What does Daniel 9:7 mean?
When Israel first came into the Promised Land, God warned them about the consequences of disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:25, 48–50). Those threats came true when Assyria captured the ten tribes of the northern kingdom around 721 BC (2 Kings 17:1–8). Then, in 605 BC, Babylon conquered the southern kingdom of Judah and took many people captive (Daniel 1:1–7). This phase of Jewish captivity was predicted to last for seventy years (Jeremiah 25:7–11). Daniel was among those captured by Babylon, and he writes this passage more than sixty years later. The fall of Babylon and the predictions of Jeremiah (Daniel 9:1–2) gave Daniel hope. So, he began to pray, desperately, for the Lord's rescue (Daniel 9:3–6).Daniel admits that when the Lord brought this punishment on the Jewish people, it was justified. They had worshipped false gods and committed terrible evils. Daniel does not call God's goodness into question here. Nor does he make excuses for Israel. In fact, Daniel does not even try to separate himself from the rest of the people, despite being an exceptionally faithful man (Daniel 1:8; 6:5). The widespread sin in Israel and Judah was a source of "open shame." This echoes the inter-connected nature of God's people. Even in the modern era, believers are identified as part of the body of Christ: the church. When one believer sins, the sin affects every believer (1 Corinthians 5:1–2; 12:14–26).