Six Things that the Lord Hates, Yea Seven are an Abomination
The bible tells us in Proverbs 6:16; “There are six things which the LORD hates, Yea, seven, which are an abomination to Him.”
And here’s what those seven abominations are, from verses 17 thru 19..
#1. “A proud look” Some versions say, “haughty eyes”
#2. “A lying tongue” No definition needed there.
#3. “Hands that shed innocent blood”
#4. “A heart that deviseth wicked imaginations” Here’s another way to say that; “A heart that plots evil” That’s pretty plain. Everyone sins, but most people simply fall into the trap of doing evil. But some people, imagine it, and plot it, and scheme it, and devise it! And the Lord HATES it!
#5. “Feet that are swift in running to evil” Maybe those people didn’t devise the evil plan, like those others, but they’re sure quick to join in!
#6. “A false witness who speaks lies” Not just “a lying tongue”, like was mentioned earlier, but a lying tongue that’s out to hurt, someone else!
#7. “One who sows discord among brethren” It’s a lot like that false witness speaking lies, they’re just out to cause pain, and trouble and discord. And even worse, among the brethren. Among their own brothers and sisters.
And all seven of these things, are an absolute abomination to God. And it seems like God has just given us a picture of satan. Think about it.. A proud look, a lying tongue, shedding innocent blood, devising wicked schemes, running to evil, false accusations, and sowing discord. That is the epitome, of the spirit of satan.
But yet people allow this very same spirit, to dwell in them. And it’s an abomination to God.
But you know, there’s a flip-side to just about everything. And there’s a flip-side to these seven things that the Lord hates so badly too. And so how about if we name, and think about, seven things that the Lord loves, and that I’m sure are an absolute joy to Him. Seven things that truly please God.
#1. It’s the flip-side of those haughty eyes, and that proud look. It’s humility.. “a humble heart”. James 4, verse 6 tells us; “..God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.” God loves humility. Verse 7 says; “Be subject therefore unto God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” “Draw nigh unto God” says verse 8, “And he will draw nigh unto you.”
But there’s only one way to draw nigh unto God, and that’s with, humility. That’s the only way to come to God. In the sermon on the mount, Jesus said “Blessed are the poor in spirit; For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Mathew 5, verse 3. The “poor in spirit” are the humble in spirit; The humble of heart. The kingdom of heaven, belongs to the humble of heart. Not to the proud, not to the arrogant, not to the self-reliant; But to the humble. To those who are willing to simply do what God asks, without questioning, without hesitation, and without doubt.
Psalm 51, verse 17 says; “The sacrifices of God, (the sacrifices that WE make, to God) are a broken spirit; A broken and contrite heart; These, O God, You will not despise.” A “broken spirit” is a humble spirit”. And a “contrite heart” is a heart which we’ve allowed God to “crush down” so to speak, and rid it of all pride.
Jesus said in Mathew 18, verse 4; “Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” God loves the humble! Do you know who humbled Himself so that WE could have the chance to enter the kingdom of heaven? God did! God humbled Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. Philippians 2, verse 8 says; “And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” God humbled Himself, for you and I, and for everyone! Let’s humble ourselves, for God?
#2. What’s the flip-side of a lying tongue? It’s truth and honesty, isn’t it? God loves truth and honesty. Here’s what we’re told in Proverbs 12:22; “Lying lips are abomination to the Lord: But they that deal truly, are his delight.” God delights in honesty.
1 John 3:18 tells us; “Dear children, let us not love with words or speech, but with actions, and in truth.” Our love needs to be in truth. Ephesians 4;15 says; “But speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ.”
In 1 Corinthians 5, Paul talks about getting rid of sin; And he says is verses 7 & 8; “Clean out the old leaven (get rid of the sin) so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact, unleavened. (we’re “unleavened” so to speak, because Christ has forgiven our sins, and He’s washed them away) For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast..”
Paul is making an allusion here, to the Passover feast of the Jews. But he’s not telling us to literally celebrate that same Passover that the Jews celebrated. He’s speaking figuratively. “Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed”.. Paul says. And since Christ has been sacrificed, and since His blood has cleansed us of our sin, and since we are now “unleavened” so to speak, (which means that we’re without sin) we can now “celebrate the feast” of Christianity. Christians “feast” on the blessings which are “IN” Christ, and “IN” His kingdom.
So then the scripture says; “Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread, of sincerity and truth.” Sincerity, truth, honesty, they are as “unleavened bread”, they are “sinlessness” before the Lord. And that’s how our Christian lives need to be lived; Sinlessly, to the best of our ability.
