July 23 ▪ Day 204

Scripture Readings

Proverbs 19:21
Daniel 9–10
Matthew 23
Psalms 20

Verse Focus (Proverbs 19:21)

Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
     but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.

Meditation

Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” This is a bit like Proverbs 16:1, which we looked at on April 26th (Day 116): “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” God determines the outcome. What God wants to happen will happen.

There’s a lot of comfort in understanding that “it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” So many things don’t go the way we expect them to. We fail to get a job we wanted. A relationship permanently breaks up. The “wrong” candidate wins the election. When life takes an unexpected turn, when things fall apart, when we are disappointed, or hurt, or grieving — we take comfort that God is still sovereign. His purposes stand. And we know that, whatever difficulties we may be facing, God has plans for our good. He loves us deeply.

I think, however, it’s easier to accept God’s purposes when we don’t have any power over the outcome. I have no say in the pandemic. I pray for God’s mercy, and thank Him for the vaccines that have been developed. But what will happen as the Delta variant continues to spread and case counts rise — that is up to Him.

However, when things appear to be in my control — my ideas, my plans, my effort — it’s much more difficult to accept that God is the one who truly controls what will happen. It’s a struggle to surrender my will to His. When I’m more closely involved in the plans, I’m also a lot more invested in the outcome. But still we have the same truth: it is the LORD’s purpose that will prevail.

So there may be more struggle when it’s my plans, but there’s still a lot of comfort in God’s sovereignty. There’s comfort that out of the many plans we harbor, it is the right plan that will succeed. And there’s opportunity, in our planning, to get in step with God. We can submit all our plans to Him, and walk with the Spirit.

Father God, thank you that you are sovereign. Thank you for the comfort we may take as we recognize that what seems random, chaotic, or unfair is really something that you have ordained. Thank you that your purposes stand. Help us to submit our plans to you and to walk with your Spirit. Give us wisdom and guidance for the many plans in our heart. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Daniel 9 records the prophet’s prayer for the people of Israel. It is 539 or 538 BC — the first year that the Medes have control over Babylon. At this point, Daniel has been in exile for 66 or 67 years. But as he reads the prophet Jeremiah, he understands that the desolation of Jerusalem will last 70 years. So he begins to fast and pray. He prays for the sin of all the people, humbling himself before the LORD. He acknowledges their guilt and shame. He recognizes that what happened to Jerusalem was what the law of Moses said would happen to those who disobeyed God’s law.

“To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness,” Daniel prays in verse 9. He pleads for God to forgive them and to make His face shine upon them once more. As he prays in verse 18, “We do not present our pleas before you because of our righteousness, but because of your great mercy.”

As Daniel is praying, he receives a visit from the angel Gabriel. Gabriel bears a Messianic prophecy for Daniel, for he is “greatly loved (v. 23).” And so Daniel receives the vision of the “seventy weeks (v. 24).” It’s important to understand that the Hebrew word being translated as “week” doesn’t refer specifically to a week (as we would understand it in English), but to a period of time divided into seven. So the word can refer to a week (seven days), or to a set of seven years. Thus, most understand the “seventy weeks” to be referring to 70 “weeks” of years, meaning 70 times 7 years, or 490 years.

Other than these two hints — that a “week” most likely refers to a set of seven years, and that this is an important Messianic prophecy — I can’t really go too deep into this passage. However, I can point you to a commentary that will give you a solid, evangelical Christian interpretation of Daniel 9, as well as help you to understand some of the different issues in interpretation: Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Daniel Chapter 9.

Daniel 10 begins “in the third year of Cyrus king of Persia (v. 1).” It is 536 or 535 BC. It’s curious that this prophecy is dated by the supreme ruler over the empire, rather than by Darius the Mede. Perhaps the sub-governorship of Babylon was in transition, or perhaps using Cyrus as the reference indicates that this prophecy is of international importance — it affects more nations and peoples than just the Israelites. However, what is most important about this particular date of the prophecy is that this vision occurs after Cyrus’ proclamation that the Jews could return to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple.

Daniel speaks of seeing an angelic messenger. Verse 6 describes him, saying, “His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and the sound of his words like the sound of a multitude.” Although only Daniel is able to see the angel, the men with Daniel sense enough of the angel’s presence that they run away and hide. Daniel trembles. Twice the angel tells him not to fear (v. 12, v. 19). Twice, too, the angel tells Daniel that he is a “man greatly loved” (v. 11, v. 19). The angel strengthens Daniel so that he might hear and understand this prophecy.

