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. 14
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