#3. God hates “hands that shed innocent blood”, but He loves those who heal others. That’s one reason why the Father loves the Son so much. Because as the scripture says in Isaiah 53, verse 5; “But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; Upon Him was a chastisement that brought us peace, and with His stripes, we are healed.”
Revelation 22:1 & 2 gives us a little symbolic description of heaven. And it says; “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”
Jesus was certainly a “healer” wasn’t He? But can we heal anyone? Well, we may not be able to heal anyone’s physical body, but we can surely have a part on healing their soul! We’re told in James 5, verse 20; “Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner, from the error of his way, shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.” You may be able to “save a soul from death” if you try hard enough! And how God would love you for that.
Listen to a few verses about helping others. Because you just never know, how much good, your good deeds might accomplish, in someone’s life.
Proverbs 3:27 tells us; “Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand. to do it.” And Proverbs 19:17 says; “He that hath pity upon the poor, lends unto the LORD! And that which he hath given, will He pay him again.”
Here’s a couple of verses from Hebrews; Hebrews 6:10 says; “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labor of love, which ye have showed toward His name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” That’s quite a verse to remember.
And Hebrews 13:16; “But to do good, and to communicate, forget not! For with such sacrifices, God is well pleased.” Deuteronomy 15:11 gives us some good words to live by; “For the poor shall never cease out of the land: Therefore I command thee, saying; Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.”
God promises us that we’ll be blessed for doing good to others; But in addition to that, You just never know how much your good deeds, might actually help another person’s faith. You might just “convert a sinner, and save a soul from death”.
#4. “A heart that devises wicked imaginations” is an abomination to God. But, God absolutely loves, pure thoughts. We’re told in Philippians 4, verse 8; “Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.”
The apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 10, verse 5; “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity, every thought, to the obedience of Christ.” Proverbs 4:23 says; “Keep thy heart with all diligence; For out of it, are the issues of life.”
And Jesus says in Mathew 5, verse 8; “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God!” God loves purity of heart, and purity of thought, and, purity of action.
#5. God hates, “Feet that are swift in running to evil”. But God loves for us.. “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.” (Micah 6, verse 8) Instead of running towards evil, God tells us to “Abstain from all appearance of evil.” (1 Thessalonians 5;22)
Do you know what God loves? God loves for you.. “..To make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business, and work with your hands, just as we commanded you; That you may walk properly toward those who are outside, and that you may lack nothing.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11 & 12)
God loves peacemakers. Jesus said in His sermon on the mount, in Mathew 5:9; “Blessed are the peacemakers: For they shall be called the children of God.” Peacemakers, not trouble-makers. “Blessed are the meek: For they shall inherit the earth.” (Mathew 5, verse 5) “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; (not evil, but righteousness) For THEY shall be filled.”
God loves, when we abide in love! 1 John 4:16 says it like this; “And we have known and believed, the love that God hath to us. God is love; And he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, and God in him.” And verse 17 says; “Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; Because as He is, so are we, in this world.” As God is, that’s the way we need to be, in this world, and in this life.
#6. “A false witness, speaking lies” is an abomination to God. But God truly loves, a “true witness”. Revelation 3:14 tells us; “These are the words of the Amen; The faithful and TRUE Witness, the origin of God’s creation.” Jesus Christ, “the faithful and true witness”.
We read in John 21:24; “This is the disciple which testifies of these things, and wrote these things; And we know that his testimony is true.” And John wrote these words, in 1 John 1, verses 1 thru 3; “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.”
What’s the value of a faithful and true witness? What’s the value of one who testifies of Jesus Christ? And where would we be, without that testimony? Once again, John wrote in John 20, verse 31; “But these are written, that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; And that believing, you might have life through his name.”
How much do you think God loves a true witness? How much do you think God loves those who give of themselves, to testify to, and to spread, the word of God? I think God’s love is immeasurable!
#7. What’s worse, than one who sows discord among his brethren? But on the other hand, what’s greater, than the one who sows love, and peace, and unity, and kindness, to their brothers and sisters in Christ. Is that not what God loves the most? The ones who truly show, the “fruits of the Spirit”, in their lives?
And once again, let’s look to the sermon on the mount, Mathew 5, verse 9 which says; “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” And here’s what God says about it in Psalm 133, verse 1; “Behold, how good and pleasant it is, when brethren live together in harmony!” How God loves it!
You want to be loved by God don’t you? Then be the one who sows peace; And be the one who sows unity; And be the one who sows kindness; Be the one who loves!
In closing, let’s allow God’s word to remind us of a few facts about love. And please, don’t just listen to these facts, but put them in your heart, and apply them to your life..
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It’s not rude, it’s not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs suffered. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails!” 1 Corinthians 13:4 and following.
We’re already loved by God; How about we love Him back, and love each other along the way.
