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 make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies and one who sows discord among brothers.

Proverbs 6:16–19

What does God hate? What would you put on the top 3 list without checking? Judging by what is in the air in American Christianity we might think that God hate’s liberal institutions, illegal boarder crossing, the LGBTQI community, LGBTQI thinking, premarital sex, socialists and the “Great Satan” - the media.

When you look at God’s Word he never seems to be mad at unbelievers for having wrong thinking. He is often gentle and winsome with those on the outside of faith. Think of the adulterous woman at the well, or the greedy, or the swindling, womanizer Zacchaeus, or the pagan shepherd named Abram (later Abraham). There are certainly times when God makes known his great displeasure about the actions of pagan peoples, but there also seems to be an understanding that they are lost and without God in the world. God is seeking the unbelieving world with compassion and truth. 

So what does He hate?

He hates when people who are part of the believing community act in contradiction to his own character. His harshest words in Scripture are for the devil and religious people who have no compassion or mercy. He hates when religious people make a lifestyle of “acceptable sins” all the while judging with great harshness those who don’t fit their cultural box. This text also speaks of the nominal believer who benefits from the believing community with no intention of repentance. Solomon uses a Hebrew poetry form to make the case. God hates six things and the seventh is the worst. Let’s break it down.

Haughty eyes: Smug, judgmental, self sufficient, arrogance that betrays itself in an unkind glare

A lying tongue: Specifically lies or slight untruths that harm others, push agendas, and deceive as a means of control

Hands that shed innocent blood: Abortion, police brutality, robbery, murder, war, violence, vigilanteism, violent speech and those who will deny others quality of life for their own personal gain

A heart that devises wicked plans: Usually out of pride or control, frustration, or hurt feelings, these folks believe that it is ok to do a little evil for what they consider to be a good end. This could be everything from disgruntled Christians who sabotage churches to the January 6 insurrection in DC last year.

Feet that make haste to run to evil: Usually when no one is watching or evil hidden in a “Noble Cause” 

A false witness: Breaking the 9th commandment, by speaking untruths about others to gain influence, control or just retaliation for offenses that are real or imagined

One who sows discord among brothers: Gossip, slander, emotional manipulation, half truths, poisoning the well, secret meetings, sowing seeds of doubt and confusion. This one God seems to hate most according to the poetry. Those who create and inflame divisions are surely working with the devil whether they know it or not.

But even for these things there is grace for those who repent.

The trick is to see your own sins and the sins of your tribe to be more serious than the sins of those who have harmed you or those who don't know God. This is not just smoke for the Apostle Paul. At the end of his life, after walking with Jesus for 30 years, he said of himself “I am the chief of sinners.” 

Big sinners need big grace and if they become mature,

they will give grace away in big ways. 

So let us hate what God hates, but God hates sinful actions not sinful people. Let us cut out any evil that we are nursing below the surface and let us have a winsome and loving posture towards the lost world. And may we have courage to deny anything that God hates.

Grace and peace, 

Pastor Harvey