Six things the Lord hates---no, seven........

Proverbs 6:16-19 (NLT)

There are six things the Lord hates—no, seven things he detests: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill the innocent, a heart that plots evil, feet that race to do wrong, a false witness who pours out lies, a person who sows discord in a family.

The word “hate” is such an ugly word, yet this passage describes seven “hates” of the Lord.  These are also called the seven abominations of the Lord, although realize that Scripture speaks of other abominations (67 times) besides these seven.  When the word “hate” is used with reference to the Lord, it means His rejection of fellowship.  He has no desire to have a relationship with those who commit these things.  As you think about these seven wicked things, examine yourself to determine if you are guilty of any of these.  Be encouraged that although God hates these things, He still loves you and is willing to forgive you if you are willing to confess your wrongs and resolve to turn away from them from now on.  Of course, there are still consequences of committing these evil deeds for which you will have to pay the price.  

 

God hates haughty eyes.  Haughty eyes designates pride.  Pride is the number one sin of mankind.  It was the cause of original sin by Adam and Eve.  Pride most commonly is the cause of most of the greatest evils that occur in life.  Pride results in murder, war, anger, selfishness, and so many other egregious (as well as subtle) sins against others.   

God hates a lying tongue.  A lying tongue includes not only being untruthful with another person, but also being deceptive, misleading, not following up on promises, and being fraudulent.  Lying is part of human nature.  Bella DePaula, a researcher at the U. of California at Santa Barbara, reported that we are likely to lie several times a day or in one out of every four conversations lasting more than ten minutes.  Although the majority of lying are “white lies”, typically untruths about ourselves to make us look better to others or to spare others’ feelings, serious lies, most commonly about affairs and money, involve people we care about the most and typically cover up what we are ashamed of.  Lying seems to be rampant in politics and in the business world.  No matter what kind of lying and who does it, God hates it.

God hates hands that kill the innocent.  This includes murder, of course, but Jesus also exclaimed in Matt 6:21-22 that anger with your brother and calling him names is viewed by God as the same as murder.  However, Proverbs 6:17 is specifically referring to the action of killing another.    

God hates a heart that plots evil.  Mark 7:21-22 lists at least 12 sins of a heart that plots evil that will incur the wrath of God. 

God hates feet that race to do wrong.  God not only hates the heart/mind of a person that plots to do evil, but also the actual carrying out of that evil.  The verb “race” used here emphasizes the fact that a person who hastens with no hesitation to do wrong is hateful to the Lord.   

God hates a false witness who pours out lies.  Another emphasis on how much God hates lying although this sixth hateful thing is lying in public, particularly in a courtroom. 

Most of all, God hates a person who sows discord in a family.  When Hebrew literature uses the phrase where it starts with a number—in this passage the number six---then finishes with a higher number—in this passage, seven---the emphasis of the listing is on the last one.  So, the worst of all, God’s hates is the seventh one, the person who sows discord in a family.  Family here refers both to the family unit in a home as well as the family of God, e.g. the church.  Some translations used the word “brethren” rather than family.  God hates divorce.  Sowing discord in a family can lead to divorce.  What might be a huge surprise to you is the fact that God ranks causing family discord in the same category as being a liar and a murderer, an emphasis clearly pointed out in this passage.

Do whatever you need to do, if any of these abominations apply to you, to remove them from your life through prayer, forgiveness, and taking positive actions to remove them through the help and power of the Lord.