Does God Hate?

   “God is love” ( 1 Jn. 4:8, 16 ).   “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son…” ( Jn. 3:16 ).   “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” ( Rom. 5:8 ).  Continually, throughout scripture we find statement after statement, and example after example, of God’s love.  Is it possible, then, that God could hate?

  Absolutely!  In one context of scripture we find seven things which God hates.  In fact, the text goes on to say that these things are “an abomination to Him” ( Prov. 6:16-19 ).  Strong language, to say the least.  Of course, these seven things have to do with serious sinful practices.  Using such emphatic language, some of these sins might surprise us as to having made the list.  All the more reason for us to be diligent to abstain from all sin.

  At the top of the list of seven things that God hates is “a proud look.” Probably, very few of us would head such a list with pride.  Yet, there it is right at the top of God’s list.  Perhaps because of all the other sins to which pride can lead.

  Second on the list is another sin that a great many people pretty much give a pass to.   “A lying tongue.”  Well, nobody likes to be lied to, but a whole lot of people think it’s all right to lie a little bit, in certain circumstances.  Such an attitude is careless.  John wrote that “all liars”will be eternally condemned ( Rev. 21:8 ).

   “Hands that shed innocent blood” is equivalent to murder, a sin that would probably make just about everybody’s list.  As heinous as murder is considered by society makes all the more interesting the other sins that God included in His list along with murder.   “A heart that devises wicked plans” probably describes people whose minds are largely focused on the pursuit of wickedness and evil.   “Feet that are swift in running to evil” likely points to people who like to be around, and be involved with, wicked people.  They may not, themselves, devise the wicked and evil acts, but they like to take part in them.

   “A false witness who speaks lies” is a special kind of liar, a person who lies about someone else.  Perhaps his purpose is to cause the other person hurt through his lies.  Or, the hurt may be unintended but is still a result of his lie.  Either way, he has done damage to another person through a lie.

  God may have actually put the worst of the seven last in the list.   “One who sows discord among brethren.”  The “brethren” in focus could be anyone who could be rightly so classified.  But, of obvious import is the relationship of brethren within the Lord’s church.  One who sows discord among the brethren in the Lord’s church truly is doing the work of the devil, big time!  The reason this sin may be the worst of the seven is because it does damage to the Lord’s body.  In so doing, it impacts negatively the work and effectiveness of the church.  Many souls, besides that of the sower of discord, could end up being lost as a result of the discord that he sows.

  God hates these sins.  We’d better pay attention and learn the lesson.  God does not hold sin to be a small matter…