hotcoffee
New Member
Daniel 9:1 In the first year of Darius son of Xerxes[a] (a Mede by descent), who was made ruler over the Babylonian kingdom— 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years. 3 So I turned to the Lord God and pleaded with him in prayer and petition, in fasting, and in sackcloth and ashes.
a.Daniel 9:1 Hebrew Ahasuerus
b.Daniel 9:1 Or Chaldean
I'm 64 years old. The world around me has really changed in these 64 years. People are not the same. When the events of this chapter take place, Daniel is much older than I am now. Things have really changed in his lifetime as well.
The commentary in plain English sets the seen for these three verses best.
Verses 1-3 Darius was the first king of the kingdom of the Medes and Persians. Belshazzar was dead. The kingdom of Babylon was finished . We read about Darius in chapter 6. Daniel served the kings of Babylon. Then he served the Medes and Persians.
We know that Daniel prayed three times each day. Now we read that he was studying God’s holy books. In the book of Jeremiah he read that the Jews would return to Jerusalem after 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). Jeremiah was a prophet. He lived in Jerusalem when Daniel was very young. Now almost 70 years had passed since Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews away from Jerusalem. Daniel realized this but he was sad. There was a new kingdom and a new king. But the king had not allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. Also the Jews did not think about God much. Perhaps they would not want to go to Jerusalem even if the king allowed them to. Most of them had been born in Babylon. Only the old people like Daniel had been to Jerusalem.
Daniel says that he stopped eating food. Some people stop eating food for a short time if they are very sad. Usually not to eat food and to pray to God belong together. When people do not eat food for a short time, they have more time for prayer.
He also wore sackcloth (clothing from very rough material). He put cold ashes on his head or he sat in ashes. People did this when they were sorry about their bad behaviour. Daniel was a good man, but his people, the Jews, had forgotten God. They would not say sorry to God, so Daniel did.
God had made a promise to Jeremiah. The Jews could return to Jerusalem after 70 years. Daniel believed that God would keep his promise. He prayed that it would happen.
We know that Daniel prayed three times each day. Now we read that he was studying God’s holy books. In the book of Jeremiah he read that the Jews would return to Jerusalem after 70 years (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10). Jeremiah was a prophet. He lived in Jerusalem when Daniel was very young. Now almost 70 years had passed since Nebuchadnezzar took the Jews away from Jerusalem. Daniel realized this but he was sad. There was a new kingdom and a new king. But the king had not allowed the Jews to go back to Jerusalem. Also the Jews did not think about God much. Perhaps they would not want to go to Jerusalem even if the king allowed them to. Most of them had been born in Babylon. Only the old people like Daniel had been to Jerusalem.
Daniel says that he stopped eating food. Some people stop eating food for a short time if they are very sad. Usually not to eat food and to pray to God belong together. When people do not eat food for a short time, they have more time for prayer.
He also wore sackcloth (clothing from very rough material). He put cold ashes on his head or he sat in ashes. People did this when they were sorry about their bad behaviour. Daniel was a good man, but his people, the Jews, had forgotten God. They would not say sorry to God, so Daniel did.
God had made a promise to Jeremiah. The Jews could return to Jerusalem after 70 years. Daniel believed that God would keep his promise. He prayed that it would happen.
I know people who weren't around when Kennedy was assassinated, or when the Beatles came to America, or when John Lennon was murdered. People in these forums don't remember Vietnam. A lot of the people who rioted in Baltimore last month were too young to remember the riots in Baltimore after Martin Luther King was shot. It seems pretty evident that time has even taken away some of the horror we experienced on September 11,2010. So it makes perfect sense that Daniel would be terrified for the people.
