The Fear of the Lord — Joy Dawson

The Seriousness of Seeking God’s Word

None of the messages that I have given to you in these last five days, the last three days, five messages in three days, came easily to me to hear. I sought God with all my heart and it has taken many hours in God's presence to be absolutely sure that I knew the exact Rhema word for each time I would speak.

And the way God gave me this message tonight was no exception. It was perhaps one of the hardest ones. Saturday mornings and this one took the longest to get. And God just started speaking to me all over the word of God in relation to the fear of the Lord.

Now I have this whole book on that subject and a series of messages with notes in there, but that's not what he was saying to me. Then I have another message on restoring the fear of the Lord to the body of Christ, but he didn't confirm it to be just that, and directed me to many scriptures on prayer.

And I thought, what in the world is going on? Now I have a whole book of notes on prayer, something like 25 messages on the subject of intercession, all different, and I'm in the process of writing a book on it.

And so, of course, when he speaks on prayer, I want to know which of the 25. And when it's on the fear of the Lord, well, there's a whole book on that, 17 chapters and about five hours teaching, and I need to know what part on that.

And he wasn't confirming it was just on the fear of God, and he wasn't confirming it was just on prayer, and yet I would get scriptures confirming that it was on both. I said, God, I just have to keep seeking, that's all.

And then he showed me it was a combination of messages, and this is after hours of listening to him. And that I'm to start on the subject of the need for the fear of the Lord, and how it is to be restored to the body of Christ, I am to incorporate some of my teaching in my book, so that's two combinations right there, because this restoring of the fear of the Lord to the body of Christ is a different message from the whole teaching on the fear of the Lord, although it incorporates some of it, but it's a different slant.

And then the part that I kept getting on prayer all the time is that we're going to have a prayer meeting at the end of this message, and we're going to pray seriously for what I will be teaching you.

Again, I say to you, God and I have taken this message very seriously. He expects you to take it equally seriously in the application. Fair enough, isn't it? You think that's reasonable? Well, two people do anyway.

I'm going to ask you again, if you're serious, would you respond? If God takes a meeting very seriously and causes a speaker to be hour after hour after hour in prayer, seeking his face to get the exact message, do you think it's fair that the people take it seriously?

That's better. For the fear of the Lord and how it can be restored to the church. First of all, we have to know what the fear of the Lord is. I think the fear of the Lord, that phrase, is one of the most unknown in understanding phrases in all of God's word.

The Fear of the Lord Means Hatred of Sin

It has nothing to do with being afraid of God in the sense of fearing to come near him. And so we need to understand what it is. And the Bible doesn't leave us in any doubt about it. And I'm going to give you some of the definitions.

First of all, it is having God's attitude towards sin. Having God's attitude towards sin. Proverbs 8, 13 tells us what that is. The fear of the Lord is to hate sin. It did not say, the Bible does not say, the fear of the Lord is not to sin.

The fear of the Lord is to hate sin. Because you see, there are four different levels that we can be on in relation to our attitude towards sin. And as I give them to you, you'll understand why the definition is hatred of sin.

The first level is the person doesn't want to sin and chooses not to only because the consequences are too great. The love for the sin is in the heart and the sin is frequently committed in the mind. For instance, a person lusting in adultery or fornication in their minds after somebody else.

Wanting to have the experience with the body, but afraid of the consequences. Might be found out, all kinds of things. Disgrace. There is no hatred of that sin whatsoever. The fact that they haven't committed it with the body is incidental to God.

There is no fear of God on the person. The love for it is there and they're committing it in the mind. Next level. If you ask them, do you fear God? They would say, couldn't you notice? Notice what? I never missed a church service other than when I was desperately ill.

I wouldn't even think of it. I'm always regularly in the house of God. Every Sunday, every prayer meeting. Hadn't you noticed? I always tithe and give offerings. I've never, ever had a bill outstanding.

All my bills are paid on time. And you asked me, do I fear God? You need to hear what else I do. I grow six cabbages and always give one over the fence to the neighbor. I mind my own business. I never stir up any trouble anywhere.

I'm committed to living by the golden rule. Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. No neighbor could ever say I'd ever been mean to them. And you ask me, do I fear God? Yes, I still ask that person.

