What actions led to Israel's "open shame" in Daniel 9:7? Root Verse “ ‘To You, O Lord, belongs righteousness, but to us belongs shame of face … in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of their unfaithfulness to You.’ ” (Daniel 9:7) Daniel names the cause of Israel’s exile—“their unfaithfulness.” Verses 5–6 unpack exactly what that unfaithfulness looked like. Actions Daniel Confesses (vv. 5-6) - “We have sinned” - “We have done what is evil and wicked” - “We have rebelled” - “We have turned away from Your commandments and ordinances” - “We have not listened to Your servants the prophets” Five Clear Offenses Behind the Open Shame 1. Persistent Sinning • Willful violation of God’s moral law (cf. Leviticus 26:14-15). 2. Ongoing Wickedness • Deep-seated corruption—social, political, religious (Isaiah 1:4). 3. Active Rebellion • Refusal to submit to God’s kingly authority (Deuteronomy 9:7). 4. Departure from Commandments and Ordinances • Abandonment of the covenant stipulations given at Sinai (Exodus 24:7-8). 5. Rejection of Prophetic Warnings • Ignoring messengers like Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, who pleaded for repentance (2 Chronicles 36:15-16; Jeremiah 25:4-7). Wider Biblical Confirmation - Deuteronomy 28:15-68—Moses forewarns that these very crimes would bring exile and “a reproach, a proverb, and a byword among all nations” (v. 37). - 2 Kings 17:13-18—Northern Israel is deported for the same sins; Judah failed to learn. - Ezekiel 36:17-20—God scatters His people “according to their deeds and their conduct.” Result: National Disgrace - Loss of the land (Daniel 9:7; 9:11). - Captivity under pagan rulers (Jeremiah 29:4-7). - Public humiliation—“open shame” or “shame of face”—before a watching world (Psalm 44:13-14). Summing Up Israel’s open shame in Daniel 9:7 rose directly from an accumulated pattern of sin, wickedness, rebellion, covenant-breaking, and prophetic defiance. These conscious choices shattered their national witness, invoked the covenant curses, and led to exile—yet God remained righteous, just as Daniel declares. |
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