Open your Bibles to the book of Proverbs. We're gonna be looking at the seven things that God hates, seven things that are abominations in God's eyes.
- Proverbs 6:16
When the Bible tells us that there are things that God hates, we'd better take notice. When the Bible tells us that certain things are an abomination to God, then we need to pay attention.
Think about that word hate. The Hebrew word, śānē', means to set against. It represents an emotion ranging from an intense hatred to the much weaker set against and is used for persons and things, including ideas, inanimate objects, and something that God's emotions are against, something that He hates.
These six things, these seven things really, God hates. Now when he says six things and that seven are an abomination unto Him, He's not saying that the seventh is worse than the other six. All of them are abominations. All of them are things that God hates. And also we need to understand, uh, these seven things are not the only things that God hates. This is not a comprehensive list of all the things that God hates. But the idea that God hates and that God considers these abominations are parallel when we look at the word abomination.
Looking at the word, abomination.
"A loathsome, detestable thing. Something that is repulsive." — W.E. Vine
"A disgusting thing…” — Brown-Driver-Briggs
“Extreme hatred; detestation… Whatever is an object of extreme hatred, is called an abomination…” (Webster’s)
And so, an extreme hatred. These are things that God despises. He hates these things.
Seven Abominations to God
The Naughty Person
- Proverbs 6:12-15
- Misuses the faculties God gave him
- Walks with his mouth.
- Winks with his eyes.
- Speaks with his feet.
- Teaches with his fingers.
The lesson here is not to abuse those things, the members of our bodies, the things that God has given us by misusing them; by employing them for purposes of deceit and hypocrisy, to promote evil, but rather, to put them in their natural and legitimate use is what we ought to do.
Now because this person has a perverse heart and abuses what God has intended, he uses his faculties, and misuses, them from the way God intends for them to be used.
He Who Devises Mischief
- Deviseth = to plow a field
- The imagery of cutting up or tearing up a field with a plow easily lent itself to the figurative use of the word to mean mistreatment by others…” (Vines)
- Sows discord.
- Plants seed of strife or contention.
You know, once the field is plowed, then the seed of strife or contention is planted. And so it begins with a division, and then the seed that is sewn, the ground is divided. The seed then is sewn of discord.
You think about that in a musical sense, is when there is a union of two extremely different notes juxtaposed together. It's like that one person in the choir who sings louder than everybody else and out of tune. The people that sit behind me probably know what that's like. You think of that choir performance or anytime you've ever heard Mick Jagger sing, that's what discord is.
The end of a person like that is destruction and eternal punishment.
He devises mission, he sows discord. Now, how does he so discord, how does this naughty person do this?
How does the naughty person “sow discord…”?
Six other abominations contribute to it, making a total of seven abominations. Again, this is not the complete list, but this list of things that God hates and lows explains the reason why this person will perish.
What Does God Hate?
What does God hate? What does he consider to be an abomination?
- Proverbs 6:16-19
Sewing discord among brethren. Notice there are a couple of things repeated from the previous section and a couple of things repeated in the same section here.
As we look at each one of these we begin with a proud look. You know, this is the idea of haughty or exalted eyes. It's not merely the look, but it's the temper or the mindset that the look expresses.
1) A Proud Look
- Haughty, exalted eyes
- Not merely the look... but the temper of mind which the look expresses.
- Psalms 18:27
- Luke 18:11-12
And so, God hates a proud look.
2) A Lying Tongue
God hates, he defies as a lying tongue.
- One who neither loves nor tells the truth.
- A lying tongue provokes divine displeasure.
- Psalms 5:6
- Revelation 21:8, 27
God hates a lying tongue. A proud look, a lying tongue. You know, every lie is a sin. This is like the man we described earlier as having a froward mouth. His mouth is forwarded, he speaks that which is wrong. It speaks that which is bitter and angry.
3) Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
Next, he hates hands that shed innocent blood, whether by murder or by battery, just beating someone up, shedding the blood of those who have done no iniquity or no injury.
- Murder or battery, shedding the blood of those who have done him no injury.
- Includes abortion.
- Hatred without a cause.
- Matthew 5:21-22
You know, this is like that hatred without a cause that Jesus addresses in Matthew 5:21&22.
You know, behind every murder is hatred. Behind every murder is one who holds hatred in his heart. And so, to hate someone without a cause is the same as shedding blood.
Of course, we know about the bitter evil of abortion in our country and this world, there couldn't be anything more innocent than a child. And for those who sacrifice the life of a child in the womb for the convenience of the mother, they're guilty of shedding innocent blood.
4) A Heart that Devises Wicked Imaginations
Next is a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, the idea is thoughts of iniquity.
