For Your Own Sake, O Lord

1 In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, by descent a Mede, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans— 2 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.

3 Then I turned my face to the Lord God, seeking him by prayer and pleas for mercy with fasting and sackcloth and ashes. 4 I prayed to the Lord my God and made confession, saying, “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, 5 we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. 6 We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. 7 To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, those who are near and those who are far away, in all the lands to which you have driven them, because of the treachery that they have committed against you. 8 To us, O Lord, belongs open shame, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you. 9 To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him 10 and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. 11 All Israel has transgressed your law and turned aside, refusing to obey your voice. And the curse and oath that are written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out upon us, because we have sinned against him. 12 He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us and against our rulers who ruled us, by bringing upon us a great calamity. For under the whole heaven there has not been done anything like what has been done against Jerusalem. 13 As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this calamity has come upon us; yet we have not entreated the favor of the Lord our God, turning from our iniquities and gaining insight by your truth. 14 Therefore the Lord has kept ready the calamity and has brought it upon us, for the Lord our God is righteous in all the works that he has done, and we have not obeyed his voice. 15 And now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have made a name for yourself, as at this day, we have sinned, we have done wickedly.

16 “O Lord, according to all your righteous acts, let your anger and your wrath turn away from your city Jerusalem, your holy hill, because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a byword among all who are around us. 17 Now therefore, O our God, listen to the prayer of your servant and to his pleas for mercy, and for your own sake, O Lord, make your face to shine upon your sanctuary, which is desolate. 18 O my God, incline your ear and hear. Open your eyes and see our desolations, and the city that is called by your name. For we do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 19 O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive. O Lord, pay attention and act. Delay not, for your own sake, O my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.” – Daniel 9:1-19 ESV

This chapter opens with a second mention of Darius the Mede ruling over the kingdom of the Chaldeans. His name first appeared in chapter six in reference to an earlier event in Daniel’s life. He is the one who made a decree that for 30 days all the citizens of his kingdom must pray to him alone. His fateful decision had been at the prompting of his counselors who were jealous of Daniel and hoping to get rid of him. They were the ones who suggested that the penalty for disobeying the king’s order would be death by being fed to the lion.

There has been much debate as to the identity of Darius because no extra-biblical records contain any mention of a Babylonian or Medo-Persian king by that name. As was stated in our discussion of the events in chapter six, the simplest solution to this problem may lie in the meaning of the name “Darius.” It is of Aramaic origin and translates as “lord.” It was likely a title rather than a proper name. It seems that the author purposefully chose to leave out the name of the king involved in the story. He also provides scant details to help determine the date of the events recorded in this chapter. It is as if Darius was intended to represent all the “lords” who ruled over the kingdom of Babylon and its successor, the Medo-Persian empire.

But regardless of who Darius was, the events recorded in this chapter most likely happened toward the end of Daniel’s life when he was in his early 80s. Even in his latter years, Daniel remains faithful to Yahweh. Somehow he had received a copy of the letters that Jeremiah the prophet had written to the exiles living in Babylon. Jeremiah remained in Jerusalem but was commissioned by God to deliver a message to all those who had been taken captive by the Babylonians at the fall of Jerusalem. The letter was intended for “the elders, priests, prophets, and all the people who had been exiled to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar” (Jeremiah 29:1 NLT), and here is what it said:

This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says to all the captives he has exiled to Babylon from Jerusalem: “Build homes, and plan to stay. Plant gardens, and eat the food they produce. Marry and have children. Then find spouses for them so that you may have many grandchildren. Multiply! Do not dwindle away! And work for the peace and prosperity of the city where I sent you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, for its welfare will determine your welfare.” – Jeremiah 29:4-7 NLT

Daniel had managed to get his hands on some of the correspondence between Jeremiah and the Hebrew people living in Babylon. It also seems apparent that he had access to some of Jeremiah’s other writings. This faithful and aging servant of Yahweh remained uncompromised in his convictions despite his long tenure in the Babylonian administration. One of the reasons for his undiminished faith was that he stayed in touch with his God. He was obviously a man of prayer. But he was also a man of the Word. This chapter reveals that Daniel was reading from the writings of Jeremiah the prophet.

