a time to mourn over sin

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.

Daniel 9:15

The responsibility for the outcome of the Babylonian captivity lay squarely with a disobedient Jewish nation as Daniel makes this prayer of confession. The prophet Daniel came to this lengthy prayer of repentance after diligently spending time in the study of the prophet Jeremiah. There he read again of the events he lived as a young boy. There he saw the clear prophetic word given that Judah would be led away captive to Babylon for seventy years.

Now an older Daniel, under a new regime in Babylon led by King Darius the Mede, comes to the realization that Judah is getting closer to release from captivity with every passing day. The promise of the prophet Jeremiah would come to fruition after seventy years of total captivity. Daniel’s action upon this insight was to go to God in meaningful and real intercession for the captives. And he centered it all on confession, repentance, and the acknowledgement of his people’s great sin. Only in the very last verse (Daniel 9:19) does Daniel call upon God to keep His promise, forgive His people, and let them know His blessing on them again.

Daniel’s emphasis on mourning for sin and its consequences is instructive. Fourteen out of fifteen verses documenting this prayer are confessional. How opposite this is of my standard selfish prayers wanting only God’s gifts! The time has come to weep, to be repentant, and to be confessional over my sin, and the sins of God’s people in a cursed, confused, and captive world. A time to mourn, to be broken, and to care more for God’s holiness than our own condition is now upon us. It is absolutely the appropriate thing to do. Look around! What a mess our world is in! We need the healing work of Christ’s forgiveness like never before in modern times. And in Jesus we can see our only hope of deliverance as we confess to Him.