And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said, O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; (Daniel 9:4)
Verses 4-19 record one of the outstanding prayers of the OT. It is a prayer on behalf of the people of God, offered by a sincere petitioner.
Great and dreadful God.
Compare Neh. 1:5; 9:32. The word translated “dreadful” (Heb. nora’) means “awe-inspiring,” or “revered” (see on Ps. 111:9).
Keeping the covenant.
Daniel begins his prayer with an acknowledgment of the faithfulness of God. God never fails to keep His promises. He is a covenant-keeping God. He will fulfill His part of the agreement. If the covenant fails, man is to blame (see Heb. 8:8).
Love him.
Love to God and the keeping of His commandments always go together. Those who love God are admonished to demonstrate that love by keeping His commandments (John 14:15). The one essential carries the other with it. Love for God will result in glad and willing obedience. The true church at the close of time will be distinguished by its commandment keeping (Rev. 12:17).