they receive them altogether from him, and that they desire to wear them only for the advancement of his glory [Note: Here the nature of real humiliation maybe more fully traced, in reference to that of Daniel.] — — —
Connected with our contrition there must be an earnest pleading with God. This is the very soul of prayer. True it is, that God does not need to be prevailed upon by our importunity, as though he were of his own nature backward to assist us; for to exercise mercy is his delight: but he requires importunity in us, as the means of exciting in our hearts, and of evidencing in our prayers, a deep sense of our need of mercy [Note: This also may be briefly illustrated.] — — —
But that which gives to prayer its chief efficacy is, a humble affiance in the Lord Jesus Christ. Our blessed Lord tells us, that “whatever we ask in his name we shall receive.” It is his mediation alone that procures acceptance for our prayers: and then only do they come up with a sweet odour before God, when they are presented in his censer, and are perfumed with the incense of his prevailing intercession [Note: Here it may be shewn what attention is paid to this throughout our whole Liturgy.]
2. Its efficacy when duly offered—
[God will not cast out the prayer of faith: hut his answers to it shall be sure, speedy, and effectual. “Never said he to any, Seek ye my face, in vain:” and the accumulation of promises which he has given us on this subject, leaves us no room to doubt, but that he will grant us, in answer to our prayers, such blessings as he knows to be best for us [Note: Matthew 7:7-8.]. If he give us not the thing we asked for, he will give us that which on the whole is far better, and which, if we had known what was best for us as he does, we should have asked. The time previous to his answer may appear to our impatient minds long: but his answers shall not be protracted beyond the fittest season. The parable of the unjust judge shews us how the importunate widow prevailed at last: and the instruction which God founds upon it is this: “Shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily,” i. e. as speedily as will conduce to their greatest benefit. Moreover, his answers shall be commensurate with all our necessities. However “wide we open our mouth, he will fill it.” David says, “I cried to the Lord; and the Lord heard me at large:” thus will he hear us at large, “supplying all our wants according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus,” and “giving us exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think.”]
Address—
[Let every one in his place and station be as Daniel, a man of prayer. Others besides Daniel have had immediate answers to prayer [Note: Acts 10:30-31.]: and God promises that we also shall be answered as speedily as ever Daniel was, if it will really be for our good [Note: Isaiah 65:24.]. If any one be discouraged for want of an answer to his prayers, let him remember that God may have answered them already, though unperceived, and in a way not contemplated by the suppliant himself. An angel is mentioned by the prophet Zechariah as answered, not in the way that lie had desired, but “with good and comfortable words [Note: Zechariah 1:12-13.].” And Paul, when praying for the removal of the thorn in his flesh, had it not removed, but sanctified, and grace given to him to improve it aright [Note: 2 Corinthians 12:9.]. Know then, whether you see it or not, that God both does, and will, answer your petitions. Only let them be humble, and believing, and they shall never go forth in vain.]