1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart,
that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
2 For he flattereth himself in his own eyes,
until his iniquity be found to be hateful.
3 The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit:
he hath left off to be wise, and to do good.
4 He deviseth mischief upon his bed;
he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
5 Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens;
and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
6 Thy righteousness is like the great mountains;
Thy judgments are a great deep:
O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
7 How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God!
therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
8 They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house;
and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
9 For with Thee is the fountain of life:
in Thy light shall we see light.
10 O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee;
and thy righteousness to the upright in heart.
11 Let not the foot of pride come against me,
and let not the hand of the wicked remove me.
12 There are the workers of iniquity fallen:
they are cast down, and shall not be able to rise.
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Comments by Joan Boney
1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart,
that there is no fear of God before his eyes.
Most people do not fear God.
Most people fear other humans.
As a new Christian in 1975, God taught me the fear of the LORD. God taught me what it was to fear HIM. This was done in a very powerful and meaningful way.
I owned a business in Dallas. A young woman saw a way to get money from me and as a result took me to court. I barely knew anything at all about God at the time. I had just been born again. But I knew nothing.
I came to realize God was telling me I must not testify at this upcoming trial.
The first fear of man I had was in telling this to my lawyer. What would he think about this? I went to the lawyer and I told him that I had become a Christian. I told him he might not want to represent me after I told him what I had to tell him. Then I told him God was telling me not to testify at this trial.
This lawyer took this mildly and said he would still represent me even if I did not testify.
However, this changed the first day of testimony. The lawyer came to me and told me if I would testify we would win the trial but that the testimony from the woman who worked for me didn't go as well as he had hoped it would go. If I would testify there was no way we would lose the case.
I replied to the lawyer that I would see.
We were at a short recess in the court. I went into rest room and prayed, asking God what to do. I heard: "Don't testify."
Then my own people began hating me. The woman who worked for me was angry with me because I would not testify. She had witnessed the event and had testified. She felt the burden of the whole trial was on her because I wouldn't testify. I explained to her I couldn't testify for God had said to me, "Don't testify." This really meant nothing at all to her and she continued in her anger against me even though she identified herself as being a Christian.
The man I was dating at the time was upset with me. Bob said, "Joan ... you aren't doing this woman any favor by not testifying." I replied: "I'm not trying to do this woman any favor. God told me: 'Don't testify.' I can't testify." Bob identified himself as a Christian and worked for a publisher of Christian type books, but he didn't understand anything I said to him and he didn't care what I thought God had said to me.
I did not testify during the 2 day trial. We won the case.
My concern was "What does God want?" This is the fear of God, the fear of the Lord. I would have been very afraid to go against that which I believed God was saying to me. This is the fear of God.
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Numbers 22 ... 1 And the children of Israel set forward, and pitched in the plains of Moab on this side Jordan by Jericho.
2 And Balak the son of Zippor saw all that Israel had done to the Amorites.
3 And Moab was sore afraid of the people, because they were many:and Moab was distressed because of the children of Israel.
4 And Moab said unto the elders of Midian, Now shall this company lick up all that are round about us, as the ox licketh up the grass of the field.
And Balak the son of Zippor was king of the Moabites at that time.
5 He sent messengers therefore unto Balaam the son of Beor to Pethor, which is by the river of the land of the children of his people, to call him, saying, Behold, there is a people come out from Egypt:behold, they cover the face of the earth, and they abide over against me:6 Come now therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people; for they are too mighty for me:peradventure I shall prevail, that we may smite them, and that I may drive them out of the land:for I wot that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed.
7 And the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian departed with the rewards of divination in their hand; and they came unto Balaam, and spake unto him the words of Balak.
8 And he said unto them, Lodge here this night, and I will bring you word again, as the Lord shall speak unto me:and the princes of Moab abode with Balaam.
9 And God came unto Balaam, and said, What men are these with thee?
10 And Balaam said unto God, Balak the son of Zippor, king of Moab, hath sent unto me, saying, 11 Behold, there is a people come out of Egypt, which covereth the face of the earth:come now, curse me them; peradventure I shall be able to overcome them, and drive them out.
12 And God said unto Balaam, Thou shalt not go with them; thou shalt not curse the people:for they are blessed.
Balaam reported this to the men of Balak and they returned to Balak.
Balak sent men who were even more honorable to Balaam and Balak offered great reward to Balaam if he would come and curse the people of Israel.
15 And Balak sent yet again princes, more, and more honourable than they. 16 And they came to Balaam, and said to him, Thus saith Balak the son of Zippor, Let nothing, I pray thee, hinder thee from coming unto me:17 For I will promote thee unto very great honour, and I will do whatsoever thou sayest unto me:come therefore, I pray thee, curse me this people.
