God Hates?!
“A worthless human, a lawless man, is one who goes about with a perverse mouth, who winks with his eyes, who declares with his feet, who signals with his fingers; duplicity is in his heart; it is engrossed with evil all the time; it is instigating quarrels. Therefore calamity for him shall come suddenly; he shall be broken instantly, and there will be no healing.
These are six things Yahweh hates, even seven that are abhorrences to His soul: exalted eyes, a false tongue, and hands shedding innocent blood; a heart engrossed with lawless devisings, feet hastening to run to evil, a false witness who blows out lies, and one who instigates quarrels between brothers.
God detests 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.” Proverbs 6:12-19 Concordant Literal.
Did you know there are things that God hates, even detests? That God views as an abomination to Him? Oh yes there is! Strong’s says that this Hebrew word, sane, is defined as to hate (personally), enemy, foe, be hate[ful], odious utterly. Here is the scriptural passage that shows exactly what God hates and detests. These things that God hates are all motives and behaviors stemming from the heart of man that harm others.
Haughty, exalted eyes refers to pride and arrogance shown by looking down on others. We have all experienced this look from another who clearly believes s/he is better than we are. This is not God’s viewpoint and He detests seeing His children displaying this attitude of superiority to others. Humans do this primarily by judging by outward appearance according to status, wealth, talent, and numerous additional cultural factors easily observed or known by others.
This common human characteristic is totally unlike God, but common to man. As soon as you think you do not do this, God will bring to your heart and mind another person, group, category, or characteristic toward which you feel or act superior. Human society is full of external assessments leading to judgment of others, but the Lord does not want it in His kingdom.
“Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things…
For there is no respect of persons with God.” Romans 2:1-2; 11
Unless God has cleansed our hearts from such human judgments of others as better than or less than us, we are inexcusable before Him. It’s easy to point the finger at others, but God says we are all guilty without His intervention. We all grow up absorbing the culture around us, learning to assess others by external factors that have nothing to do with the heart, but God can change us. When you ask, God will show you such things to remove them from you.
Have you noticed that some Christians loudly condemning certain behaviors, often sexual acts, are later exposed as doing the same things? God lifts the lid on this type of hypocrisy and lies. There has only been one Man who is perfect, the Lord Jesus Christ, though we are on His path to perfection through suffering. Even when we are not guilty of what we condemn in others, God sees our critical, judgmental heart and counts it as guilt, desiring to cleanse us from all unrighteousness so that we do have a pure heart.
We are being perfected to be like the Lord, Who has no respect of another’s person or status, never showing partiality or favoritism to others. We are not to be an “accepter of a face,” making a surface judgment, as the Greek translates this word respect in the New Testament. God loves the world so much that He made the way through Jesus Christ His son for all to come to Him. Aren’t you glad that the Lord looks at the heart and is also the changer of hearts, so we, too, can become like our Lord, being no respecter of persons?
A false, lying tongue encompasses speaking falsehoods to intentionally deceive others. Deceiving lies about God’s truth to lead others away from the simple faith of the gospel for their own gain are most detestable to the Lord. The New Testament, in many passages, speaks of those who told lies to gain their own following in the churches the apostles had established, as well as Christian and secular leaders who lie to maintain power, authority, and wealth.
But this lying is not just speaking gross untruths about God or for one’s own gain. This includes when we glibly and easily speak lies without knowing the truth about a person or situation. Gossip includes speculation and rumor rather than an understanding of the other’s heart condition and circumstances. God hates it so much that He says in Revelation that liars cannot enter into the kingdom without the purging by fire from God’s holy presence.
“But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.” Revelation 21:8 KJV
It is so very difficult for us humans to recognize and be purged from the lies we tell about others, ourselves, and God! It becomes so much easier when we recognize that God loves us regardless. Some lies about who we are and who God is, deprive us of the wonderful truth of the Lord’s love and acceptance. No fear of threat or loss is as powerful as the great Love of God in providing a safe relationship in which to be cleansed from our lies.
Lies hurt our relationships with others whom God loves. Lies inevitably lead to division, which God hates. There is no division in love. Love unites, it does not divide. Lies divide. Division and strife in Christian relationships include lies that mark the other as less than, stemming from envy, jealousy, and covetousness. Cain was the first to shed innocent blood because of jealousy, while King David is the most famous. David was forgiven but suffered consequences for killing Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, whom he coveted.
Lies include condemning others for differences rather than loving our enemies as Jesus taught.
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. If someone slaps you on your right cheek, turn to him the other also; if someone wants to sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well; and if someone forces you to go one mile,p go with him two miles. Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.
You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘Hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.
If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Do not even tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even Gentiles do the same?
Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5: 38-48 Berean
Who will love the unlovable if not those of us who say we have the kind of love God has? God will teach us how to love the unlovable when we ask. After all, He loves us and we have not earned it by being lovable! He is faithful to increase our mercy and compassion, often by revealing the heart wounds that lay at the foundation of unlovable behavior. Though it seems impossible. He is able to do the impossible through the holy spirit within. And our reward is from the Lord, not necessarily from those who have unlovable characteristics.
