EVENING SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 12/17/2025
7:55 PM
My
Worship
Time Focus: PT-1 “Their
Premium”
Bible
Reading &
Meditation Reference: 2 Peter 2:15-16
Message
of the verses: “forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having
followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of
unrighteousness; but he received a rebuke for hos own transgression, for a mute
donkey, speaking with a voice of a man, restrained the madness of the prophet.”
(NASB)
“forsaken
the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son
of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; 16 But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass
speaking with man’s voice forbad the madness of the prophet.” (KJV)
I have mentioned that I am using a
new laptop and as of yet I am still working on getting all of the things on it
that I had on my other laptop, but the “Word” program I was using on the older
laptop was over 25 years old, and that laptop was very slow and so I thought it
would be best to get another laptop. The
Online Bible program I have on my new laptop is just the basic program and the
only translation on it is the KJV, and so that is who I will be using for a
while until I get other translations on it.
I have also been doing a lot of quoting from John MacArthur’s commentaries
and in doing that I am quoting many verses that he mentions in order to help us
to better understand the commentary we are looking at so the Spiritual Diaries
may be a bit shorter in content, but much longer because of the quoting of much
more Scripture to help us better understand these commentaries.
“The dictionary defines premium as
an inducement to doing something, or a motivator to accomplishing a task. In the case of false teachers, Peter revealed
that their primary incentive was and is personal gain. Put simply, their premium was really a price
tag—they were motivated by money, as has already been noted in verses 3 and
14. In order to further illustrate his
point, Peter compared false teachers to the Old Testament false prophet Balaam
(Num. 22-24; cf. Jude 11).” We will now
look at Jude 11 KJV “11 Woe unto
them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error
of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.”
“The false teachers, like Balaam before them, were forsaking
the right way. The right way is an
Old Testament metaphor indicating obedience to God’s Word (Gen. 18:19; 1 Sam.
12:23; Job 8:19; Psalm. 18:30; 25:0; 119:14, 33; Prov. 8:20, 22; cf. Acts
13:10).”
“19 For I know him, that he will command his
children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD,
to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he
hath spoken of him.”
“23 Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should
sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you: but I will teach you the good
and the right way:”
“19 Behold, this is the joy of his way, and
out of the earth shall others grow.”
“30 As for God, his way is perfect:
the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust
in him.”
“9 The meek will he guide in judgment: and the
meek will he teach his way.”
“14 I have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies,
as much as in all riches.”
“33 ¶ HE. Teach me, O LORD, the way of thy statutes;
and I shall keep it unto the end.”
“20 I lead in the way of righteousness, in the
midst of the paths of judgment:”
“22 ¶ The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his
way, before his works of old.”
“10 And said, O full of all subtilty and all
mischief, thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all
righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord?”
“Forsaking
describes a direct, deliberate rebellion against Scripture. By rejecting God’s Word, the false teachers
of Peter’s day refused to walk in obedience, choosing instead to wander away in
spite of the eternal consequences (cf. Jude 13). “13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own
shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.” “In so doing, they foolishly followed
the way of Balaam, the son of Beor.
“The story of Balaam is a classic example of a
prophet who was motivated by financial gain.
Having been hired by Balak, the king of Moab, Balaam attempted to curse
the people of Israel as they wandered in the wilderness (Num. 22:1-6). “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 licked
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 blessed is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is
cursed.” “Balak saw the Israelites
as a military threat and hoped to defeat them with Balaam’s help. Having garnered a reputation as a prophet-for-hire,
Balaam was from a city along the Euphrates River where scholars have found
evidence of a cult of prophets whose activities resembled Balaam’s practices.”
Look’s like we will have to finish
this section in tomorrow evenings SD. I
have to say that Balaam’s donkey is one of my all time, one of the things that
I like to do is talk about the donkey that it is female, and she likes to talk.
12/17/2025
8:31 PM
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