Stuff God Hates

Are we even allowed to say that?  The very statement itself -  “Stuff God Hates” – seems to be a taboo these days.  The very thought that there might be hate within God’s character seems almost heretical. We are all about God’s love.  After all, “God is love.”   In fact, according to some, “love wins.”   How could God be the embodiment of love and still hate?

  

Certainly, love did win at the cross and scripture itself says that God is love, but does that automatically mean that there are not things that God hates.  Truthfully, scripture tells us that there are things that God hates and it is more specific than just a generic “God hates sin” (which he does).  The question we have to ask ourselves, though, is how we are to respond when we find out about something that God hates.  If there is something in my life that God hates, what does that mean to me?  Certainly God does not hate me – but He hates that particular thing in me?  That seems harsh, but it is true to scripture.

If God truly is the embodiment of love and if there really are things that God hates, then those things must be so horribly bad for me that it is more loving for God to hate those aspects within me than to love me in spite of them.   What that means to me is that my response should be to also hate that particular thing about myself and to trust in Him to remove them from my life.

What, then, are these things that are so bad that a loving God would display hatred towards them.  It turns out that Proverbs chapter 6 identifies 7 of them by name.

Proverbs 6:16-19

16 There are six things that the Lord hates,

seven that are an abomination to him:

17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,

and hands that shed innocent blood,

18 a heart that devises wicked plans,

feet that make haste to run to evil,

19 a false witness who breathes out lies,

and one who sows discord among brothers.

Haughty eyes

We do not often go around saying someone has haughty eyes.  In fact, some of us might not even really know what haughty means. According to the dictionary, haughty means to be disdainfully proud, arrogant, snobbish, or scornfully arrogant.  Haughty eyes, therefore, would be defined as showing arrogant superiority to others.  Are you always trying to be better than other people?  It’s one thing to strive to do your best – we should all strive to do our best at everything we do – but it is another thing to always think we are the best and better than everybody else. When we look down on others or think we are better than others, we are setting ourselves up for a fall. Psalm 118:27 says “For you save a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down” (ESV).   Instead, we are to consider others as being more important than ourselves. As it says in Philippians 2:3, “Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves” (ESV).

A Lying Tongue

I used to watch the TV Drama, House, before it was discontinued.  Dr. Gregory House used to always say “everybody lies.”  Of course we would all agree that being hurtful or intentionally deceptive for our own benefit and gain is wrong, but what about a little white lie?  Shouldn’t we lie if it is in the best interest of the other person? The answer might surprise you. When we lie, we are speaking the language of hell.  When he was speaking to the Pharisees, Jesus said in John 8:44  “You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father's desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (ESV).  Personally, I do not want to be caught dead speaking the language of hell. Instead, Peter says in 1 Peter 3:10, “Whoever desires to love life and see good days, let him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit” (ESV).

Hands that Shed Innocent Blood

When we think of “hands that shed innocent blood” we immediately think about killing an innocent person.   The most egregious act to fit this description today of course must be abortion.  So many millions of innocents are being slaughtered each year.  However, there is more to this than just killing the innocent.  This is really referring to any act of violence taken against another innocent person. This could include random acts of violence, bullying, spousal or child abuse, etc.

A Heart that Devises Wicked Plans

Have you ever noticed that every good story has an evil genius – that is, someone who crafts the most intricate, deceitful, confusing plan to accomplish some wicked end?  Why do we love such stories? Is it because we like seeing good win over evil or is it because we love to see the intricacy and genius of the complicated plans of the wicked?  Let’s be honest with ourselves.  Who hasn’t thought about planning the perfect crime – in jest and fun of course?  I love crime dramas such as Bones and Castle.  I like where the intro to Castle speaks about how murderers and crime novel writers sit around thinking up the perfect crimes.   This, however, only points out the darkness within us.  Indeed there is much wickedness within all of us. Jeremiah 17:9 says “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” (ESV)   God hates this.  Evil thoughts become evil desires.  Evil desires become evil intent.  Evil intent becomes evil plans.  Evil plans become evil actions.  Instead, we should take Solomon’s advice in Prov 4:23 – “Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (NIV).

Feet that Make Haste to Run to Evil

Unfortunately, one of our biggest problems is that we like being bad.  Teenage girls love the “bad boy.”  Teenage boys want to be the “bad boy” so the girls will love them.  We grow up thinking “Bad is Cool” and “Good guys finish last.”   By contast, Psalm 1:1-2 says “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.”  It may not make us cool, but it is what God wants from us.  Instead of running to the evils things, we should run away from them. 1 Timothy 6:11 says “But as for you, O man of God, flee these things. Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.”

A False Witness Who Breathes out Lies

Bearing a false witness is similar to lying in general, but it is about lying for the sole purpose of hurting another person.  This is essentially injustice, which is another thing that God hates.  Additionally, this is actually one of the 10 commandments: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” Exodus 20:16  (ESV).

One Who Sows Discord Among Brothers

This is one I want you to really pay attention to.  God considers a person that thrives on strife and likes to create division and controversy an “abomination.”   If you are the type of person who likes to stir up trouble or manipulate other people into getting in trouble, this is talking about you.  Titus 3:10 says “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him” (ESV).  By contrast, Matthew 5:9 says “blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” (ESV).  Likewise Romans 12:18 says “If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all” (ESV); and Hebrews 12:14 says “Strive for peace with everyone” (ESV).

What I find most interesting about these seven things is that at least two of them, a false witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers, are referring to people and not to abstract ideas.   Likewise, the other five could be argued to be referring to a type of person and not an abstract idea as well.  That makes this really problematic because the implication is that God hates those people and considers them an abomination.

I cannot begin to try to address the potential paradox of the fact that God can both hate and love at the same time.  It is certainly beyond my theological capabilities.  However, what I can say is that I have no desire to be even remotely associated with anything that the God of the universe, the creator of all things, whose wrath is awesome and fearful, might even possibly hate.  Will he forgive me for it if I display these characteristics?  Actually, since my faith is in the blood of Jesus Christ he already has.  Nevertheless, I want it gone.

Lord, help me to remove any hint of these abominations from my life!