Do they fear the Lord? If I went on, or you went on to ask some questions like this. Have you a burden for the lost? When is it the last time you had an effective witness? Your prayer life like in relation to the multiplied millions who've never even heard the gospel.

Have you been obedient to the Great Commission? Have you made definite steps in your life to prepare for missionary service? Because God has said to every Christian, go. Have you a story of divine guidance to stay at home in relation to the Great Commission?

Who would the poor and the needy argue? God has many commands that we are to be. The person would say, hey, stop. Stop right there. I don't need any more questions. Why? Because the answer could be no to the whole lot.

Therefore, there is no hatred of those sins of omission. No fear of God in all that huge area of that person's life. Are we understanding now? No hatred of the sin of disobedience in relation to those commands from God.

All commands from God. No fear of God in those great big areas of the life. Then there's the person on the third level. This person is aware of these things we've been talking about. Sensitive to God.

Committed, wanting to do God's will. Taking God seriously. Sins, is concerned about it. Runs to confess to God. Only to find that he or she is committing the same sin maybe the next day or the next week.

And back and back and back in a circle of confession and defeat. And despair often. That's level three. Trying but confessing. And failing. But confessing, sincere, is level four. The person with the fear of the Lord.

If the fear of the Lord is to hate sin. That means there is not a love for sin in the heart. We do not do, do not choose to do what we hate. Unless forced by a power over us, higher over us in authority.

Is that correct? Have you ever done anything you hated to do? Was obnoxious to you? Unless forced by a power over you in authority? Well, there's no response from this audience. This is an interesting audience tonight.

Is there anybody here? Who chose to do what they hated to do. Unless forced by an authority over them. Or that it was something they hated to do. But they knew they ought to do. I suppose that could come into it.

That must be drudgery. But here's the, this is the point God is making. When we, that that's the greatest antidote not to sin. And that if we don't hate the sin. Then we have a measure of the love of that sin in our heart.

To one degree or another. Therefore how do you get having a hatred of it so you don't? A hatred has to take over for the love that is there. You see that person on the third level constantly confessing sin.

Hasn't seen that there is still the love for that sin there. That has to be replaced by a hatred. Now when the hatred comes. And it comes there's only one way. It's through the fear of the Lord. Listen to the next verse of scripture.

Proverbs 16 .6. Through the fear of the Lord a man avoids evil. In this little book Intimate Friendship with God. Through understanding the fear of the Lord. I give the illustration. I'm going to give it tonight for one, again for one reason.

That is that I was seeking God about an hour and a half ago. And he told me to give it to you. I didn't have it in these notes to give it to you. But he spoke to me and said give it tonight. So I'm just here to be obedient.

Hatred of Sin Illustrated by Cow Manure

That's where the action is. If there was cow manure on the floor. This carpet in front of this pulpit tonight. And I knew that there was going to be cow manure there. Because someone would tell me. When you're speaking tonight there's going to be cow manure.

Now. If I said to my dear friends. Alan and Dorothy Landstar. I desperately need your help. Before the meeting tonight. And they'd say well Joy we're available. To help you in any way that we can. That's what they're like.

And I would say well this may be an unusual request. But I'm desperate. And desperate people are not self-conscious. And this is why I need help. I have a secret love for cow manure. Oh I know it's embarrassing to tell you.

And it must seem amazing to you to hear it. But that's just how it is. And I'm desperate. And I have to speak. In the pulpit. And I actually will have to pass the cow manure. To get up to the pulpit to speak.

And if you knew the strong temptation that cow manure is to me. Just one quiff of it. Send me. I will need you to pray me through. That I will get up to the pulpit. Without wanting to just get my finger into it.

And then I will need you to intercede. All through the time I'm preaching. Because I'll be able to smell it. And it'll be a distraction. Because the temptation is so strong. To want to get down in there with it.

And they would say to me. Joy. As pastors. Over many many years. We have had some strange requests. But never anything like this. But never mind dear. We see you're sincere. And we will pray for you. Oh God.

They would even lay their hands on me. Dear God. Please help Joy. Overcome the strong temptation. Getting up to the pulpit. And in the pulpit. While she's preaching. On the fear of the Lord. Get the humor.

It obviously. Obviously wouldn't be this subject. Whatever she's speaking on. So that she can make it through. So she will not be tempted. Help her God. To overcome this temptation. We pray in Jesus name.