Under God’s direction, Jeremiah had faithfully sent letters reminding the Israelites to make the most of their time in Babylon but to never forget that there would be an end to their exile. God had told Jeremiah that their period of suffering would last 70 years and then they would be restored to the land.

When Daniel pens the words of this chapter, the people of Israel have been in captivity for about 67 years. He has spent most of his adult life in Babylon and upon reading the words of Jeremiah, he discovers that the fulfillment of God’s promise is drawing near. But rather than sit back, Daniel prays. What prompted this reaction was what he found written in Jeremiah's prophesy:

This is what the Lord says: “You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you,” says the Lord. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land." – Jeremiah 29:10-14 NLT

It seems likely that he also read Jeremiah's reaction when God commanded him to buy a field just before the Babylonians invaded Judah.

"O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field – paying good money for it before these witnesses – even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians." – Jeremiah 32:25 NLT

God’s command made no sense to Jeremiah. It was a bad time to be investing in land but Jeremiah did as the Lord commanded because he understood God's unfailing love and believed that God would fulfill His promise to restore Israel to the land one day. Jeremiah's investment was based on the integrity of God.

Daniel read the words of Jeremiah and his response was one of prayer and fasting. His prayer was full of repentance on behalf of the people, and he included himself in their guilt. He appealed to God's mercy. He praised God for His unfailing love and unwavering commitment to keep His promises. He acknowledged that their restoration would have nothing to do with their own merit; it would be for God's sake and the honor of His name. Despite their years of rebellion and sin, God would forgive and restore them.

This entire chapter is reminiscent of the words God spoke at the dedication of the Temple that Solomon built for God’s glory. Yahweh told them that if they failed to be faithful, He would bring punishment. But if they repented, He would restore them.

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land." – 2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT

Now, centuries later, Daniel is reminded of God’s promise of restoration and challenged by the need for humility, repentance, and prayer. So, he takes it upon himself to step up and do what God commanded. Even after all the decades of living in Babylon, Daniel longed to go home to Judah. Yet, he knew that God expected a change of heart among His people. Repentance must precede restoration.

Daniel was not bitter with God. He did not shake his fist in the face of God and demand an explanation or compensation for damages done. Instead, he openly confessed the sins of his people and justified God’s actions.

“You have kept your word and done to us and our rulers exactly as you warned. Never has there been such a disaster as happened in Jerusalem. Every curse written against us in the Law of Moses has come true. Yet we have refused to seek mercy from the Lord our God by turning from our sins and recognizing his truth.” – Daniel 9:12-13 NLT

Despite their exile, the people of Israel remained defiant and unrepentant. But not Daniel. He was ready to see God work and so he was ready to confess and call out for God’s mercy. He reminds God of His previous rescue of the people from their captivity in Egypt. He believes that God can do it again but knows that God is looking for repentant hearts among His people. This leads Daniel to cry out, “O my God, lean down and listen to me. Open your eyes and see our despair. See how your city—the city that bears your name—lies in ruins. We make this plea, not because we deserve help, but because of your mercy” (Daniel 9:18 NLT).

He knew they didn’t deserve God’s favor so he called on God to preserve the integrity of His own name. Daniel realized he was asking a lot but believed Yahweh to be a covenant-keeping God who always kept His word.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

New English Translation (NET)NET Bible® copyright ©1996-2017 by Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. http://netbible.com All rights reserved.

Jehovah-Tsidkenu

1 “What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for,” says the Lord.

2 Therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to these shepherds: “Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them. 3 But I will gather together the remnant of my flock from the countries where I have driven them. I will bring them back to their own sheepfold, and they will be fruitful and increase in number. 4 Then I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again. Not a single one will be lost or missing. I, the Lord, have spoken!

