What does God hate? Part One

Have you ever awakened in the middle of the night, alert with many ideas that you needed but could not come up with easily before? That happened to me last night, rather early this morning at 4:00 am. I decided I had better write those ideas down before I forgot what they were.

I have been searching for the notebook where I placed a list of ideas I wanted to write about here on Real Bible Study, but I have been unable to find that notebook yet. I know where it used to be, but I can’t figure out where that notebook is just now. My late night brainstorm supplied me with thirty new topics to write about, topics that should be most helpful to all readers here.

The first topic that came to mind is “What God Hates.” The related Bible passage is Proverbs 6:16-19,

Pro 6:16  These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: 

Pro 6:17  A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, 

Pro 6:18  An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, 

Pro 6:19  A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. 

The first thing that God hates is “a proud look.” The Bible has much to say about pride. What the world or our surrounding society or culture thinks about pride does not agree at all with what God has to say about this subject in His written Word!

The best way I know to find out what the Bible has to say about pride is to read the cross references given in the Ultimate Cross Reference Treasury. Let us do just that, and consider carefully each reference in turn.

A proud look. Heb. Haughty eyes. eyes lifted up. FS171Q16, +Psa 18:27, Figure Synecdoche (of Part), put for pride, which is indicated by this act. This is the first, and the others proceed downward; “eyes,” “tongue,” “hands,” “heart,” “feet,” and then the whole man (CB). +Pro 16:5; Pro 21:4 mg. Pro 30:13, *Psa 10:4; Psa 18:27; Psa 73:6, 7, 8; Psa 101:5; Psa 131:1, *Isa 2:11; *Isa 3:9; Isa 3:16, *1Pe 5:5.

Proverbs 16:5 tells us that everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to God and shall not go unpunished.

Proverbs 21:4 states that “An high look” and “a proud heart” is sin.  It states “An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.”  Interestingly enough, the marginal reading for “the plowing of the wicked” is “the light of the wicked.” That reminds me of what Jesus warned about regarding “If the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness” (Matthew 6:23). The light of the wicked is sin. It is contrary to the light that Jesus Christ gives to those who believe and follow Him. It would be very wise to carefully consider the possibility, even the probability, that what you believe is wrong! If your light is from the wrong source, your light is darkness. If what you believe about God and spiritual things is not carefully grounded in what the Bible teaches, then what you believe is mistaken! This is a most important matter.

Proverbs 30:13 lets us know “There is a generation, O how lofty are their eyes! and their eyelids are lifted up.” It is as if they know everything already, and you cannot tell them anything. We all must be open to correction. When we are given the evidence that teaches us something new, when what is newly learned is contrary to what we thought we knew before, we must be willing to adjust our thinking accordingly.

Psalms 10:4 reads, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God:  God is not in all his thoughts.” Pride defines us as wicked in God’s eyes. The wicked, because of pride, will not seek after God. God is not the central concern of his or her life. Notice this verse contains a cause/effect relationship:  Pride is the cause of failure to seek after God. This ought to lead to a very blunt conclusion: if seeking God is not an active major concern in your life, that means you are wicked. William Kay comments on this verse: “The ungodly cares not to inquire after God; he thinks that God will not inquire after him;–as if to ignore facts were to destroy them.”

Psalm 101:5 warns, “Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure” (ESV).

Isaiah 2:11 warns, taking in Isaiah 2:10, “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.  The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down, and the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day. For the day of the LORD of hosts shall be upon everyone that is proud and lofty, and upon everyone that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low.”

Isaiah 3:9 (ESV) warns that there are those whose speech and deeds are against the LORD, defying his glorious presence. “For the look on their faces bears witness against them;  they proclaim their sin like Sodom;  they do not hide it. Woe to them! For they have brought evil on themselves.”  That is what God thinks about so-called “Gay Pride.” No Bible believing Christian can support what God declares is wicked.

Isaiah 3:16 (ESV), “The LORD said:  Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet” therefore the LORD will strike [them]. Digging into this verse a little deeper, using the cross references given at Isaiah 3:16, I note the reference given for “wanton eyes” to Proverbs 29:3 to be most significant:  “He who loves wisdom makes his father glad, but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth” (ESV).

The problem of pride in both men and women manifests itself in lustful desires and relationships. The proud person who thinks he or she “has it all together” not only engages in wrong relationships, but also has a money problem:  they do not know how to properly manage money, how to stay out of debt, how to control their urge to show off by over-spending on what seems to be status symbols in their life, or by cheating or withholding from others money that belongs to them. I saw that repeatedly in my position as the union representative in two high schools where I taught. I had to file grievances against administrators who refused to pay employees their wages on time. More than one administrator eventually got caught misusing or mishandling school funds when the State financial auditor dug into the financial records of the school, I later learned. Proverbs 29:3 surely points to the financial responsibility problem that a person under the control of his or her pride will find himself or herself. It is actually a cause/effect relationship statement that is most insightful.

1 Peter 5:5 is a most helpful passage which contains the solution that must be applied by any person who has become ensnared by the problem of pride and its consequences:  “Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for ‘God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble'” (ESV).

One of the key cross references given at 1 Peter 5:5 which gives additional insight into what we must do to rid ourselves of pride and clothe ourselves with proper humility is Isaiah 66:2, “For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the LORD:  but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.” God will “look,” or have regard for, those who are “poor” (Recall what Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” in Matthew 5:3. It ought to be clear that those who are not poor in spirit will not enter the kingdom of heaven:  compare 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, 11): those who are “poor” is more literally wretched or lowly. The person God highly regards is also of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at His word. That word is what we read in the Bible.

Recall that Paul commanded us to “work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” in Philippians 2:12.  Philippians 2:13 is also most instructive:  “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” The Bible encourages us to draw near to God, and He will draw near to us (James 4:8). As we draw near to God by prayer and the reading and study of His written word in the Bible, God will furnish us with the needed grace and strength to live according to His will. May God enable all of us to do these things and live lives pleasing to Him as a result.

 

This entry was posted in Practical Application Studies, Principles of Christian Living. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Connect with Facebook

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.