Thank you that you will. And they sit there praying like crazy. They can't take notes. Because they've got their prayer project. And we all laugh. And it's absurd. It's crazy. It's ridiculous. But it's going on all the time.

In the body of Christ. In relation to sin. This is my besetting sin. This is my weakness. I inherited from my father. Or my mother. Or my grandfather. Or something. This is how I'm made. This is how I'll always be.

I know it's wrong. Please pray for me. Buncombe. Bologna. And whatever else. Anybody comes and prays. Asks you to pray for them. Over something they're sinning over all the time. Say to them. You need a great big healthy dose.

Of the fear of the Lord. And as you have that. You will quit your sin. And you will hate it. And God will give you a love. To do what you're not supposed to do. I. Why. He'll give you a love. Yes. For what you're not supposed to do.

Okay. Why. Are we. Why would all of us. Every one of us. Want. If we knew cow manure. Was going to be in the front of the church tonight. Those in the pew. And those in the pulpit. We would. All. Want.

To either get a bucket. And a shovel. And a. And some disinfectant. And. Get that stuff. Out of the building. As fast as we could. And put lots of disinfectant. Back on the carpet. Or we would want to vacate the building.

One of the two. Because we have an instinctive. Hatred for it. Why. Because it stinks. Terribly simple. Now if you don't come into that category. We can pray for you. We have prayers. Going on. In this church.

For people in need. You can become normal. Normal. Christianity. Is meant. That we have a. Hatred. For sin. And God. Has given us. This wonderful thing. Called the fear. Of the Lord. Which is to hate sin.

Awe of God’s Name and Power

And in this little book. I give you. Five or six. Steps. Of how. You can become. The fear. How to obtain. The fear. Of the Lord. It means. Also. To stand in. Awe. Of God's name. Malachi. Chapter two. Verse five.

My covenant with him. Was a covenant. Of life. And peace. And I gave them. To him. That he might. Fear. And he. Feared me. He stood in. Awe. Of my name. How in the world. Can you stand in. Awe. Of the name.

Of God. When you've got to know. What his name is. And of course. We could be. All night. Having a. Bible studies. On the names of the Lord. But there are. Two words. That God uses. In the word of God.

To sum up. Who he is. Better than any. I know. And those. Are the two words. I am. Now. What does. I am mean. I am everything. We will ever need. God to be. To fulfill us. I am everything. We will ever need.

For him. To work. In us. In order to conform us. To the image. Of his dear son. Everything. We will ever need. To work. Through us. To make him known. To others. And say. Wow. You are. You are. You are.

Absolutely. Completely. All sufficient. For any need. I will ever have. All sufficient. To need. To work. In me. To make me. Conform. To the image. Of your son. Jesus. And everything. That you. That I will need. For you.

To work. Through me. To work. To bless others. And we stand. In awe. Of a being. So totally. Sufficient. And sufficient. To meet man's need. It also means. That's two things. Here's the third. It means.

To stand. In awe. Of God's. Authority. And power. As the creator. And sustainer. Of the universe. Psalm 33. Verses 8 to 9. Let all the earth. Fear the Lord. Let all the inhabitants. Of the world. Stand in awe. Of him.

And it came to be. He commanded. And it stood forth. We need to constantly. Meditate. On the. Awesome. Terrible. Power. Of God. A being. So powerful. From anything. That we can comprehend. With our little pea-sized.

Finite mind. That with spoken words. He can create worlds. And with a spoken word. Can uphold. The universe. Including worlds. By the word. Of his power. What a being. I stand in awe. Of him. I fear the Lord.

Fearing God More Than Human Approval

It means. Point four. I stand in awe. Being more impressed. With God's reactions. To our actions. Than man's reactions. To our actions. Isaiah 8. 13. The Lord almighty. Is the one you are. To regard. As holy.

He is the one you are. To fear. To regard God. As holy. Is to be. Constantly. Listen. Every. Single. Second. In our conscience. When we're conscious. To be. Concerned. His. Reactions. To our actions. And.

And. Therefore. I'm. Concerned. Relatively. In relation. To man's. Reactions. To our actions. You know. That means. It means. In any. Situation. Every. Situation. You. Choose. To be nothing. That God.

May be everything. Now. That's. Relatively. Easy. When you're on your own. Had. You noticed. No big. Test. I mean. There's nobody. To criticize. You anyway. What you doing. You just there. I'm not talking about.

