“We Have Sinned”

Prayer – Daniel 9:4-19

…when the people of God need rescue from themselves.

Daniel 9:4-19 and the Architecture of Corporate Confession

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, we have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules.”

~ Daniel 9:4-5, ESV

Daniel opens his scroll to Jeremiah’s prophecy and counts the years—seventy years of desolation, nearly complete. But instead of celebrating impending restoration, he tears his clothes, covers himself with sackcloth and ashes, and begins to pray. Not for Israel’s vindication, but for Israel’s confession. Not declaring their righteousness, but acknowledging their rebellion.

This is prayer when the people of God are the problem. When the issue isn’t external opposition but internal corruption. When what’s needed isn’t strength for the journey but cleansing for the heart.

Why This Prayer Matters

Daniel 9:4-19 stands as Scripture’s premier example of corporate confession and covenant intercession. Where Paul’s prayers focus on spiritual growth and formation, Daniel’s prayer confronts spiritual failure and deformation. He prays not as an innocent bystander but as a covenant member bearing responsibility for his people’s unfaithfulness.

For contemporary believers—whether addressing personal sin, church discipline, or national moral failure—this prayer provides the theological framework for approaching God when we are the problem. It teaches us the difference between asking for blessing and pleading for mercy, between claiming promises and acknowledging judgment.

This is formation through confession, growth through repentance, hope through humility.

Walking Through the Prayer

1. Approaching the Covenant-Keeping God

“O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments…” (v. 4)

Daniel begins not with confession but with theology. He addresses Yahweh as “great and awesome” (הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא)—words that echo Moses’ description in Deuteronomy 7:21. But the crucial phrase follows: “who keeps covenant and steadfast love” (שֹׁמֵר הַבְּרִית וְהַחֶסֶד).

The word חֶסֶד (hesed) is untranslatable—covenant love, loyal kindness, faithful mercy. It’s not generic affection but covenant commitment. God doesn’t love because we’re lovable; He loves because He has bound Himself by oath to love.

Daniel grounds his confession in God’s character, not human merit. Before acknowledging Israel’s failure, he acknowledges God’s faithfulness. This is crucial: we don’t confess to an angry judge but to a covenant-keeping Father whose love endures despite our rebellion.

2. Corporate Confession Without Excuse

“We have sinned and done wrong and acted wickedly and rebelled, turning aside from your commandments and rules. We have not listened to your servants the prophets…” (vv. 5-6)

Daniel uses four Hebrew terms for sin, each escalating in severity:

• חָטָא (chata) – missed the mark, fallen short
• עָוָה (avah) – done wrong, acted perversely
• רָשַׁע (rasha) – acted wickedly, been guilty
• מָרַד (marad) – rebelled, been defiant

This isn’t casual wrongdoing but deliberate rebellion. And notice the pronouns: “we have sinned,” “we have not listened.” Daniel includes himself in Israel’s guilt, though he personally remained faithful. This is corporate responsibility—bearing the weight of communal sin.

The progression moves from internal attitudes (sinning, doing wrong) to external actions (acting wickedly, rebelling) to relational breakdown (not listening to the prophets). Sin corrupts from the inside out, affecting first our hearts, then our actions, then our relationships with God’s messengers.

3. Acknowledging God’s Justice

“To you, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us open shame, as at this day, to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel…” (v. 7)

Daniel makes a stunning theological assertion: righteousness belongs to God, shame to Israel. The word “righteousness” (צְדָקָה, tzedakah) here isn’t just moral purity but covenant faithfulness. God has kept His side of the covenant; Israel has not.

“Open shame” (בֹּשֶׁת הַפָּנִים) literally means “shame of face”—the inability to look up, the posture of disgrace. This isn’t self-flagellation but honest assessment. When God’s people rebel, the result isn’t just personal guilt but public disgrace.

Daniel extends this shame geographically—”men of Judah, inhabitants of Jerusalem, all Israel”—and temporally—”those who are near and those who are far away.” The scope of rebellion requires the scope of confession.