- “Thoughts of iniquity.” Isaiah 59:7-8
- “Wicked schemes, harmful plots”
- “The heart that fabricates such, lays the foundation, builds upon it, and completes the superstructure of iniquity.”
And so, thoughts of iniquity, devising wicked imaginations. You know, the idea is wicked schemes are harmful plots. The heart that fabricates these kinds of things, lays the foundation, builds upon it, and completes the superstructure of iniquity.
Again, it's like that man, that wicked man, in verse 14 that speaketh with his feet. He teaches with his fingers. Frowardness is in his heart. He devises mischief continually. And so there's that heart to devise wicked imaginations.
5) Feet Swift and Running to Mischief
And then there are those whose feet run swiftly to mischief.
- Isaiah 59:7
As soon as they have the opportunity to do wickedness they make haste to seize that opportunity to engage in it. Again, this is the improper use of the members of the body, which are controlled by the heart.
- Eager to seize on every opportunity to engage in wickedness
- The improper use of the members of the body which are controlled by the heart.
Feet that are swift are running the mischief. They've seized every opportunity to do that, which is wrong.
6) A False Witness that Speaketh Lies
God hates a false witness that speaks lies. You know, there's a distinction here between this characteristic and the lying tongue. Otherwise, there would be no need for repetition.
This is not just a liar, but a false witness. One who is guilty of perjury, one who even on his oath before a court of justice tells anything but the truth.
- Not just a liar, but a “false witness,” one who is guilty of perjury.
- One who, even on his oath before a Court of Justice, tells anything but the truth.
- Proverbs 14:5
- Proverbs 19:5, 9.
When we think about those false witnesses who were called to testify against Jesus. And we see later false witnesses were called to testify against the first martyr, Steven.
And so God hates a false witness that speaketh lies.
7) Soweth Discord Among Brethren
God hates he that soweth discord among brethren, you know, this is not just, as some contend the most hateful thing because of its position in the list, it is an abomination. This inclusion shows the utter contempt, that God has for the discord sower, the utter contempt that he has for those that sow discord.
“He who troubles the peace of a family, of a village, of the state. All who, by lies and misrepresentations, strive to make men's minds evil affected toward their brethren.” — Adam Clarke
It is a terrible thing and we see it all the time. We see it so often. It was something that was addressed quite frequently in the New Testament.
- 1 Corinthians 1: 10-13
- 1 Corinthians 3:3-4
- 1 Corinthians 11:18-19
You know, the Lord hates this kind of division and so should we.
Think about this wicked person. These seven things are describing this wicked, naughty man. The Lord hates these things about him but doesn't hate the individual. God doesn't hate anybody. He doesn't hate you. He doesn't hate me.
Even when we were in sin before we became Christians, God did not hate us. He sent his Son to die for us. But God hates these characteristics in a person. He hates these characteristics in His children; a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that divides with wicked imaginations, feet that be swift and running to mischief a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that so has discord among brethren.
If any of these things describe the way that you have been living. Then you need to repent and do better. This person misuses the faculties that God gave him. Notice that he walks with a forward mouth, he winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers, and continually sows discord among brethren. The Lord hates this.
If this describes the way you've been living, then you need to repent. Use the faculties that God gave you in the right way.
- Romans 6:12-13, 19
And if you have been living using your faculties to ungodliness it's time to change.
- Proverbs 4:23-27
We're to protect the heart. We're to guard it with guarding, to guard it by protecting it.
- In following this advice, we learn to hate what God hates and to love what He loves.
- Amos 5:15
We have seen some of the things that God hates.
What about what God loves? What does God love?
- Righteousness - Psalms 11:7; 146:8
- Judgment - Psalms 37:28; Isaiah 61:8
- Cheerful Service to Him - 2 Corinthians 2:9
In this context, he's talking about serving God by giving, but the same idea applies to any time we serve God.
Now, I went through the Bible of my concordance and I look for everything it says directly that God loves and these were about it. I think there were a couple of others, but God loves righteousness and judgment, and he loves a cheerful giver.
You know, to serve him, we must obey him. The only way that we can be in a right relationship with God is by being baptized to have our sins washed away, believing certainly, and repenting of our sins. If we are like this person here, we need to repent. We need to turn away from this wickedness if that is how we've been living and we've got to do better.
We've got to follow Christ in His ways. If you've not done so, we urge you to be baptized. Confess your belief, repent of your sins, and be baptized and have your sins washed away.
If you've done that in the past, but you've gone back to walking in sin, we urge you to repent to come back to Him.
If we can help you let us know in by contacting us.
