By prayer and supplications with fasting and sackcloth and ashes Daniels set his face to seek the Lord God. The phrase "to set ones face" implies a single-minded purposefulness. I suppose that all God's people shall eventually be blessed to steadfastly set their face toward Him who gave His life for the love of His people, Jesus Christ our Lord. Perhaps some shall not set their face to seek the Lord until the resurrection morning. One must be brought to the time and the place when seeking the love of God is their only desire. Then they like David may say that only shall they seek (see Psalm 27:4 and Phil.3: 13 &14). The flesh presents many distractions so that often we cannot do the things that we would (see Gal 5:17).

Consider our Lord. He went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with Him. Scripture records "it came to pass, when the time was come that He should be received up, He steadfastly set His face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)" Outside the gates of Jerusalem, on the cross of Calvary, Jesus our Lord would finish the compassionate work of redemption. Our Lord denied His flesh and steadfastly set His face toward finishing His course, to do the will of His Father that sent Him and to finish His work. He steadfastly set his face to accomplish the salvation of His people. He knew the impending agony of His appointed death. But for the joy that was set before Him he would endure the cross. He steadfastly set His face to die. Yet will His people set their face to their Life? Will they steadfastly seek His abundance?

When Daniel set his face to seek the Lord he had been brought to realize that God was great and dreadful (Dan. 9:4). Those in whom God has wrought changes have reverential fear of God. These have been given the knowledge of His holiness and dread the just recompense of sin. Daniel came to declare that it was God that was the covenant keeper and faithful. God is merciful to them that love Him and to them that keep His commandments. Righteousness belongs to God.

As for man Daniel declared that he was a sinner and that all men are sinners regardless of their station in life. Be they Kings princes fathers or children, all men are sinners. All men are wicked and rebellious, even departing from God's precepts and judgments. Confusion of faces belongs to men. All men have sinned against God. All sin is ungodliness and is against God. Man has sinned and will continue to sin and do wickedness but the Lord our God is righteous in all His works. 

Contemplate the love of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Consider the Remedy. Meditate upon the Ransom. Ponder God's Wisdom. Because of the Love of God and the fullness of grace in Christ a portion of sinful flesh, the elect, have been blessed to set their face to seek Him whom is holy. God hears our prayers and supplications because of our Mediator Jesus Christ. God causes His face to shine in our otherwise desolate dark hearts (see Dan. 9:17). He shines to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ within His vessels of mercy which He had afore prepared unto glory, and called. He causes His face to shine upon us not because we have set our face to seek Him; but rather in order that we could set our face to seek Him. 1/28/2005 M. Hoogasian