Daniel 9:3-7

DISCOURSE: 1137
DANIEL’S CONFESSION

Daniel 9:3. And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes: and I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; we have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us, confusion of faces, as at this day.

FROM the earliest period, even from the time that God first had a visible Church in the world, there have been particular seasons set apart for humiliation, and fasting, and prayer. In the Christian Church, the appointment of forty days at this part of the year (Lent) for that purpose is of great antiquity [Note: The number of days for fasting was not always precisely the same as now: but the appointment itself may be traced almost to the times of the Apostles.]. The two days with which this season commenced were observed with peculiar solemnity: the one (Shrove Tuesday) was spent in recollecting and confessing [Note: The word “shrove” is from the old English word “shrive,” which signifies, to confess.] their sins; the other (Ash Wednesday) in fasting and supplication. That these institutions were carried to a very foolish excess, and that they degenerated into many absurd superstitions, under the reign of Popery, is readily acknowledged: but they were good in their origin; and our Church has wisely retained such a portion of them as might tend to the real edification of her members: and if we were more observant of them than we are, we should find substantial benefit to our souls. But, alas! we have run into an opposite extreme, insomuch that not only the observances are laid aside, but the very intention of them is almost forgotten: and instead of complying with the design which is intimated in the names given to the days, we render them perfectly ridiculous, by substituting a trifling change in our food for the most solemn acts of devotion before God.

Hoping however that on this day we are disposed to humble ourselves before God, we shall,

I. Illustrate this confession of Daniel—

The manner in which he made his supplications is deserving of particular attention—

[He “set his face unto the Lord God:” he did not rush into the Divine presence without any previous meditation, but endeavoured to have his mind impressed with reverence and godly fear, that he might “not offer to his God the sacrifice of fools.”
He “sought God by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.” By mortifying the body, he endeavoured to aid the labours of his soul. Both the one and the other had been defiled by sin; and therefore he strove to make them partners in humiliation before God. Nor can we doubt but that the fervour of his prayers was greatly assisted by the bodily privations which God himself has so often prescribed for this very end.]
Nor must we overlook the remarkable representation which he gave of the Divine character on this occasion—

[He mentions in very expressive terms both the majesty and the goodness of God; the one for the abasing, the other for the encouraging, of his soul.

What words can more strongly paint the majesty of God? In various other passages, God is called “the great and terrible” God [Note: Nehemiah 1:5; Nehemiah 9:32 and Deuteronomy 7:21.]: and well may he be addressed in such terms; for “who knoweth the power of his anger?” Let us only call to mind the judgments he has executed on sinners; on the rebel angels; on the antediluvian world; on Sodom and Gomorrha; on the Egyptian first-born; on Pharaoh and his hosts; yea, on the Jews in Babylon, which was the point referred to in the text; and we shall confess that “God is very greatly to be feared.”

Yet he was not unmindful of the Divine goodness. Notwithstanding God is angry with the wicked, he has “made a covenant” with his Son, wherein he engages to “shew mercy unto all who love him and keep his commandments.” Now this covenant he has never violated; this mercy he has never refused to one who by faith laid hold on that covenant, and shewed forth his faith by his works. And Daniel mentions this, in his address to God, as the ground on which he presumed to approach him, and ventured to hope for acceptance with him.]

His confession before him is also worthy of notice, as being expressive of the deepest humility and contrition—

[So deeply did he bewail his own sins and the iniquities of his people, that he strove by the most diversified expressions to make known his hatred of them: “We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts, and from thy judgments; neither have we hearkened to thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name.”
Here he distinctly acknowledges to God their transgression of his commandments, and their contempt of his reproofs. These were indeed a just ground for his humiliation; since to no other nation had such a revelation of God’s will been given, or such messages of mercy sent. Happy was it for him, and happy for the nation, that the reason of their chastisements was thus discovered; and that, by knowing wherein they had erred, they had learned wherein they were to amend their conduct!]

