If asked what God hates, most religious believers might simply respond that God hates sin which, according to 1 John 3:4, constitutes breaking God's law. While Bible scriptures indicate that God hates sin in general, there are certain sins which appear to be especially detestable in God's eyes.
Solomon writes in Proverbs 6:16 that there are six things that God hates and seven that are detestable to him. According to Christian belief, what are those sins?
God Hates Pride and Conceit
In Proverbs 6:17, Solomon writes that God hates haughty eyes. Additionally, in Proverbs 16, he says that pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Matthew Henry's commentary on Proverbs suggests that haughtiness, conceit or contempt of others are at the top of the list because they tend to be the root of most sin.
God Hates Lying and Falsehood
Solomon lists lying tongues in verse 17 as something else that God hates. God specifies lying as a sin in Leviticus 19:11 and, in John 8:44, Jesus states that Satan is the father of lies and that there is no truth in him. Matthew Henry asserts that, next to haughtiness, lying is the next greatest abomination to God and man because nothing is more sacred than the truth and that truth is necessary in every conversation.
God Hates the Shedding of Innocent Blood
According to the Bible, violence resulting in an innocent's bloodshed is next on the list of things that God hates. The Sixth Commandment in Exodus 20:13 specifically condemns murder. Referring back to the passage in John 8:44, Jesus also identified Satan as a "murderer from the beginning."
Aside from the wounding or taking of innocent life, Henry comments that those who murder are only serving Satan and carrying his image in their hearts.
God Hates Wicked, Scheming Hearts
Hearts that devise wicked schemes are listed in Proverbs 6:18 as a sin God hates. While lying might be a spur of the moment occurrence, scheming, plotting, or developing a subversive plan or plot involves premeditation.
In his commentary, Matthew Henry notes that this sin involves a heart that designs and a head that devises wicked imaginations.
God Hates the Pursuit of Evil
Verse 18 also lists an abhorrence by God of those who rush in to evil. Genesis 6:5 states that God's heart was filled with pain because the hearts of all of mankind was focused on doing evil all of the time. God's answer to that was to flood the earth to wipe out such evil.
Henry writes that the speed and impatience in which some people pursue greed or evil should be shameful to all of those who desire to follow God. It's said that Jesus himself taught that everyone who commits evil hates the light, which is God's word according to John 3:20. Paul also informed the church that love does not delight in evil (1 Corinthians 13:6).
God Hates False Testimony
False testimony is listed in verse 19 as something that God hates. The Ninth Commandment warned Israel not to give false testimony against a neighbor (Exodus 20:16) and John the Baptist, in Luke 3:14, urges people to avoid falsely accusing others.
In Henry's commentary on Proverbs, he states that there is not a greater offense to God nor a greater injury to another person than to knowingly give false testimony or evidence against someone.
God Hates Dissension and Conflicts
In verse 19, dissension is the last action in the list of sins that God hates. In Proverbs 6:12-15, Solomon writes that a man who plots evil and stirs up dissension will encounter disaster and be destroyed. In his epistle to the Galatians, the apostle Paul echoed Solomon's words by writing that those who engage in conflicts and sow discord will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Matthew Henry comments that the peace and love of God is in direct contrast to those who sow discord and create contention among their brothers and fellow man.
Summary of Seven Things That God Hates
While religious people generally believe that God hates sin, the sins of pride, lying, killing of innocent people, scheming hearts, pursuing evil, false testimony and those who stir up trouble are particularly abhorrent to God. Paul also warned the Galatians to avoid being conceited, provoking and envying each other.
Instead of engaging in such sins that God hates, Paul encouraged them, instead, to concentrate on the fruits of the spirit of God which he listed as love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. (Galatians 5:22-26).
Readers may also be interested in learning if the Bible says that God hates sinners or hates their sins.
Sources:
Henry, Matthew. "Commentary on Proverbs 6." Blue Letter Bible. March 1, 1996. Retrieved April 12, 2010.
Life Application Study Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1985).
Ronald G Falconberry - Ron Falconberry is an IT professional and freelance writer who enjoys researching and writing articles on Bible topics, history, and ...
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