5 “For the time is coming,”
    says the Lord,
“when I will raise up a righteous descendant
    from King David’s line.
He will be a King who rules with wisdom.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
6 And this will be his name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’
In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Israel will live in safety. – Jeremiah 23:1-6 NLT

YHWH-Tsidkenu – The LORD Our Righteousness.” The context for this passage is when the prophets of God warned the nation of Judah to repent and return to the Lord. They had long ago abandoned their reverence for and allegiance to Yahweh, choosing instead to worship the false gods of the surrounding nations. Their apostasy and spiritual adultery were insatiable and despite the warnings of men like Jeremiah, they refused to repent. Even then Jeremiah received his commission to serve as God’s mouthpiece, he was told that his efforts would prove unsuccessful because the people would not change their way. The coming judgment was inevitable and inescapable.

“Listen! I am calling the armies of the kingdoms of the north to come to Jerusalem. I, the Lord, have spoken!

“They will set their thrones
    at the gates of the city.
They will attack its walls
    and all the other towns of Judah.
I will pronounce judgment
    on my people for all their evil—
for deserting me and burning incense to other gods.
    Yes, they worship idols made with their own hands!” – Jeremiah 1:15-16 NLT

  God was going to punish the southern kingdom of Judah for its unrighteousness. He had set them as His treasured possession but they had failed to live up to His holy standards. Not only were they unable to keep their covenant commitments to Him, but they had also broken His commandments and failed to worship Him alone.

While they claimed to be faithful to Yahweh, their behavior did not mirror their expressed beliefs. God put a high priority on righteous living, providing them with a non-negotiable code of conduct meant to regulate every area of their lives. His standard of conduct was high.

“You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” – Leviticus 19:2 NLT

They were forbidden from deceiving, defrauding, or robbing their neighbor. They were to treat the disadvantaged and disabled with respect and honor. Gossip was forbidden, as well as unjust business transactions. Workers were to be paid fairly and treated with dignity. In every area of life, they were to express love for one another and live according to God’s righteous standards.

“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” – Leviticus 19:15 ESV

All of these commands are found in Leviticus 19, and after each one, God included the statement, “I am the LORD your God” (Leviticus 19:4 ESV). He repeatedly reminded them that He was Yahweh, the God of Israel. They belonged to Him and He expected them to live in keeping with His will and in gratitude for their unmerited status as His chosen people.

Some understood the magnitude of God’s grace and expressed their appreciation for the privilege of keeping His commands. David referred to Yahweh as “God of my righteousness!” (Psalm 4:1 ESV). David understood that God was the source of his righteousness. His capacity for right living was a gift from Yahweh, not something he self-produced. In yet another psalm, David expressed his desire that God would judge him fairly and justly, according to his righteousness.

The Lord judges the peoples;
    judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness
    and according to the integrity that is in me.
Oh, let the evil of the wicked come to an end,
    and may you establish the righteous—
you who test the minds and hearts,
    O righteous God!
My shield is with God,
    who saves the upright in heart.
God is a righteous judge,
    and a God who feels indignation every day. – Psalm 7;8-11 ESV

But David was not claiming to be self-righteous and deserving of God’s gratitude and reward. He understood that his righteousness was based on God’s holy standard and not some man-based criteria for good behavior. The “upright in heart” are not those who produce good works in their own strength, but who faithfully follow the will of a righteous God.

David knew that right behavior, the kind of behavior that would be acceptable to a righteous God, was nothing more than faithful adherence to His will.

Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?
    Who may enter your presence on your holy hill?
Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,
    speaking the truth from sincere hearts.
Those who refuse to gossip
    or harm their neighbors
    or speak evil of their friends.
Those who despise flagrant sinners,
    and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,
    and keep their promises even when it hurts.
Those who lend money without charging interest,
    and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent.
Such people will stand firm forever. – Psalm 15:1-5 NLT

But the people of Judah had not kept God’s commands. They had violated His will by ignoring His rules for right living. From top to bottom, the nation of Judah was rife with rebellious people who refused to live according to God’s righteous standards. Even Judah’s kings and priests were complicit in the nation’s spiritual failure and God would hold them accountable.

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected to care for…” – Jeremiah 23:1 NLT

He goes on to level his accusations against these leaders and warn them of their fate.

“Instead of caring for my flock and leading them to safety, you have deserted them and driven them to destruction. Now I will pour out judgment on you for the evil you have done to them.” – Jeremiah 23:2 NLT

They knew the rules. They understood what God expected of them as the shepherds of His flock, but they had chosen to use their God-given authority to fleece the flock of God for personal gain. They did not rule in righteousness. They did not lead and love well. Their conduct did not comport with God’s call on their lives and the LORD Our Righteousness was not pleased.

