The prophet Daniel was highly respected on earth and in heaven. Several kings were impressed with Daniel enough to give him prominent political positions. His enemies were so impressed and frustrated with his righteous integrity they decided the only way to get him in trouble was to make his religious practices a crime. The angel Gabriel, with his "heavenly perspective" twice refers to Daniel as "highly esteemed". 9:23; 10:19 In Ezekiel, Daniel is named by God twice, along with Noah and Job, as an extremely righteous man. 14:14; 14:20
Daniel may have sensed that he lived at a level of commitment, of godliness, of righteousness that few men attained. Yet when he prayed (see Daniel 9:1 - 19), he absolutely identified with his people and with their sin and rebellion. There was no indication that he was simply confessing their sin and rebellion. There is no indication of "them vs. me". His passionate prayer of confession and strong cry for help is consistently filled with "we".
"We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away ---. We have not listened to your servants the prophets ---. --- we have sinned, we have done wrong."
Daniel so identified with his people that their failings became his failings, their rebellion his rebellion. Energized by this kind of empathy he was motivated to pray with great intensity and call on God to "listen, forgive, hear and act."
With this intense identification he was a forerunner of the One who was to come. Our great Saviour fully identified with us from his birth to his baptism to his death. "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that he might make atonement for he sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17
I am so grateful for our amazing, humble High Priest. And I am challenged by Daniel's example of humble identification and empathy; his deep compassion. How do you, how do I, pray for them - those rebels and sinners in our culture? How do we pray for the sad failings of the church? Is it them and us? Or do we plead for "our" forgiveness; that God would be merciful to "us" - "we" Canadians, "we" who are the church?
Daniel may have sensed that he lived at a level of commitment, of godliness, of righteousness that few men attained. Yet when he prayed (see Daniel 9:1 - 19), he absolutely identified with his people and with their sin and rebellion. There was no indication that he was simply confessing their sin and rebellion. There is no indication of "them vs. me". His passionate prayer of confession and strong cry for help is consistently filled with "we".
"We have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away ---. We have not listened to your servants the prophets ---. --- we have sinned, we have done wrong."
Daniel so identified with his people that their failings became his failings, their rebellion his rebellion. Energized by this kind of empathy he was motivated to pray with great intensity and call on God to "listen, forgive, hear and act."
With this intense identification he was a forerunner of the One who was to come. Our great Saviour fully identified with us from his birth to his baptism to his death. "For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God and that he might make atonement for he sins of the people." Hebrews 2:17
I am so grateful for our amazing, humble High Priest. And I am challenged by Daniel's example of humble identification and empathy; his deep compassion. How do you, how do I, pray for them - those rebels and sinners in our culture? How do we pray for the sad failings of the church? Is it them and us? Or do we plead for "our" forgiveness; that God would be merciful to "us" - "we" Canadians, "we" who are the church?
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