“‘O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.’”
“O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray, let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
Again, Daniel appeals to the righteousness of God. The restoration of Israel will come “according to all Your righteousness.” There is no tension between God’s righteousness and His mercy. Daniel confessed his sin, so he has the right to appeal to the righteousness of God. He appeals to the righteousness of God and the plan of God for the Jews so that Israel will be restored to the land.
The prophet makes an appeal based on God’s people, city, and holy mountain. Daniel’s appeal goes beyond mercy to that which brings glory to God. God will be glorified when Israel loses its reproach and returns to the land.
Daniel turns to the import of his prayer. After presenting a clear picture of who God is, Daniel makes two requests:
1. “Let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem” (v.16) – This is a request for mercy.
2. “Cause your face to shine on Your sanctuary” (v.17) – This is a request for the grace to worship in the temple again.
Daniel uses the name Adonai for God in this verse. This shift from Jehovah to Adonai focuses on God’s sovereignty. God controls all the events in the life of Israel.
PRINCIPLE:
We have a right to fellowship with God because Jesus paid for all our sins.
APPLICATION:
We have the right to appeal to the righteousness of God when we confess our personal sin. Christ judged our sins upon the cross, so all sin is already judged. That satisfied the Father’s judgment of sin.
Confession of sin is a referral back to what Christ did. God’s righteousness demands that He forgive us when we confess that what Christ did on the cross forgives us completely. This is the principle of double jeopardy – we do not pay for the same sin twice. Since God judged Christ for our sins, He does not judge us for them.
How we feel about our sins is inconsequential. We may feel sorry for them, but what Christ did for them is the main issue. All sins – past, present, or future – have already been poured out on Christ. God will not judge you because He already judged Christ for your sins. Since God is righteous, He cannot do otherwise.