18 And Balaam answered and said unto the servants of Balak, If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more. 19 Now therefore, I pray you, tarry ye also here this night, that I may know what the Lord will say unto me more.
20 And God came unto Balaam at night, and said unto him, If the men come to call thee, rise up, and go with them; but yet the word which I shall say unto thee, that shalt thou do.
But God forbid Balaam to curse the people of Israel.
21 And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab.
This was not a good decision on part of Balaam ...
22 And God's anger was kindled because he went:and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him.
Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him.
23 And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field:and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way.
24 But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side.
25 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall:and he smote her again.
26 And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left.
27 And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam:and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff.
28 And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times?
29 And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me:I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee.
30 And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast ridden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay.
31 Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand:and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face.
Three times the ass saw the danger and the angel of the Lord but Balaam was blind and could not see the danger in the way he was going.
32 And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold, I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me:33 And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times:unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
34 And Balaam said unto the angel of the Lord, I have sinned; for I knew not that thou stoodest in the way against me:now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again.
35 And the angel of the Lord said unto Balaam, Go with the men:but only the word that I shall speak unto thee, that thou shalt speak. So Balaam went with the princes of Balak.
36 And when Balak heard that Balaam was come, he went out to meet him unto a city of Moab, which is in the border of Arnon, which is in the utmost coast. 37 And Balak said unto Balaam, Did I not earnestly send unto thee to call thee? wherefore camest thou not unto me? am I not able indeed to promote thee to honour?
38 And Balaam said unto Balak, Lo, I am come unto thee:have I now any power at all to say any thing? the word that God putteth in my mouth, that shall I speak.
39 And Balaam went with Balak, and they came unto Kirjathhuzoth. 40 And Balak offered oxen and sheep, and sent to Balaam, and to the princes that were with him. 41 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Balak took Balaam, and brought him up into the high places of Baal, that thence he might see the utmost part of the people.
Numbers 23 ... 1 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven oxen and seven rams.
2 And Balak did as Balaam had spoken;
and Balak and Balaam offered on every altar a bullock and a ram.
3 And Balaam said unto Balak, Stand by thy burnt offering, and I will go:peradventure the Lord will come to meet me:and whatsoever he sheweth me I will tell thee.
And he went to an high place.
4 And God met Balaam:and he said unto him, I have prepared seven altars, and I have offered upon every altar a bullock and a ram.
5 And the Lord put a word in Balaam's mouth, and said, Return unto Balak, and thus thou shalt speak. 6 And he returned unto him, and, lo, he stood by his burnt sacrifice, he, and all the princes of Moab. 7 And he took up his parable, and said,
Balak the king of Moab hath brought me from Aram,
out of the mountains of the east, saying,
Come, curse me Jacob,
and come, defy Israel.
8 How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed?
or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?
9 For from the top of the rocks I see him,
and from the hills I behold him:
lo, the people shall dwell alone,
and shall not be reckoned among the nations.
10 Who can count the dust of Jacob,
and the number of the fourth part of Israel?
Let me die the death of the righteous,
and let my last end be like his!
11 And Balak said unto Balaam, What hast thou done unto me? I took thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast blessed them altogether.
12 And he answered and said, Must I not take heed to speak that which the Lord hath put in my mouth?
13 And Balak said unto him, Come, I pray thee, with me unto another place, from whence thou mayest see them:thou shalt see but the utmost part of them, and shalt not see them all:and curse me them from thence.
It is like Balak can't see anything that has just happened. This is the way I find many people to be. They see but they can't see and they try their own way again and again and fail again ...
14 And he brought him into the field of Zophim, to the top of Pisgah, and built seven altars, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar. 15 And he said unto Balak, Stand here by thy burnt offering, while I meet the Lord yonder. 16 And the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, Go again unto Balak, and say thus. 17 And when he came to him, behold, he stood by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab with him.
And Balak said unto him, What hath the Lord spoken?
18 And he took up his parable, and said,
Rise up, Balak, and hear;
hearken unto me, thou son of Zippor:
19 God is not a man, that he should lie;
neither the son of man, that he should repent:
hath he said, and shall he not do it?
or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?
20 Behold, I have received commandment to bless:and he hath blessed;
and I cannot reverse it.
21 He hath not beheld iniquity in Jacob,
neither hath he seen perverseness in Israel:
the Lord his God is with him,
and the shout of a king is among them.
22 God brought them out of Egypt;
he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn.
23 Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob,
neither is there any divination against Israel:
according to this time it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel,
What hath God wrought!
