Proverbs 8:13: “The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.”
Psalm 97:10: “Ye that love the Lord, hate evil.”
We fool ourselves if we say we fear God and at the same time we are soft on things that God hates.
Should we not hate what God hates? Absolutely.
God hates idols (Exodus 20:5). Regarding idols, God reveals Himself to be a righteous “jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me.” At the same time, God shows “mercy unto thousands that love him and keep his commandments.”
Colossians 3:5: “Covetousness which is idolatry.” To covet is to greedily want what belongs to another. This type of idolatry causes people to make wrong decisions to obtain the thing they covet. We must teach our children to hate covetousness.
Proverbs 6:16: “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, A heart that deviseth wicked imagination, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”
1. God hates a proud look. Do I?
2. God hates a lying tongue. Do I?
3. God hates hands that shed innocent blood. This includes abortion. Do I?
4. God hates a heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. These are schemes to do evil. Do I?
5. God hates feet that are swift to run to mischief. Gossipers could be included in this. Do I?
6. God hates a false witness that speaks lies. Do I?
7. God hates those who sow discord among the brethren. Sowing discord among our brothers and sisters in the family as well as in the church is something God hates. Do I?
Our political TV channels are full of sowing seeds of discord and God hates it. Certain things need to be exposed. It is right to expose evil, but we must be careful not to be involved in fake dossiers, etc. to break down righteous unity.
God wants us to employ our tongues to bring about righteous unity, to heal broken relationships and broken hearts, and to be righteous peace-makers.
To be continued.
Be encouraged,
Colin Campbell