4. Recognizing Mercy in Judgment

“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, for we have rebelled against him and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God by walking in his laws…” (vv. 9-10)

Even in confession, Daniel returns to God’s character. “Mercy” (רַחֲמִים, rachamim) comes from the word for “womb”—the tender compassion of a mother for her child. “Forgiveness” (סְלִיחוֹת, selichot) implies pardoning, letting go.

But Daniel doesn’t cheapen grace. He immediately returns to Israel’s rebellion: “we have not obeyed,” “we have not walked in his laws.” Mercy isn’t denial of sin but response to confessed sin. God’s forgiveness doesn’t minimize rebellion but covers it.

5. Accepting the Consequences

“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.” (v. 11)

Daniel acknowledges that exile isn’t arbitrary suffering but covenant consequence. The “curse and oath” refers to Deuteronomy 28-30—the blessings for obedience, curses for disobedience that Israel accepted at Sinai.

The phrase “poured out upon us” (נִתְּכָה עָלֵינוּ) suggests complete saturation. God’s judgment isn’t partial but thorough. Yet even this serves confession’s purpose: recognizing that current suffering isn’t random but righteous—the inevitable result of covenant breaking.

6. Appealing to God’s Reputation

“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.” (v. 16)

Daniel’s turning point comes with appeal to God’s reputation. He doesn’t claim Israel deserves mercy but argues that God’s honor requires it. Jerusalem is “your city,” Mount Zion is “your holy hill,” Israel is “your people.”

The phrase “become a byword” (חֶרְפָּה, cherpah) means reproach or disgrace. Israel’s exile doesn’t just shame Israel—it brings reproach on Israel’s God. The nations question not just Israel’s faithfulness but Yahweh’s power.

This is shrewd theology: Daniel appeals not to human merit but to divine glory. God acts not because we deserve mercy but because His reputation requires it.

7. The Final Plea: For Your Own Sake

“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 supplications before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy. 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.” (vv. 18-19)

Daniel concludes with urgency but not presumption. He makes clear: “we do not present our supplications…because of our righteousness.” There’s no claim on God’s mercy except mercy itself.

But the final phrase is crucial: “for your own sake” (לְמַעֲנְךָ). This isn’t selfish pleading but theological reasoning. God acts not primarily for Israel’s benefit but for His own glory. His name is attached to this people and this city.

The rapid-fire imperatives—”hear,” “forgive,” “pay attention,” “act,” “delay not”—show the urgency of divine reputation. When God’s people are in disgrace, God’s glory is at stake.

Gospel Crescendo: Mercy for the Undeserving

This prayer reaches its climax not in promises claimed but in mercy sought. Daniel offers no bargaining, no justification, no claim except God’s own character and reputation. This is the gospel in Old Testament form: salvation by grace alone, for God’s glory alone.

The prayer that began with covenant faithfulness ends with covenant mercy. God keeps His word not just in blessing the obedient but in forgiving the rebellious. His hesed endures not because we’re faithful but because He is.

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Key Takeaways:

As Bereans, we should examine this teaching against Scripture (Acts 17:11). Here’s what stands firm:

• Confession Begins with God’s Character – Daniel anchors his prayer in God’s covenant faithfulness before acknowledging human failure.
• Corporate Responsibility is Biblical – Faithful individuals bear responsibility for communal sin and can intercede for collective forgiveness.
• God’s Justice Validates His Mercy – Acknowledging deserved judgment makes received mercy more precious, not less.
• Shame is Part of Restoration – Genuine confession includes “open shame”—honest acknowledgment of disgrace without excuse or minimization.
• Appeal to Divine Glory, Not Human Merit – The strongest prayer argument isn’t our righteousness but God’s reputation.
• Urgency Without Presumption – We can plead urgently while acknowledging we deserve nothing.
• Scripture Study Leads to Prayer – Daniel’s reading of Jeremiah prompted his intercession—Bible study should drive us to our knees.

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