When God. Gives you. A command. To do. That. That you. Don't take. Terribly. Seriously. His reaction. When you're on your own. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about. Where in. We're in group situations where there's one other human being or one million other human being.

And. It can be millions of human beings on television. And I'm on television a lot and I'll give you an example. I was on television. In the States here. Teaching on the subject of intercession. And it was by an interviewer who wanted me to teach.

He didn't want to be interrupting or interacting hardly at all and he'd worked out ahead of time I think it was just three basic questions he would ask me in a whole half an hour so that I could go for it and just teach.

And I was in the middle of giving an illustration out of my life of something to illustrate a point on intercession that I was making and I gave the story correctly until I came to the end and then I added no more than four or five words to the true account of that story out of my life to make a humorous ending to the story.

Are you with me? Immediately the Holy Spirit convicted me as immediately the Holy Spirit convicts all of us when we know we have exaggerated or lied to be humorous or for any other reason. This was to add humor.

By the way why would I want to add humor? To draw attention to myself. I mean why would I? Why would I not just make it factual? A decision to make that every one of us has to make when we have lied. And confession should be in the circle in which the sin has been committed.

What was my circle? Television audience in America which can be you know who knows how many. Instantly because of the fear of the Lord I turned to the interviewer and I said I'm very sorry to have to interrupt your program like this but I have just sinned.

I said in that sentence that I in that illustration that I gave out of my life those five words at the end I said they were not true. I added those and I said I would ask your forgiveness. And then I looked into the little box in front of me and I said and those of you who are listening to this program please forgive me I lied.

Those extra five words to make that humorous were not true. That is not what I said or did. Please forgive me. And then I prayed and I said Father I want the anointing of your spirit. I want the Holy Spirit to be upon me and you don't anoint liars.

Please forgive me. I ask that you will and I thank you for your blood that cleanses me and forgives me. Words to that effect. And then I went on. That's the fear of the Lord. But listen if I'd had more of the fear of the Lord I wouldn't have lied in the first place.

It was a demonstration of a measure of the fear of God. But it sure let me know that I needed more of the fear of God upon me. That was an indication of an area where it wasn't. But it's also an indication of when there is a real degree of the fear of the Lord what your reaction to sin will be immediately you have sinned.

Obedience to God’s Immediate Direction

Another illustration. Now that's being more concerned with God's reaction to your actions than men's reactions to your actions. Another occasion. I was standing up in obedience to God in front of an audience of spiritual leaders giving the message that God had spoken very clearly to me to give.

I had been speaking for exactly three minutes on my watch when the Holy Spirit thought suddenly and sovereignly said to me lie on your face on the floor. What would you do you're in front of spiritual leaders.

You have the word of the Lord. He's spoken to you to give it. You've been going three minutes. I just said to the leaders I have just been given a mandate from God. I am to lie on my face on the floor.

So that's what I'll be doing. And then I went and a half hours later every one of those spiritual leaders picked themselves up from the same floor because God by his spirit swept in immediately. I had been obedient.

Sovereignly spoke to every single one of them quietly and told them to go down to no human being told them to lie down. The leader under whose authority I was who had asked me to speak never said a word either.

He just went down every one of them one by one spoken to by God the Holy Spirit lay on their faces on the floor and then God started to move slowly not quickly slowly slowly but surely all over that room and in conviction of sin in one way or another and for five and a half hours there was openness and brokenness as God started to reveal hearts and motives and a deep deep move of God took place and then when it was all through when we all knew it was through up we came again humbler wiser all God needed was for the person who had been invited to speak to start and then to choose to be nothing that he may be everything.

Can you imagine what would have taken place if I hadn't laid on my face on the floor. I'll tell you what would have taken place. I'd have gone on speaking with the fear of man based in pride. All anointing would have lifted off me.

I would have been humbled and embarrassed by God in front of all the leaders and there would have been a whole horrible situation which often happens you just go on with the show. The speaker keeps speaking the people know the anointing of God is not there and you go through the motions of having a meeting and God has nothing to do with it other than that he's withdrawn from it.

You can have a move of God that is absolutely history making and life changing and God is looking for men and women who will feel the Lord and and be impressed and concerned every single second only with his reaction to their action.