Although the bulk of the angel’s prophecy occurs in the next chapters, we do learn that there is a spiritual battle going on involving the prince of Persia and the prince of Greece. Some see this as a reference to the upcoming fall of Babylon when Alexander the Greek conquers them in 331 BC (another 200 years from the present time); others merely interpret this as the continuing conflicts between Greeks and Persians which will take Babylon’s eye off the Jews.

For additional insight into this chapter, please see Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Daniel Chapter 10.

In Matthew 23, Jesus speaks of the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees. Seven times he cries, “Woe.” Seven, as you recall, is the number of completion. The Greek word used here, ouai (οὐαί), doesn’t exactly match our English word, woe (which means misery, sorrow, and distress), although it’s close. The Greek word is used as an expression of grief or denunciation. So, “Alas!” might be a better translation since that’s also an expression of “grief, pity, or concern.” Saying, “Oh, no!” would also work. But in the Bible, these exclamations come within the context of judgment — so woe (misery, sorrow, distress) is very apt, even if it is a noun rather than an exclamation.

The scribes and Pharisees do not practice what they preach. They know the law, but do not keep the law. At the root of this hypocrisy is their desire for praise from men. “They do all their deeds to be seen by others,” Jesus says in verse 5.

The Pharisees value the gold and the gifts more than the altar because they are still valuing the praise of men over God Himself — they do not understand that it is the altar that sanctifies the gold and the gifts. Jesus accuses them of neglecting the “weightier matters of the law (v. 23).”

“You blind guides,” he says in verse 24, “straining out a gnat and swallowing a camel!” Today, I wince at this description. How often do we worry about the small details and forget the big picture? Do you strive to read the Bible every day, but then drive past a homeless person without a second thought? I know I’m guilty of that. Jesus cares about justice, mercy, and faithfulness. So maybe being consistent in my devotional life is a sign of faithfulness, but that one comes last on the list. Where do I demonstrate justice and mercy? Are we like the whitewashed tombs that are beautiful on the outside, but full of decay within?

It’s not easy to know how one is supposed to be just and merciful. There are complex and difficult problems in our society with poverty, homelessness, drugs, discrimination, and more. I only know that this is something I need to be paying more attention to. And I firmly believe that God will show each one of us how He wants us to work for justice and mercy — if we seek His guidance and are committed to being the change that this world needs.

Psalm 20 prays for God’s blessing on the king. The psalm begins, “May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble!” “You” is singular here, not plural. Indeed, all the wishes in the first half of the psalm are for a singular “you.” So these are not wishes for the congregation of the faithful; rather, these are the prayers of the people for their king — for God’s anointed. In that respect, it is a Messianic psalm.

Verse 4 says, “May he grant you your heart’s desire and fulfill all your plans!” It is a beautiful prayer — one of love and support. And I realize that, even though the Bible teaches us that we are to respect and support our governmental rulers since God has ordained them to their positions of authority, I have not had such a generous heart towards those in leadership. I haven’t been praying for the President to have his heart’s desires granted and all his plans fulfilled.

Politics complicates things, I suppose. We get wrapped up in what we think of the leader’s values and policies — and, as often happens, if we consider that the leader might be lacking then we might pray for wisdom or for God to block bad laws from going into effect. I realize I’ve been praying for our leaders like they’re my enemies — but I have not been praying for my enemies in love. Love desires the best. Love desires that God will grant someone his hopes and dreams. Love prays for someone to have productivity and effectiveness at work. Love prays for smooth working relationships. Love prays that God will send help and support. So today’s psalm humbles me as I see how I can do better as I pray for our country’s leaders.

Fortunately, we do trust in the LORD. And we know that God’s enemies will soon “collapse and fall (v. 8).”

Father God, I pray for the leaders in our state and in our country. Give them help and support. Give them wisdom. Let there be peace between factions. Let there be smooth working relationships. Let the different parties work together for the common good. Most of all, Father, we pray that our leaders will delight themselves in you and that you will grant them the desires of their hearts. Please bring revival to this land. Bring transformation and hope.

Help us not to neglect the weightier matters of the law. May we work to save the poor and the oppressed. I don’t know exactly what that looks like in my life, so please give me practical directions. Save us from being hypocrites. May our faith be real and genuine.

Thank you that you have a plan for our world and for all the nations. Thank you that you sent Jesus at just the right time. Thank you also that Jesus will return again when the time is right. Help us to grow in wisdom and understanding — in knowledge of your Word, and in understanding of your prophecies. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.