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 DePaulo[1], 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 three conversations. 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 Matthew 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.
[1]
Bella
DePaulo, The Hows and Whys of Lies, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2010, p.
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