The South Pacific Division has made a series of short videos on the current lessons. This series has been scripted and presented by David Tasker. I know it is a bit late in the series to add these to our resources, but time has been a bit tight for me lately.

I hope that you will find these resources useful. Next quarter’s series has been scripted and presented by Dr. Kayle de Waal from Avondale College and hopefully, we will be posting those at the appropriate time.

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The intercessory prayer of Daniel addresses two main concerns: the sins of the people and the desolation of Jerusalem. Thus, God’s response deals with these two petitions. Through the work of the Messiah the people will be redeemed and the sanctuary will be anointed. The two specific petitions, however, are answered in ways that transcend the immediate historical horizon of Daniel: the work of the Messiah will benefit the entire human race.

Read Daniel 9:21-27. What work was to be done within the 70-week period? Why can only Jesus accomplish it?

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1. “To finish the transgression”. The Hebrew word for “transgression” (pesha‘) suggests the willful violations by an inferior against a superior (for example, Prov. 28:24). This word also occurs in the Bible with regard to open defiance of God by humans (Ezek. 2:3). Through the blood of Jesus, however, rebellion against God is quashed and humans are offered the merits that flow from Calvary.
2. “To make an end of sins”. The verb carries the meaning of “to seal”, and here it means that sin is forgiven. Since the fall, the human race has been unable to live up to God‘s standards, but the Messiah will take care of our failures.
3. “To make reconciliation for iniquity”. As Paul says: “For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross” (Col. 1:19-20, NKJV). Here, too, only Jesus can bring about this reality.
4. “To bring in everlasting righteousness”. Christ took our place on the cross and thereby bestowed upon us the blessed condition of “being right” with God. Only by faith can we receive this righteousness that comes from God.
5. “To seal up vision and prophecy”. When Christ offered Himself in sacrifice, the Old Testament prophecies that pointed to His atoning work were sealed up in the sense that they were fulfilled.
6. “And to anoint the Most Holy”. The Most Holy mentioned here is not a person but a place. So the statement refers to the anointing of the heavenly sanctuary as Christ was inaugurated there as our great High Priest (Heb. 8:1).

<–Tuesday Thursday–>

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The hymn used as the theme for this quarter is from “The Church Hymnal, Official Hymnal of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church” which was surpassed by the “Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal” in 1985.In the ‘old’ hymnal,
Number 497 – Standing by a Purpose True, that is, ”Dare to be a Daniel” will be the favourite. I do hope you are able to source this hymn and use it frequently during this quarters Sabbath School study time.

The memory verse requests the Lord to hear, as does
Hymn 684, Hear Our Prayer, O Lord, 
Hymn 668, O Thou Who Hearest and 
Hymn 658, Heavenly Father Hear Our Prayer.

Daniel trusts the Word of God, knowing that soon the people will return to Jerusalem. We sing of the Word of God in 
Hymn 274, O Word of God Incarnate and 
Hymn 273, Lord, I Have Made Thy Word My Choice. Further on Sunday, we are urged to study the Scriptures – 
Hymn 420, Jerusalem, My Happy Home.

Daniel says in his prayer that the people did not 
Trust and Obey, Hymn 590 God and walk in His laws. Daniel then appeals to God for 
Marvelous Grace, Hymn 109 and requests 
Forgive Our Sins, Hymn 299. Following this, Daniel seeks to honor God’s name as we do in 
Hymn 35, With Songs and Honors.

Point 4 on Wednesday shows we need faith
Hymn 533, O For a Faith and 
Hymn 608, Faith Is the Victory.

The prophetic calendar indicates that at the end of the 490 years Jesus will bring the sacrificial system to an end 
At the Cross, Hymn 163.

God’s blessings as you enjoy your “Singing with Inspiration” this quarter.