On another occasion I was speaking to spiritual leaders again because that's the majority of my calling in life. I was speaking on the subject of the fear of God. I have been speaking for 20 minutes three points on that message that would take not at least two hours.

But it's a spiritual leadership conference and two hours have been allotted. I was the main speaker for the whole morning. 20 minutes through three points the Holy Spirit speaks to me clearly again and says sit down and don't say another word.

Now on that occasion I wasn't even allowed to tell the audience. Sit down and don't say another word. What you do when you fear God that's exactly what you do. So I did. One minute all the leaders had a speaker for the two hour session the next minute they didn't have one.

I'm sitting I found the chair like over there on the left hand side of the platform and sat down. You can choose to believe me or not that's going to be your problem but I was as relaxed as a poached egg.

A fried egg is frazzled. A scrambled egg is mixed up and a boiled egg is uptight. And a poached egg is relaxed. I was relaxed. I was fascinated. Everything to do about my amazing God intrigues me. I've been studying his character for about 34 years.

I'm turned on to God. He's the most amazing, incredible, fascinating being. I was fascinated. What are you going to do now? It's not my conference. These are not my leaders. They're his. This is not my truth.

They're his. It's not my Bible. It's his. I'm not my own. I'm bought with the price. I'm his. He says sit down and don't say another word. I say yes sir. Now I watch your show. I did. Intrigued. The chairman got up who was the visionary for this big spiritual leadership conference.

He got up behind behind the microphone and said all he knew to say three times in 10 minutes which amounted to nothing and sat down. Not being unkind, just factual. Silence. Everybody wondering what in the world.

Nobody moving. Then God moved upon Campbell McAlpine. Anybody know Campbell McAlpine? About what, six people? Okay. So you know Campbell. You know he fears God, right? God moves on him. I don't know that.

I don't even know if he's there. He was one of the co-speakers. It was a conference being conducted with three speakers. Lauren Cunningham, Campbell McAlpine and Joy. And I didn't know where my two brothers were.

But I saw Campbell coming up from the back. So that told me he was in the audience. He came up in obedience to God. He knew there was no point in ever coming near me. I was told not to say another word.

So he just came up behind the microphone in obedience to God. God had given him the plan of what now to do. And he simply walked to the microphone and said, you've heard the three points in relation to the fear of God.

Now we're going to have a time of applying those points in humbling. By that I mean, he said, wherever you have not been living, those three aspects of the fear of the Lord that she's just taught you, be open and broken.

And, and let's have a time of confession, public confession and humbling, because I believe that's what God wants us to do for the next hour and a half. There was an amazing move of God's spirit all over that room again, as God by his spirit revealed where the people were not living the fear of God.

And one by one, they were getting up confessing. There were all kinds of things happen that morning. Marriages were put back together. I can remember some people were lying on their faces on the floor.

Others were broken and sobbing and restitutions were being made. And just the fear of God. It was just moving amongst the people and also move all God needed was one little person to be nothing that he may sweep in and be everything.

I can hear the Holy spirit talking to me very clearly. I always have one ear. So attuned to him here. When I'm preaching, I can hear him saying, I have spiritual leaders right now in this audience that need desperately to hear this because I'm going to test them.

And in my love for them, I have brought forth these illustrations that they may be prepared. Better not keep that to myself. That would be rather selfish. Wouldn't it? I just delivered the goods to you.

“Do Whatever He Tells You to Do”

That's what he said to me. Another occasion. I was teaching a lot of mature people. I remember it wasn't a leadership conference, but I remember they were mature people. And I had been speaking, I finished teaching, been teaching for about two hours.

It was in a school situation. We came to the end of the teaching time and I didn't know, I hadn't prior knowledge from God, how to close the end of the meeting. I always ask God to show me how do you want this teaching to be applied?

And he hadn't shown me. So I came to the end. And what do you do if you don't know? Seek the face of God. If you fear the Lord and you wait on him, even if it's about in front of the people. So I said, I don't know how to close this meeting.

And I don't know what the application is, but God does. And I just bowed my head like this. And I said, God, how do you want us to close this meeting or apply these truths? And it came again. Lie on your face on the floor.

I thought, well, that's an interesting application of the message, but that's all right. That's what he wants me to do. That's what he wants me to do. So then I went again. Now only the women will really understand just how a woman would feel.