There is yet one thing more on which we must make our remarks, namely, his justification of God in all his dealings with them—

[Nothing but equity is ascribed to God; nothing but shame is taken to themselves: “O Lord! righteousness belongeth unto thee; but unto us confusion of face.” He does not utter one word in extenuation of their guilt, or one complaint against the Divine judgments: he declares rather, that, to whatever extremities God might proceed, he could not but be righteous; and that, whatever mercies they might experience at his hands, nothing but the deepest self-abasement could ever become them. Thus he gives the most decisive evidence of true repentance, and exhibits an admirable pattern for penitents in all ages.]
Having briefly illustrated this confession of Daniel, we shall,

II.

Found upon it some suitable and appropriate observations—

1. We have the same sins to confess—

[Without entering into any distinctions founded on the different terms which are hero accumulated, let us only take the general division before mentioned, and call to mind our transgression of God’s commandments, and our contempt of his reproofs.

Which of the commandments have we not broken? We may perhaps imagine, that, though we may have violated some, we are guiltless respecting others. But, alas! if we take our Saviour’s exposition of them, and remember, that an angry word is murder, and an impure look adultery, we shall find reason to bemoan our transgression of them all — — —
Nor is it any small aggravation of our guilt that we have despised those warnings and invitations which he has sent us in the Gospel. The ministers of Christ have testified against our ways from Sabbath to Sabbath, and from year to year: yet how few have hearkened to their voice!” how few have turned from their evil ways! how few have heartily embraced his salvation, or devoted themselves unfeignedly to his service! Let us in particular enter into our own bosoms, and consider what improvement WE have made of the truths delivered to us — — — If we do this in sincerity, we shall be at no loss for matter of humiliation before God.]

2. We have the same God to go unto—

[We do not like to think of God’s majesty; but he is, as much as ever, “a great and terrible God:” the Apostle justly observes, “Our God is a consuming fire.” Let us not dream of a God all mercy: the Deity is just as well as merciful; and it will be found “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” — — —

On the other hand, the goodness of God is unalterable. He is still merciful to all who lay hold on his covenant; and will assuredly fulfil to them all the promises of that covenant. Heaven and earth may fail; but not a jot or tittle of his word shall ever fail — — —

Let us entertain just conceptions of the Divine character; and we shall have a frame of mind suited to our condition; we shall be under the joint influence of hope and fear; of hope without presumption, and of fear without despondency.]

3. We ought to approach him in the same manner—

[We should carefully prepare our minds for communion with God. The neglect of this is the reason that we so seldom obtain real fellowship with him. We should not lay aside, as it is to be feared we do, the duty of fasting: we should set apart seasons for more than ordinary humiliation; and more especially improve those seasons which are set apart by public authority.
We should search out our iniquities with diligence: and, instead of leaning to the side of self-vindication, should learn to justify God and to condemn ourselves. Nor shall we ever have our hearts right with him, till we can say, ‘God will be righteous, though he should cast me into hell; and nothing but confusion of face will become me, even though I were as holy as Daniel himself.’
Let us then begin the employment this day, under a full assurance, that “he who thus humbleth himself under the mighty hand of God, shall in due time be lifted up.”]

4. If we approach him in the same manner, we shall assuredly obtain the same success—

[That which Daniel desired on this occasion was, to obtain an insight into the prophecy of Jeremiah relative to the return of the Jews from Babylon, and the mystery which was prefigured by it, the redemption of the world by the promised Messiah. And behold, here was the angel Gabriel sent to give him the desired information, and to inform him, that “at the very beginning of his supplication, God, in answer to his prayer, had sent him” this gracious message [Note: ver. 20–23.].

Now, if this nation at large engaged in the services of this day with any good measure of that spirit with which we profess to have approached our God, there can be no doubt but that a blessing would be poured out upon the whole land; and that the mercies we more immediately need would be vouchsafed unto us, or the judgments which we deprecated would be averted [Note: This, of course, must be accommodated to existing circumstances.] — — —

But if only in our individual capacity we improved this season aright, I can have no hesitation in saying, that we should have the Scriptures more fully unfolded to us by the Spirit of God; yea, and special manifestations of God’s love to us by that same Spirit witnessing to our souls, “Thou art greatly beloved.” Did Daniel gain by prayer such discoveries of Christ [Note: ver. 24–26.], and shall not we? Yes assuredly; and, if we will dedicate this very day truly and diligently to its peculiar and appropriate use, we shall before the close of it add our testimony to that before us, that “God has not said to any, Seek ye my face in vain.”]