Hands that shed innocent blood refers to murder of the guiltless. It is taking the life of someone who has done no wrong by the law, who in no way deserves the sentence of death. Even those who are deserving, sentenced to death by the law for killing innocent people, can be forgiven but the consequences for such acts are severe. A murderous heart is evil indeed!
And if God hates the murder of the innocent, what does this say about the doctrine of eternal hell for all those who do not know Jesus, our Savior? The rapture doctrine condemns innocent babies as well as all those who had no opportunity to hear about His wonderful plan of salvation. The truth is that God’s judgment is not like human judgment! It is always redemptive, bringing hearts back to Father God.
An eternal hell, to which so many Christians cling, offers no chance, ever, of redemption. That sounds like carnal man, not the God of agape love. God knows all about us and loves us all the same. For God so loved the world, He gave His son, so that we have a way to be redeemed, reconciled to the Father, as is the purpose of Jesus Christ, His son. His desire is that none should perish and He will have that desire fulfilled throughout the ages until every knee shall bow, every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord:
“Why, then, do you judge your brother? Or why do you belittle your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. It is written: ‘As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow before Me; every tongue will confess to God’.” Romans 14:11 Berean
The Lord Jesus Christ says to all to come to Him. He gets no pleasure in forced servitude through fear of punishment, without a heart that is sincere. If this was His plan, He could have just made us all serve Him from the beginning. Instead, He created a long term plan from the beginning to bring all to Christ and then turn the kingdom of men back over to the Father.
“But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he ‘has put everything under his feet.’ Now when it says that ‘everything’ has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ.
When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:20-NIV
We humans are not fond of long term plans! Something that will take ages is difficult for us time-bound people to comprehend, but that is what His word says. Do you really think what Father God, through the Lord Jesus Christ, wills and desires will not happen? Our God can do everything—remember? Just because we have not seen it does not mean that it is not truth. God will provide wisdom to those who seek out His understanding, His ways, so that there is mercy married to justice. Like He is, so are we in this world.
A heart engrossed with lawless devisings, devising wicked schemes is a heart focused upon and dedicated to plotting evil and harm against others. This is a heart that has sustained focus on harming and doing evil to others such that it is a pattern of life. There are people who dedicate their lives to avenging themselves against their enemies, having evil towards others continually as their motives. Whether acknowledged as evil or not, this is not righteous!
This is a heart that is absorbed with plotting evil rather than dedicated to God, committed to love and bring peace to others. This is one whose mind, will, and emotions are consumed by evil, unable to see, let alone display, justice through God’s kind of love. God never changes His standards, as He is the same always, but He makes a way when there is no way for an evil heart to be purified through Him.
The conversion of Saul’s heart from one who was dedicated to planning evil to Christians, to Paul’s heart of mercy and love, is a powerful example from the scriptures. Through the centuries, God has shown how He is able to turn hearts from evil to good, even the hearts of serial killers and others who have committed heinous acts against humanity. Let us not limit our wonderful God only to what we can see, hear and understand!
Feet that are hastening to run to evil, being quick to rush into evil describes a person who is readily inclined to sin and wrongdoing. We are born with this capacity though God intervenes with parental and authority figures to train it out of us. He does not do this by continually railing against our evil ways. Oh, yes, He calls it evil but He makes a way of escape through Jesus Christ our Lord. He takes the natural bent of carnal man and turns it His way!
Some of us are impulsive, easily drawn off the path of righteousness, but it’s not just all those who visibly are living ungodly lives. Evil is in the heart of man, and God hates that which is in us that would harbor any evil towards others.
“It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness…Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.” Lamentations 3:22-23;40-41 KJV
God is not satisfied with external worship to gain favor with man, to appear religious, or to cover up a heart bent on evil. Just because we sit in a church pew does not mean our hearts are acceptable to Him. We are called to search our ways and allow Him to try our hearts, to purify them so we may worship the Lord in spirit and in truth. This is the worship that pleases Him.
A false witness who pours out or blows out lies is someone who gives false testimony against others that leads to injustice. There are many reasons someone might testify about things that are untrue about another, including fear, currying of favor, to cover one’s own acts, to avoid justice themselves. God hates such things! In fact, being a false witness is one of the ten commandments.
“A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will not escape.” Proverbs 19:5 ESV
“You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.’” Mark 10:19 ESV
Jesus came to fulfill the law, as the only way to salvation. Laws do not change the heart but He does! He changed those laws into the new covenant.
