Text: Daniel 9:3-19

Dear Young People,

OFFERING NO EXCUSES WHATSOEVER
Sometimes we make excuses for ourselves! We must learn from Daniel how to make a full confession of our sins without offering any excuses whatsoever.

"Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets,
who spoke in Your Name to our kings
and our princes, to our fathers and all the people
of the land…"
Daniel 9:6

Daniel reviewed and remembered the sad history of Israel. One of the things that God graciously did was to send prophet after prophet to Israel. Daniel was right in observing the fact that God had indeed send prophets to four groups of people…to say the least:-

1. The Kings
These were the rulers of the land. They were supposed to have led the whole nation to walk in the ways of God. They had failed badly.

2. The Princes
The princes of the land were of royal blood. Often they held high political positions in the country. They too should have been righteous people. However, they failed miserably and sinned grievously against the Lord.

3. The fathers
Israel never quite lost the old ways when it came to governing the land. There were others, like powerful tribal leaders, who should have made a positive impact on the nation. However, they too failed the Lord miserably.

4. All the people of the land
The prophets preached to the general populace as well. The common people also heard the word of God through the mouths of the spokesmen of God. However, by and large, the multitudes also shut their ears against the servants of God, the prophets of old.

All had sinned against the Lord. No excuse was offered by Daniel, only humble confession. It may have been a humbling thing to make such a confession, but was there any other way of making right with God? Daniel was correct in his theology. There was no other way to be right with God except to make full confession without any excuses whatsoever!

Let us learn how to confess our sins before God in the same way. Let us refrain from making any excuse whatsoever when we confess our sins before God.

Prayerfully,                                                                             

Pastor Charlie

First released 31st March 2002, © Bethany Independent-Presbyterian Church, Singapore