2 Timothy 2:15 KJV – “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

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1. The centrality of God’s word. When people ask you questions like, Why do you worship on the
   seventh day? Or Why are you so intent about rejecting the reality of the evolution of mankind?
   What do you say? Have you ever given an answer similar to Daniel’s when he explained the
   source of his understanding of the special time when he was living? What was his explanation?
   Do you base your understanding of last-day events on “the books” God has provided? Why
   aren’t people more eager than they are to learn from Scripture what is going on? Do you spend
   more time now than ever before in understanding the world we live in from God’s perspective?
2. An appeal to grace. The Bible contains many powerful prayers, but what gives Daniel’s prayer in
   Daniel 9 a special burst of importance? Did you notice that in this prayer Daniel does most of the
   talking? What does he say about sinners like you and me, lacking anything that is good, sinful
   and without any merit of our own, but asking for grace we don’t deserve and for forgiveness we
   haven’t earned? Is this not an example of where each one of us is—or should be—individually,
   before God? Compared to the overall importance of this prayer, what is its primary purpose?
3. The value of intercession. Have you ever heard a child storming that “it’s his fault” and begging
   to be relieved from all responsibility? What is Daniel’s understanding of the people’s spiritual
   needs? As sinful as they are and as determined as they seem to be to do things their way rather
   than obey God, why does Daniel keep pleading with them to follow God? Doesn’t God know
   that He doesn’t always win when he pleads with us to reject sin and follow Him? Why does God,
   who is without sin, trouble Himself to plead with His disobedient people? Can you and I
   understand the kind of love that God keeps giving us?
4. The work of the Messiah. It wasn’t the end of a global virus epidemic, but the prophecy of our
   God promising that His people will see their sins forgiven and the cleansing and anointing of the
   sanctuary. Read the prophecy and think carefully about each of the circumstances that will grow
   and change. Why will it take seventy weeks to accomplish this? Choose your favorite promise
   from the list in your lesson book. An example: Since the fall, the human race has been unable to
   live up to God‘s standards, but the Messiah will take care of our failures “to make an end to sin.”
5. The prophetic calendar. The vision has 2,300 days, but how long does Daniel have to wait
   before he has any idea about what those 2,300 days represent? If you have problems
   understanding every detail of this vision, what should give you the courage to continue your search
   for meaning until Daniel and the Word of God make it all clear to you? The crucifixion of Christ,
   the martyrdom of Stephen, and the breaking open of the gospel message to the whole world.
   What a display! What rejoicing! Persecution and suffering will come in the final days before
   Jesus comes to take us home with Him, but when those “pearly gates” open, last-day trouble
   will seem as nothing. Hold on, brother. Hold on sister. Let’s go home!

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Read Daniel 9:5-13. What is significant about the fact that Daniel keeps on saying that “we” have done wrong, thereby including himself in the sins that ultimately have brought such calamity to the nation?

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Daniel’s prayer is just one among other significant intercessory prayers contained in the Bible. Such prayers touch God’s heart, staving off judgment and bringing deliverance from enemies instead. When God is ready to destroy the entire Jewish nation, the intercession of Moses stays His hand (Exod. 32:7-14, Num. 14:10-25). Even when severe drought is about to consume the land, God answers Elijah’s prayer and pours out rain to revive the land (1 Kings chapter 18).

As we pray for family members, friends, and other people or situations, God hears our prayers and can intervene. Sometimes it may take longer for a prayer to be answered, but we can rest assured that God never forgets the needs of His children (see James 5:16).

In this case, Daniel plays the role of an intercessor, or mediator, between God and the people. From his study of the Scriptures, the prophet realizes how sinful the people have become as they transgress God’s law and refuse to hear God’s warnings. Thus, recognizing their desperate spiritual condition, Daniel prays for healing and forgiveness. But the prophet also identifies with his people. In some aspects Daniel illustrates the role of Christ as our intercessor (John chapter 17). However, there is a radical difference: Christ is “without sin” (Heb. 4:15) and therefore has no need to confess personal sin or to offer sacrifices for personal forgiveness (Heb. 7:26-27). But He identifies Himself in a unique way with sinners: “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21, NIV).

<–Monday Wednesday–>

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