Seven Things or People That God Hates
by Pastor Jim Feeney, Ph.D.
Sermon Summary: Does God love every person and everything? No! In fact, Scripture reveals a number of both people and things that God hates!
Proverbs 6:16-19 There are six things the LORD HATES, seven that are DETESTABLE to him: 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 man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
•• There are seven things listed that God hates, that He detests.
• Many mistakenly conclude that God is love only. But this Scripture tells us that there are things — even people! — that God hates.
• Let’s examine ourselves to see if we are doing any of the things that God is said to hate.
1) “HAUGHTY EYES”, KJV: “a PROUD look” —
Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.
•• Shortened by many to “Pride goes before a fall.”
• A pastor who fell into adultery once told me: “I thought I was doing a good enough job God would overlook it.” Pride before a fall!
• Another minister was heard to say not long before he fell into sin and disgrace: “This is the most anointed ministry on the face of the earth today.” Pride before a fall!
• A young man said to a pastor friend of mine, “I’m having trouble with pride.” My friend succinctly and wisely replied, “Why? What do you have to be proud about?”
•• The fast track to a fall? — Pride
• Contrast Jesus' Beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3).
• God hates pride.
2) "A LYING TONGUE" —
Revelation 21:8 ...and all liars — their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.
•• God hates all liars.
• Psalms 5:5b-6a ...you hate all who do wrong. [6] You destroy those who tell lies.
• Parents, teach your kids always to speak truth.
• Jesus: “I am...the Truth...”
• Good relationships cannot be built without honesty.
• Decent societies cannot survive on a foundation of falsehood and lies.
•• God hates a lying tongue.
3) "Hands that shed INNOCENT BLOOD" —
Joel 3:19 But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood.
•• God hates the shedding of innocent blood.
• That is one of the reasons God judged Egypt.
• Imagine the blood guilt of abortion doctors!
• Imagine the blood guilt of the judges and politicians who allow the shedding of the blood of innocent, unborn babies!
4) "A HEART that DEVISES WICKED SCHEMES" —
Jeremiah 17:9, KJV The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
•• Jesus gave a list of sins and said that they proceed “out of the heart” (Matthew 15:19).
•• Proverbs 4:23, KJV Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
NIV: “Guard your heart...”
•• God hates the heart given over to wicked schemes.
5) "Feet that are QUICK to rush INTO EVIL" —
•• Quote #4 above, about the heart’s tendency to wickedness, has already brought up evil.
•• The hated conduct here is the quickness to rush into evil.
Titus 2:6 Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.
•• Self-control is the antidote to quick falls into temptation.
• For example, (Proverbs 29:11) “A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.”
•• God hates a swiftness to rush into evil.
6) "A FALSE WITNESS who pours out LIES" —
•• “False witness” — violates one of the Ten Commandments.
• We saw earlier the broader truth that God hates all liars. Here we are specifically reminded that God hates those who lie about other people.
• God hates those who do harm and disservice to His system of justice.
• I was once selected for jury duty in a trial in which the accused had allegedly been drinking alcohol. In the questioning of us potential jurors, integrity required that I had to speak up about my beliefs and preaching against alcohol. I was admittedly not impartial from the outset, and the judge rightly dismissed me from the jury selection.
•• God hates a false witness.
• Notice that this is a person that God hates! I’ve heard Christians say that God hates no one. That sounds noble, but it is anti-Scriptural. Here it is clearly said that “...the Lord hates ... a false witness.”
• See below for another type of person the Lord hates.
7) "A man who STIRS UP DISSENSION among BROTHERS" —
Titus 3:10 Warn a divisive person once, and then warn him a second time. After that, have nothing to do with him.
•• Another PERSON that God hates!
• A pastor friend of mine was once counseling a very divisive person. The pastor concluded with the startling statement, “...and besides that, GOD HATES YOU.”
• I imagine that the man he was counseling was shocked. But the Bible clearly declares that “...the Lord hates ... a man who stirs up dissension among brothers”.
• “...a man...” — that is a person that God hates.
•• What is a fast track to incurring God’s hatred? — be a talebearer, a gossip, a person who sows seeds of discord.
• Contrast the Beatitude: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9).
In summary: There are seven things or persons that God hates (Proverbs 6:16-19):
• 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
• A man who stirs up dissension among brothers
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