What are the seven things God hates?

It says of the Lord Jesus that He "loved righteousness, and hated iniquity" (Heb.1:9). It is very difficult for us to hate as Christians, and hate in a righteous spiritual matter. The Lord could hate as perfectly as He loved. He loved with perfection, and He hated with perfection. It is often very difficult for us to do this, because of some personal matter involved that may arouse our hatred and our anger, but the Lord Jesus hated things because they were in opposition to His God and we also have to have those features. In the Proverbs there are seven things the Lord hates: "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, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren" (Prov.6:16-19). God expects His people to hate them too, and to make sure that first of all they are eradicated from our own lives, and to make sure that we do not give any permissiveness in relation to them in others.

The first term reveals the evil source, the second characterizes him humanly and in general, whatever his position. The tongue, given to praise God and to help our fellows, too surely indicates what he is; he walks with a froward and perverse mouth. It is not merely that he feels no affection, but he has only things awry to say. He likes to differ and to insinuate what is painful. Nor is there candour even in his perverse expression, "he winks with his eyes, he speaks with his feet, he teaches with his fingers." He plies his pertinacious and evil activity with the utmost skill. Not only practicing ill, but having pleasure in those that do it, he in an underhand way loves to make others his instruments; a wink of his eyes suffices for one; a shuffle with his feet influences another and even his restless fingers give a signal to the third. The evil has a root deeper than his perverse mouth; "deceits are in his heart." Other bad men may seek money, pleasure, ambition. His heart has it in frowardness; and to gratify this perverse spirit is his business and life; "he devises mischief at all times." His pleasure is to set people by the ears; "he sends out, or sows, discords." He that bows to the written Word cannot doubt what will be the issue of a course so ungodly and malicious; but even now how often a blow falls on evil in this world! "Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy." The day of the Lord will display this judicial dealing publicly, and far and wide; but from time to time there may be a witness that God is not mocked.

To impress the abhorrence with which Jehovah regards malignant iniquity, we have special evil qualities. They are set forth in a more abstract style, which might not be in the same person, that in the mouth of these two divine testimonies every word should be the more established. "These six Jehovah hates, yea, seven [are] an abomination to him." Haughty eyes are first, or a proud look; what a contrast with Him who made heaven and earth, and all that in them is, when He deigned to become man here below! The dependent and obedient man, meek and lowly in heart, who ever looked up and did only what pleased His Father, full of compassion toward suffering man, ready to forgive the sinful. "A lying tongue" comes next; Jesus was not true only but the truth; He alone. Far from Him "hands that shed innocent blood," Himself the holy sufferer to the utmost. But in man there may be worse still? "a heart that devises wicked imaginations," in hateful and unmistakable resemblance to the evil one. What can be more opposed to Jehovah and His Anointed? "The counsel of peace shall be between them both."

Do we read of men's "feet swift and running to mischief"? The Son tells us of the father running to meet the prodigal. But man under Satan's power, if he cannot kill or injure physically, may inflict a worse wrong as "a false witness breathing out lies." The goodness of God who discovers to us the truth about ourselves, leads to repentance; and He is the God of peace, in the fullest contrast with him "that sends out discords among brethren." "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" How hateful to Jehovah is he that sows discords among brethren!

Things the Lord Hates (vv. 16-19)

Though this is not a complete list of all those things the Lord hates, yet it is evident that many other evils stem from these, and if so, then of course the Lord hates them too. Six things are first mentioned, but added, "Yes, seven," as though the seventh is an afterthought, or intended to have special attention drawn to it. People may think of a proud look as of little importance, but even this is abomination to the Lord (v. 17). "A lying tongue" practically always indicates hypocrisy, a desire to misrepresent facts as they are, usually for some personal advantage. This is so common that people think lightly of it, but not God!

Closely following this is the censure of "hands that shed innocent blood". Everyone's conscience speaks strongly against this, but some totally ignore their consciences, as did Cain in killing his brother Abel (Gen. 4:8). There was no law in existence then, such as "Thou shalt not kill," but Cain knew he was a guilty man, as is proven by his lying when God asked him, "Where is Abel your brother?" (Gen. 4:9). Another object of the Lord's hatred is "a heart that devises wicked plans." This was certainly true of Haman (Esther 3:8-10), who in subtle hatred planned to have all Jews killed. God showed His own hatred of such evil by the conviction and death of Haman and by judging those who joined with him in this wicked conspiracy. In fact, they were all bent on being swift to shed blood, their feet swift in running to evil (v. 18).