24 Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion,
and lift up himself as a young lion:
he shall not lie down until he eat of the prey,
and drink the blood of the slain.
25 And Balak said unto Balaam, Neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all.
Balak is so frustrated at this point that he wants Balaam to do nothing
26 But Balaam answered and said unto Balak, Told not I thee, saying, All that the Lord speaketh, that I must do?
So Balak reconsiders and decides to try again to get Israel cursed.
27 And Balak said unto Balaam, Come, I pray thee, I will bring thee unto another place; peradventure it will please God that thou mayest curse me them from thence.
28 And Balak brought Balaam unto the top of Peor, that looketh toward Jeshimon.
29 And Balaam said unto Balak, Build me here seven altars, and prepare me here seven bullocks and seven rams.
30 And Balak did as Balaam had said, and offered a bullock and a ram on every altar.
Numbers 24 ... 1 And when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he went not, as at other times, to seek for enchantments, but he set his face toward the wilderness.
2 And Balaam lifted up his eyes, and he saw Israel abiding in his tents according to their tribes; and the spirit of God came upon him. 3 And he took up his parable, and said,
Balaam the son of Beor hath said,
and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
4 He hath said, which heard the words of God,
which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
5 How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob,
and thy tabernacles, O Israel!
6 As the valleys are they spread forth,
as gardens by the river's side,
as the trees of lign aloes which the Lord hath planted,
and as cedar trees beside the waters.
7 He shall pour the water out of his buckets,
and his seed shall be in many waters,
and his king shall be higher than Agag,
and his kingdom shall be exalted.
8 God brought him forth out of Egypt;
he hath as it were the strength of an unicorn:
he shall eat up the nations his enemies,
and shall break their bones, and pierce them through with his arrows.
9 He couched, he lay down as a lion,
and as a great lion:who shall stir him up?
Blessed is he that blesseth thee,
and cursed is he that curseth thee.
10 And Balak's anger was kindled against Balaam, and he smote his hands together:and Balak said unto Balaam, I called thee to curse mine enemies, and, behold, thou hast altogether blessed them these three times.
11 Therefore now flee thou to thy place:
I thought to promote thee unto great honour; but, lo, the Lord hath kept thee back from honour.
12 And Balaam said unto Balak, Spake I not also to thy messengers which thou sentest unto me, saying, 13 If Balak would give me his house full of silver and gold, I cannot go beyond the commandment of the Lord, to do either good or bad of mine own mind; but what the Lord saith, that will I speak?
14 And now, behold, I go unto my people:come therefore, and I will advertise thee what this people shall do to thy people in the latter days.
15 And he took up his parable, and said,
Balaam the son of Beor hath said,
and the man whose eyes are open hath said:
16 He hath said, which heard the words of God,
and knew the knowledge of the most High,
which saw the vision of the Almighty,
falling into a trance, but having his eyes open:
17 I shall see him, but not now:
I shall behold him, but not nigh:
there shall come a Star out of Jacob,
and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel,
and shall smite the corners of Moab,
and destroy all the children of Sheth.
18 And Edom shall be a possession,
Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies;
and Israel shall do valiantly.
19 Out of Jacob shall come he that shall have dominion,
and shall destroy him that remaineth of the city.
20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said,
Amalek was the first of the nations;
but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
21 And he looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said,
Strong is thy dwelling place,
and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.
22 Nevertheless the Kenite shall be wasted,
until Asshur shall carry thee away captive.
23 And he took up his parable, and said,
Alas, who shall live when God doeth this!
24 And ships shall come from the coast of Chittim,
and shall afflict Asshur, and shall afflict Eber,
and he also shall perish for ever.
25 And Balaam rose up, and went and returned to his place:and Balak also went his way.
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Psalm 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
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Psalm 36 ... 9 For with Thee is the fountain of life: in Thy light shall we see light.
Recently guilt was trying to come upon me to force me to call my cousin. Then God reminded me of something. About a year or two ago, God gave me a dream as follows: I was at my cousin's house and someone got a spot on her dining room carpet. Another woman was with her and she began accusing me. I hadn't even been in the room. But my cousin wouldn't listen and kept accusing me.
If I call my cousin I know it will be bad. And if I don't call my cousin she will accuse me for not calling her.
As I focus on the dream given me by God, I have the strength to avoid this cousin. In another dream, God showed me I could not go out through her house.
Paul says: 13 I can do all things through Christ (The Word) which strengtheneth me. Phil. 4
We have to focus on that which God has shown us in the matter at hand and make our path appropriate to that word shown us about them, not allowing ourselves to be swept about as a leaf in the wind by fleshly emotions which profit nothing.
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v.6 ... O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
The way of God preserves us ...