Lying on your face on the floor. It's about the most undignified. You know what I mean, girls? May not be any big deal to the men, but you know. Anyway, I'm lying down on the floor there on my face and I thought, oh, well, now some God will probably do what he did at that other time.

Someone else will come forward and you know, God will take over. Nobody moved. Nobody came forward. And whereas I had sat in that chair in the previous story for, uh, maybe 10 minutes. I tell you with God as my witness and all those people who were there, I must've laid there for, I don't know, 15 minutes.

It seemed like an eternity anyway, but a long time. And I remember thinking, well, who knows? I could be here for the afternoon. It was a morning session and I thought, well, I could do worse. At least I'm resting.

And again, I said to God, those people are not my people. I'm not responsible for those people. They're yours. It wasn't my school. It was in one of YWAM's schools. I think it was a crossroads where the older people are.

And I, I said, this, none of this is mine. This is all you. It's your show. You're well able to take over and it'll be interesting to see the purpose that you show me. I thought any minute I'll be getting the purpose of why I'm showing, lying here.

Never ever did he tell me. I still don't have a clue. Other than it was a demonstration of the fear of God to the people. At the end of it, 15 minutes to 20 minutes, nobody moved. That's miracle one. Right there.

But they didn't move and I didn't move. And then I got up and I'm sure they thought I was going to come up with a big explanation. I said, I have no explanation. He just said to me, just then get up. That's why I'm up.

And then it happened. The spirit of God just said to me, these words, say to this audience, do whatever he tells you to do. So I delivered that sentence and stood there. I'm here to tell you for hours, not one hour, for hours, the spirit of God came upon those people as one after the other got up and said, or did whatever God told them to do.

I mean, there was a demonstration of God's miraculous power or over that place. There were healings of the mind. There were healings of bodies. There were words of knowledge. There were vision given people.

I mean, God broke loose amongst the people. He only needed me to be nothing, that he may be everything. It comes from the fear of the Lord being totally unimpressed with men's reactions to your actions, consumed with concern of his reactions to your actions.

We need to recognize that it affects every aspect of our lives. In this little book, The Fear of God, 17 chapters, I think it is. I haven't counted them up for a long time. 16 chapters on how it affects thought life, obedience, relationships, fear of men.

Awesome chapter here in relation to touching the Lord's anointing.

Please stop your machine at this point and turn your cassette over.

Criticism and “Touching the Lord’s Anointed”

We don't have to say that we agree if we don't agree with everything they're doing or saying, but we should leave the person with such a positive impression because we have so majored on all the good and of God in the person that no way would you be ever a deterrent from their not hearing or being used or receiving the good and of God through that person.

Is that clear? And I remember walking out of a very large meeting, many thousands of Christians, and sitting in this meeting by a minister who I had just met in the meeting, and we'd be chatting on the way out.

And he said to me this sentence. I don't remember what our prior conversation was. He said, God's greatest judgments on me in my life have always been when I have criticized another preacher or another spiritual leader.

I do not know why God is calling, causing me tonight to speak about this. I did not have any thought that I would, but when I was seeking God, what aspects of the fear of the Lord do you want me to speak about tonight?

He showed me this was one, and he confirmed it to me strongly when our brother here, what was your name again? Second row right there. Chuck was sharing with us about the conference and the Spirit of God said to me, yes, joy, you do speak about the subject.

I don't know, I have no idea in the world. Maybe it's got something to do with next week. I don't know. You take note of what I'm saying now. I know you will. It's a very grievous thing to touch the Lord's anointed.

How do we know? We know because God says not to do it. And we know from God's judgments in the word of God on those who disobeyed it. The classic examples in the word of God are both women. And one is Michael's daughter, David's wife.

When she speaks critically of her husband, David, in the way he worshiped and God at a time of rejoicing in victory. And what does God do to her? He gives her a very, very severe punishment, much more severe that would be in those days than it would be today.

She had a barren womb for the rest of her life. Now that's a severe punishment to any normal woman who loves to have a child. But in those days it was, it was far worse because it was considered a social disgrace not to be able to bear a child.

So she had a heartache and a disgrace that she lived with. Now, why would God do that? God is always just. He lived with the man who spoke more about and lived more than any other leader that we read in the Bible about touch not the Lord's anointed.