Daniel, chapter 9

I must apologize again today. I am feeling especially down, worthless, and empty today. I almost didn’t want to get out of bed, but sheer inertia has me moving forward to a potential job interview. Things have not been going well for me emotionally of late, and I feel a number of other areas have suffered as a result. This blog is one of those, as I have struggled to find something to say of note about each chapter. I will try once again today, but I cannot promise I will deliver.

Most of Daniel 9 is a prayer by Daniel for the nation of Israel as a whole. Israel had turned away from God, and as a result, was in exile in Babylon at this point. That Exile would last for 70 years. In this prayer, Daniel pleads for the sake of his nation. It is a beautiful prayer in that he humbly comes before God seeking an answer to the misery that Israel was facing. He also gave this prayer not for himself, but for his nation as a whole.

I am a huge fan of heartfelt prayer such as this. It feels like a very long time since I have been able to have such a conversation with God because I feel so separated from Him. I have even begun to question His very existence despite the evidence presented both in the Bible and in my personal life. This vision shows that God was in complete control of the past, present, and future even in Daniel’s time. Despite my doubts, it is unlikely anything has happened to change that in the last 2,500 years or so.