Daniel 9 opens with the prophet Daniel studying a passage of scripture from the prophet Jeremiah. He takes to heart Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Babylonian Captivity will last 70 years (Daniel 9:2; compare Jeremiah 25:8-14). Then, he pleads with God on behalf of his people (Daniel 9:4-19).
Ironically, as Daniel prays in response to the words of a prophet, he pleads with God to forgive his people for failing to hearken “unto thy servants the prophets” (Daniel 9:6, 10). He specifically asks God, “Let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us” (Daniel 9:16).
Samuel the Lamanite used similar language as he called the people of Zarahemla to repentance:
O ye people of the land, that ye would hear my words! And I pray that the anger of the Lord be turned away from you, and that ye would repent and be saved.
Helaman 13:39
Like Daniel, Samuel wishes for God’s anger to be turned away, and he ties that outcome to the people’s repentance. In effect, he is hoping that the people will turn away from their sins and God will turn away from the consequences of those sins.
Today I will heed the words of prophets and turn away from my sins, knowing that wrong actions lead to unhappy consequences.
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