How does Daniel 9:18 connect with Ephesians 2:8-9 on grace and faith? Introducing the Passages • Daniel 9:18 — “O my God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city called by Your name. For we are not presenting our petitions before You on account of any righteousness of our own, but on account of Your great mercy.” • Ephesians 2:8-9 — “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Daniel’s Plea: Desperation Meets Divine Mercy • Jerusalem lies in ruins; Judah is in exile because of covenant-breaking (v. 11). • Daniel confesses sin and appeals to God’s “great mercy,” expressly denying any claim to worthiness. • Key phrase—“not … on account of any righteousness of our own”—cements the principle that nothing in Israel’s performance can earn God’s favorable response (Isaiah 64:6). Paul’s Proclamation: Grace, Faith, No Boasting • Paul explains individual salvation in the same vocabulary Daniel used nationally—grace, gift, not works. • Faith is the empty hand receiving the gift; it contributes no merit (Romans 3:27-28). • “Not from yourselves” echoes Daniel’s “not … on account of any righteousness of our own,” showing continuity between Old and New Covenants. Shared Truths: Mercy Overrides Merit 1. Source of Help – Daniel: “Your great mercy.” – Paul: “the gift of God.” 2. Exclusion of Works – Daniel: “not … our righteousness.” – Paul: “not by works.” 3. Resulting Humility – Daniel approaches with repentant dependence. – Paul says salvation leaves “no one [able] to boast.” Wider Scriptural Harmony • Titus 3:5—“He saved us, not by works of righteousness that we had done, but according to His mercy.” • Psalm 51:1—David likewise pleads, “According to Your loving devotion; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” • Romans 11:6—If salvation is by grace, “it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace.” Living Out the Connection • Approach God aware that our standing rests solely on His mercy in Christ, never on personal merit. • Receive the gift of salvation with simple, trusting faith, just as Daniel modeled trust in God’s mercy for national restoration. • Let boasting be silenced and gratitude flourish, knowing every prayer heard and every soul saved depends on the same unchanging grace of God. |
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