Here’s my fairly literal translation of these verses:
11and the all of Israel has overstepped Your law and turned aside, not hearing/obeying in Your voice, and the curse has poured out on us and the oath which [is] written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, because we have sinned to Him. 12And He has confirmed His words which He spoke (intensely) against us and upon our judges who judged us and to bring on us a great evil which has not been done under the all of the heavens like it has been done in Jerusalem. 13Just as [it is] being written in the Law of Moses, the all of the evil in this has come on us and we have not entreated the face of the LORD our God to turn from our iniquities and to give attention in Your truth. 14The LORD watched on the evil and He brought on us because the LORD our God [is] righteous on the all of His doings which He does and we have not listened/obeyed to His voice.
Continuing to ponder on this neglected subject of our doing wrong – I think some things are worth noting, particularly as regards our sinfulness and how we deal with it. In v.11, Daniel says, “All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you. Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.” Note this is a case where, as Daniel says, “,,,the curses and sworn judgments…have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you.”
The case before us is one where the person(s) very specifically and deliberately violated what they knew to be the Lord’s way, and they are now suffering very specifically for those sins. This is the same situation David found himself in, confessing his sins regarding Bathsheba, “Against You, and You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight…” (Ps. 51:4). Nathan told him, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you…’” David very specifically sinned and would be very specifically punished for that sin. We should note that, when he replied, “I have sinned against the Lord, the same God told him, “The Lord has forgiven your sin...but because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die” (II Sam. 12:11-14).
Several things to note, first of all that both Daniel and David were good repenters. David’s prayer there in Psalm 51 reads the same as Daniel’s here in Daniel chapter 9. In both cases, they both clearly owned their sins, both humbly accepted the just punishments for those sins, and both enjoyed the Lord’s wonderful forgiveness. David was still called “A man after God’s own heart” (I. Sam.13:14; Acts 13:22), and Daniel was still told, “…you are highly esteemed” (v.23). Both understood what we noted earlier that there is no need for “Denial or Despair,” but that they could thoroughly repent in hope. Paul would later say, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death” (II Cor. 7:10). Lord, help us all to be good repenters!
We should inject here the very Biblical observation that God’s reason for allowing pain in our lives is not always a just punishment for willful sins we’ve committed. Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?” and Jesus answered them, “Neither…but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life” (John 9:2,3). Paul said in II Cor. 12:7, “To keep me from becoming conceited…, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.” In the first case, the pain had nothing to do with either the man born blind or his parents, but rather it was for God’s glory. In the second case, the pain was specifically to prevent sin in Paul’s life. In a very context of pain, we read, “And we know that all things work together for good” and that God’s purpose in it all is “that we should be conformed to the image of His Son…” (Rom. 8:28,29). As I read and studied the Bible, I used to keep track of the reasons why God allows pain in our lives, and I believe at last count I was up to twelve!
So let us not think in our lives or the lives of others that whatever pain they suffer must be because they’ve sinned. That is only one out of many reasons why we may find pain in our lives. On the other hand, even at our best, we’re still sinners, both in our very nature and in the choices we make throughout our day. Being a sinner and knowing my heart is “desperately wicked and deceitful above all things,” the possibility that I’ve brought trouble on myself is always an option. Because of that, it is very easy when suffering to fall into the “Despair” option, wrecking our joy and our lives, worrying over “How have I sinned that all this should happen?”
We need to keep that option open and always pray humbly asking the Lord to show us our sins, but here is what I decided many years ago: I do not believe the Lord is One to sadistically bring pain in our lives then play a game of, “It’s up to you to figure out how you must have sinned,” leaving us to wallow in the misery of searching out some “secret sin” we’ve committed. It is interesting that David said concerning Bathsheba, “My sin is ever before me…” (Ps. 51:3). The minute Nathan said, “You’re the man,” David replied, “I have sinned against the Lord” (II Sam.12:13). David knew it all along, he just didn’t want to admit it. I believe, if we suffer in any way, and if it really is because of some specific sin we’ve committed, we’ll know exactly what it was and also there will be a very clear connection between what we did and why we’re suffering.
In other words, the Lord won’t play “cat and mouse” with us. If we’re willing to be humble before Him, that specific sin will be obvious to us and the consequences will be very clearly connected to it. If I say to Him, “Search me, O God, and know my heart, and see if there be any wicked way in me,” He will gladly answer. If I sincerely and humbly (to the best of my ability) pray that prayer and the Lord brings nothing to mind, then I can go on with my life, trying to say to Him, “Then teach me whatever it is You want me learn, or use me however You’re wanting to use me.” I can spend my time in the joy of knowing “All things work together for good,” and that, in it all, His ultimate purpose is to make me more like Jesus, to allow me to “share in His holiness.” Although we are sinners and justly deserve hell all day every day, I would suggest to you that, if you sincerely want to follow Jesus, you’re in the Word, and regularly in prayer, there will actually be few times in your life where you are specifically suffering for specific willful sins. Most of the time, it’s just a matter of being sinners living in a sinful world. God told Adam and Eve, “In dying, you shall die,” and it is true to this day that we literally live dying. However, our great God takes the very sinfulness of our hearts and miseries we swim in to accomplish His great eternal purposes in our lives!
So, Lord help us to be good repenters, like Daniel and David, but also keep alive in us always “the joy of our salvation.” Help us to deal decisively with our sins, but may we also rejoice constantly in knowing we are “dearly loved children,” and hear Him saying, “The Lord your God in the midst of you is mighty; He will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing” (Zeph. 3:17).
Daniel could deal decisively with his sins, yet also be a man exemplary for his love and faithfulness. Let us “go and do likewise!”
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