“Do not think that I came to do away with or undo the Law [of Moses] or the [writings of the] Prophets; I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” Matthew 5:17 Amplified
“Owe nothing to anyone except to love and seek the best for one another; for he who [unselfishly] loves his neighbor has fulfilled the [essence of the] law [relating to one’s fellowman]. The commandments, ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet,’ and any other commandment are summed up in this statement:
‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Love does no wrong to a neighbor [it never hurts anyone]. Therefore [unselfish] love is the fulfillment of the Law.” Romans 13:8-10 Amplified
The Mosaic law is conditional: you must obey all of it to receive acceptance in God. Jesus came to fulfill the law through His covenant of love. This is summed up in Romans and sounds so simple—but it is not! We humans are incapable of loving as God loves unless and until He changes our hearts through dwelling within. Consider how Paul chastised the Corinthians for falling back into the requirements of the law rather than sustaining their new life in Christ Jesus by faith:
“This is all I want to ask of you: did you receive the [Holy] Spirit as the result of obeying [the requirements of] the Law, or was it the result of hearing [the message of salvation and] with faith [believing it]?
Are you so foolish and senseless? Having begun [your new life by faith] with the Spirit, are you now being perfected and reaching spiritual maturity by the flesh [that is, by your own works and efforts to keep the Law? Galatians 3:2-3 Amplified
Love, God’s agape, unconditional, all-encompassing love never fails! Without it, all other acts of the believer are worth nothing. When you have the love of God dwelling in you, you have all the fruits of the spirit. One Corinthians 13 expresses the epitome of God’s excellent love:
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love [for others growing out of God’s love for me], then I have become only a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal [just an annoying distraction]. And if I have the gift of prophecy [and speak a new message from God to the people], and understand all mysteries, and [possess] all knowledge; and if I have all [sufficient] faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love [reaching out to others], I am nothing. If I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it does me no good at all.
Love endures with patience and serenity, love is kind and thoughtful, and is not jealous or envious; love does not brag and is not proud or arrogant. It is not rude; it is not self-seeking, it is not provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]; it does not take into account a wrong endured. It does not rejoice at injustice, but rejoices with the truth [when right and truth prevail].
Love bears all things [regardless of what comes], believes all things [looking for the best in each one], hopes all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times], endures all things [without weakening].
Love never fails [it never fades nor ends]… And now there remain: faith [abiding trust in God and His promises], hope [confident expectation of eternal salvation], love [unselfish love for others growing out of God’s love for me], to these three [the choicest graces]; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:1-8;13 Amplified
We cannot be the love of God in this world without the Lord changing our stony hearts of flesh into His heart of love. Love is the most powerful force in the universe;it is how Christians are to be known and recognized. We all fail in being perfect love in the earth, but Jesus Christ, the firstborn of many brethren, made the way. Faith sustains us in God’s school as we see the fruit of His ways growing within by the holy spirit. He makes what has eternally been impossible for carnal man to be love in the earth.
A person who stirs up conflict, instigating quarrels between brothers is a Christian who sows discord and creates strife among brothers, in the Christian community in particular. Does this mean it is ok to do so to those who are not our brothers and sisters in Christ? Well, of course not! What it does mean is that God particularly hates those who instigate or provoke a Christian to act against another. It’s a version of “Let’s you and him fight.”
There are people who enjoy starting quarrels between those who are supposed to love each other. A contentious, combative, argumentative, grumbling or antagonistic spirit goes against everything Jesus taught about how we are to act! While we are to be dedicated to bringing about peace, these persons relish starting a good fight while appearing innocent of its cause. This is a heart of guile and deception.
It is difficult for those of us who hate conflict to relate to someone who enjoys it. This is not truth in love being spoken, but deception and innuendo, a whisper here, a planted word there, and the contentious sit back to watch the trouble they have caused. But we are not to bring contention but peace. Indeed we are to actively pursue it! Here are just two of the many scriptures that direct us to do so:
“Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” Psalm 34:14 NIV
“For whoever would love life and see good days must keep his tongue from evil and his lips from deceitful speech. He must turn from evil and do good; he must seek peace and pursue it. Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” 1 Peter 3:10-11 Berean
A heart of love will seek peace for all, not just those they are around. He made the way for us to seek peace, and it is one of the key characteristics of God’s kingdom within:
“For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Romans 14:17 NIV
No man knows to do right and can perform it without God. He works within us to be righteous, to do things His right way. Then we have peace and joy. These are the marks of the kingdom of God within. Such is the light of the world that we are created to be in the darkness of earthly life. He is faithful to change us into children of light, as He is light within us. What an awesome God!
Yes, God hates. He hates these seven things enough to make a point of them in the old testament. They are all a part of the sins of the eye, what we focus on, the sins of the flesh, what we do in our bodies, and the pride of life, that self that must be taken to the cross daily. To him who knows to do right and does it not, that is sin. We believers who are called by His name are held by God to this standard in a way that those who do not know right behavior.
This passage from proverbs, quoted above from the Concordant Literal, predicts and confirms calamity coming suddenly; he shall be broken instantly, and there will be no healing for those who persist in doing what God hates. Healing of the heart of man only comes through submission to the Lord. He has made the way of escape from these things that God hates. Come, Lord Jesus, and do your marvelous work in the hearts of humans so that as He is, so are we in this world.