Judgment would come. The unrighteous would suffer for their sins. The Babylonians would invade Judah, besiege the capital city of Jerusalem, and bring the entire nation to its knees. The righteous God would pour out His wrath on His unrighteous people. Their city would be destroyed and their leaders would be killed or taken captive. The Temple would be reduced to rubble and the inhabitants of Judah would be exiled to the land of Babylon for 70 years.

But their righteous God was far from done. Despite their disobedience and unfaithfulness, He would do the right thing. He would keep His covenant commitment to His covenant-breaking people. After seven decades of captivity in Babylon, a ragtag remnant would return to the land of Judah. But their homecoming would be anything but joyful and their future would be filled with hard work and difficulties. But their righteous God would care for them because He was not yet done fulfilling His righteous will for them. 

Through His prophet Jeremiah, God promises to restore the fortunes of Judah.

“I will appoint responsible shepherds who will care for them, and they will never be afraid again.” – Jeremiah 23:4 NLT

This promise has yet to be fulfilled. But it will be. God goes on to state, “For the time is coming when I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line. He will be a King who rules with wisdom. He will do what is just and right throughout the land” (Jeremiah 23:5 NLT). This king will be called, “The LORD Is Our Righteousness”

YHWH-Tsidkenu will be like no other king Israel has ever had. He will be the Shepherd-King who rules in righteousness, restoring the fortunes of God’s people and enabling them to live in obedience to His commands. Jeremiah goes on to describe this future King of Israel.

14 “The day will come, says the Lord, when I will do for Israel and Judah all the good things I have promised them.

15 “In those days and at that time
    I will raise up a righteous descendant from King David’s line.
    He will do what is just and right throughout the land.
16 In that day Judah will be saved,
    and Jerusalem will live in safety.
And this will be its name:
    ‘The Lord Is Our Righteousness.’” – Jeremiah 33:141-6 NLT

This prophetic promise points to the coming of Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of the world. Jesus came to make righteousness available to all who would believe. As the apostle Paul states, “But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe” (Romans 3:22-22 ESV).

Righteousness is impossible without God’s help. David knew that and so did the apostle Paul. Even with the righteous law available to them, the people of Israel and Judah could not live up to its demanding standards. But the law was never intended to be a litmus test for righteousness; it was designed to expose sin. 

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. – Romans 3:20 NLT

The law reveals man's need for a Savior. It exposes man’s lack of righteousness and his incapacity to maintain a right standing with God. That was the whole purpose behind the sacrificial system. Even with the law to guide them, the people of God would end up sinning and damage their relationship with the LORD Our Righteousness. Their sin would have to be atoned for and “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins” (Hebrews 9:22 ESV).

But Jesus came to make righteousness available by offering Himself as the once-for-all-time sacrifice for mankind’s sins. He sacrificed His sinless life on behalf of sinful men so that they could be restored to a right standing with God. Paul boldly declares that the Gospel “is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17 ESV).;

The Israelites were given the impossible task of living up to God’s righteous standard by attempting to keep His law. But God never expected them to pull it off. That’s why He gave them the sacrificial system. Yet, as the author of Hebrews makes clear, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4 NLT).

The law was “a shadow of the good things to come” and could never “make perfect those who draw near” (Hebrews 10:1 NLT). It pointed to the better sacrifice to come: The Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:9 ESV). It was always God’s will for Jesus to become the sole source of salvation for the sins of mankind.

“For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.” – Hebrews 10:10 NLT

Jesus was destined to be the LORD Our Righteousness. As the sinless Son of God, He took on human flesh, lived a sinless life, and became the perfect sacrifice that could satisfy the just demands of a holy God, because the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). But because He came, lived, died, and rose again, the righteousness of God is available to all who believe. The apostle Paul succinctly summarizes the gracious gift of righteousness that Jesus made possible to all who believe.

I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. – Philippians 3:9 NLT

Jesus is the LORD our Righteousness.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.