Things God Hates

    Reading Proverbs this morning, I was reminded that even a loving God has things that He hates. How can love and hate come from the same God? Let's look at what Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." 

    Haughty eyes are listed first and can mean extreme pride or arrogance. Why would God hate a prideful person? Proverbs 11:2 tells us, "When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom." Throughout the Bible the pitfalls of pride are elucidated. Pride causes "strife" (Prov. 13:10), "destruction" (Prov. 16:18) and ultimately, Psalms 10:4 concludes, "In his pride the wicked man does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God." Our pride separates us from our God, we become our own gods, thus we fall out of relationship with God which is why He hates pride. 

    Most of us have a hard time with liars, but why would God hate them? In John 8:44 Jesus tells us where lying originated, "You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." Going back to Genesis 3:4-5, where Satan deceives the woman in the Garden of Eden by getting her to question God's integrity, lying has been a sin that separates us from God, "and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear" (Isaiah 59:2 ESV).     

    God also hates "hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devices wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil" (Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV). As we watch the nightly news, we see those individuals that commit murder, harm children, and plunder businesses. These sins seem obvious to us and we see how God wouldn't want us to engage in such activities. But what about being, "a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community" (Proverbs 6:19 NIV), are those acts as clearly defined as sin to us? Do we gossip about another person's imperfections or indiscretions? Do we complain about our bosses, pastors, neighbors, or even friends to others, rather than addressing the issues privately? 

    It's easy to be self-righteous watching the news, when we see what we might label as "blatant sin," but what about the sin within us? God still hates it! Why? Because it separates us from fellowship with Him. It causes us and others harm by becoming stumbling blocks to those that observe or participant in the "things the LORD hates."

Ephesians 4:2-3 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.