In previous blog articles, I’ve expressed my hatred of spiders and snakes. If a black widow spider were to approach one of my grandchildren, I would react with immediate action toward the spider to safeguard them from imminent harm.
Similarly, God harbors a strong aversion to certain behaviors due to the significant harm they inflict upon His beloved children.
There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
Haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that hurry to run to evil,
A lying witness who testifies falsely,
and one who sows discord in a family. (Proverbs 6.16-19)
As we meditate on these verses, let’s analyze each of the seven issues that God hates.
(1) Haughty eyes: No vice stands in sharper contrast to wisdom and the fear of the Lord than pride.
God knows the destructive nature of pride and acts to protect His children from it.
I know several people who are ready to fight if they sense any disrespect towards them. The core of this sense of disrespect and their readiness to fight lies in their pride.
Where there is strife, there is pride, but wisdom is found in those who take advice (Proverbs 13:10).
Pride is first on the list of despised character traits because it can lead humans to oppress and mistreat others, disregarding their rights and dignity.
The proud and arrogant person—’Mocker’ is his name— behaves with insolent fury (Proverbs 21:24)
Pride often results in selfishness, where humans prioritize their desires over the well-being of others.
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves (Philippians 2:3).
(2) A lying tongue: Yesterday’s blog article featured the negative effect of crooked speech.
Paul counseled believers to avoid lying because it goes against the transformation they experience through Christ.
“Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator” (Colossians 3:9-10).
One of God’s character traits is His faithfulness and truthfulness. As His children, we should also demonstrate these traits in our lives.
Since pride and dishonesty harm other people, they should be avoided by followers of the Savior.
“Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body” (Ephesians 4:25).
(3) Hands that shed innocent blood: As of September 5, 2023, there have been 193 homicides in the Greater Kansas City area.
I have officiated funerals for eleven people who died from violent means. Sitting with a family who has lost a loved one, whose life was cut short way before they had a chance to complete a full life, is a profoundly difficult experience.
Can you imagine how God feels as He surveys the earth and witnesses the violence of humans against each other?
No wonder one of God’s most hated things on earth is the shedding of innocent blood.
(4) A heart that devises wicked plans: In Hebrew poetry, the poet places the most important point they wish to convey at the center of a line of poetic elements. Here, we discover the heart of the matter to be the heart itself.
The heart is complex and powerful. It can be used for both good and evil, depending on one’s intentions and choices.
The heart is often associated with love and compassion in the Bible. It is the source of genuine care and concern for others.
Jesus taught that the heart was made to love God. “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” (Matthew 22:37).
Unfortunately, there is a potential for evil and deceit that resides in the heart. “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9).
Pride, often rooted in the heart, can lead to arrogance and rebellion against God’s will.
The Lord detests all the proud of heart. Be sure of this: They will not go unpunished (Proverbs 16:5).
(5) Feet that hurry to run to evil: The feet set the whole person in motion toward the evil he wants to achieve.
(6) A lying witness who testifies falsely: In yesterday’s article, I discussed the impact of crooked speech and the nature of people who engage in it.
I refer you to that article to dig more deeply into the idea of a lying witness.
(7) One who sows discord in a family: Sowing discord among people in society appears to be almost like a sport for some individuals. However, it is essential to understand that it is not a sport to God; He hates it.
Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments are to love God with our whole being and our neighbor as ourselves. There is no way we can sow discord among others and fulfill that commandment at the same time.
Take some time to observe the public space and see how discord actively erodes trust. Trust serves as a cornerstone in our relationships with both one another and God.
It is the bedrock upon which we build a healthy society. When discord is deliberately sown, it fractures trust and significantly hinders the process of reconciliation.
At the core of the conflict between Hamas and Israel lie years of discord that have resulted in violence and war.
God desires His children to live in peace and to actively seek the well-being of others.
As God’s people, we have a calling to share in God’s emotions, to embrace what He loves, and to hate what He detests.
Let’s examine ourselves to ensure that these seven issues, which God finds abhorrent, do not exist in our lives.
Additionally, let’s join in prayer with others, seeking God’s victory and a transformation of hearts that eradicates these negative traits from our midst.
Today’s Video
Rudy Ross and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
Real Voices 