Daniel 9: 1-8; 18-24
Darius the Mede, who was the son of Xerxes, ruled over the kingdom of Babylonia. In the first year of his reign I, Daniel, was studying the sacred books and thinking about the seventy years that Jerusalem would be in ruins, according to what the Lord had told the prophet Jeremiah. And I prayed earnestly to the Lord God, pleading with him, fasting, wearing sackcloth, and sitting in ashes. I prayed to the Lord my God and confessed the sins of my people.
I said, “Lord God, you are great, and we honour you. You are faithful to your covenant and show constant love to those who love you and do what you command. We have sinned, we have been evil, we have done wrong. We have rejected what you commanded us to do and have turned away from what you showed us was right. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our rulers, our ancestors, and our whole nation. You, Lord, always do what is right, but we have always brought disgrace on ourselves…
O God, hear my prayer and pleading. Restore your Temple, which has been destroyed; restore it so that everyone will know that you are God. We are praying to you because you are merciful, not because we have done right. Lord, hear us. Lord, forgive us. Lord, listen to us, and act! In order that everyone will know that you are God, do not delay!
I went on praying, confessing my sins and the sins of my people Israel and pleading with the Lord my God to restore his holy Temple. While I was praying, Gabriel, whom I had seen in the earlier vision, came flying down to where I was. It was the time for the evening sacrifice to be offered. He explained, “Daniel, I have come here to help you understand the prophecy. When you began to plead with God, he answered you. He loves you, and so I have come to tell you the answer. Now pay attention while I explain the vision.
“Seven times seventy years is the length of time God has set for freeing your people and your holy city from sin and evil. Sin will be forgiven and eternal justice established, so that the vision and the prophecy will come true, and the holy Temple will be rededicated.
Picture
Today’s picture is one of the stained-glass windows in the chapel of the former Western Infirmary in Glasgow. Although the hospital was demolished some years ago, the chapel remains standing.
Prayer
Gabriel means ‘God is my strength’ and we come to you, our strong, dependable God at the end of this day, grateful that, whatever life may bring us, we can be sure that you are always with us, to shelter and protect us amidst the chaos and the storms.
The message Gabriel brought to your servant Daniel began with the assurance of your love for him – help us to hear these words as spoken to us, and to everyone we know and love: God loves you, God is for you, God is with you always. Amen.