"A false witness who speaks lies" can only expect God's hatred (v. 19). It is not that God singles out the individual to hate him, but since God absolutely hates falsehood, then one who chooses falsehood is placing himself on the side of falsehood, thereby coming under the same dreadful hatred.

Finally, "one who sows discord among brethren”, if he does not judge and desist from such wickedness, also falls under the same hatred as his evil does. There are various ways by which sowing discord can be done, and it often begins by talebearing, which is far worse than people generally think, for this can easily be exaggerated so badly as to cause results that are likely never to be reversed. Let us be careful not to be guilty of putting anyone in a bad light unnecessarily. Of course, if one is manifestly an enemy of God, it may be necessary that we warn others of his evil character, but this is different than sowing discord among brethren.

Prov. 6 enjoins one not to be surety for another. Wisdom is not slothful, violent, nor deceitful. There are seven things which are an abomination to the Lord. The strange woman is again pointed out to be avoided as fire: there is no ransom for adultery.

Do we consider this as we gather together in holy, happy Christian unity, that it is the death of Jesus that has made it possible? We should have had no title, no desire, no power to gather together, or dwell together, or talk together, if Jesus had not died. How near to the heart of God must this be since He secured it at so great a price. And yet I have heard it argued that divisions among God's children are of God, and so to be sanctioned and vigorously maintained. The word says, "for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal and walk as men? For while one says, 'I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?'" (1 Cor. 3:3-4); and we know that it is the wolf that scatters what God would unite (John 10). Divisions among the children of God are not of God, but are of the flesh and the devil, and they please well a scoffing world. "He that sows discord among brethren" is one of the seven abominations in God's sight, He hates him (Prov. 6:19), and no wonder, since Jesus died to make them one, and bring them into harmony with God.

Pride is the first thing mentioned by the Lord, and it is the leading member of the seven things that are an abomination unto the Lord (Prov. 6:17); it was the cause of Satan's downfall (Ezek. 28:17), and the cause of the fall of many another, even as Scripture teaches, "A man's pride shall bring him low" (Prov. 29:23), and "Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall" (Prov. 16:18). Pride marks nations, such as is recorded in Scripture, "We have heard of the pride of Moab" (Isa. 16:6), it marks individuals, and also cities, as here in Sodom. The Lord, who hates pride, takes account of it, wherever it is found, and deals with it in His government.

Pride is in every human heart; it runs in man's blood; all are afflicted with this disease, though by too many, alas, it is regarded rather as an ornament than a blemish. The Word of God says simply of “a high look, and a proud heart,” so much thought of in the world, that they are sin (Prov.21:4). They are hateful to God (Prov.6:16,17; 16:5), and to Christ, typified by wisdom (Prov.8:13).

Unworthy as slothfulness is, bad and unwise for one to be idle, it is far worse to be active in evil, for this works mischief to others without end. The Holy Spirit first draws a portrait of the dangerous man in verses 12 to 15, and then presents the evils impersonally, save at the close, which are emphatically hateful to Jehovah in verses 16 to 19.

"A man of Belial, a wicked person, walks with a perverse mouth. He winks with his eyes; he speaks with his feet; he teaches with his fingers. Deceits [are] in his heart; he devises mischief at all times; he sends out discords. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly, in a moment shall he be broken, and without remedy. Six [things] Jehovah hates, yea, seven [are] an abomination of his soul; haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked imaginations, feet that are swift in running to mischief, a false witness breathing out lies, and he that sends out discords among brethren." vv. 12-19.

What follows (v. 12) describes the perverseness of the wicked man, the man of Belial, the man who is void of God in his mind and consequently follows vanity. In every moment he is at mischief: his eyes, his feet, His fingers, all seem to carry on mischief. Perverseness is in his heart: so it works through all that he can signify anything with; he devises mischief continually, causing discord amongst others - a sad picture. But we cannot but feel how we are occupied with evil here, for we are in an evil world, and our path is through it. Only I have to learn it thus in the word by faith, and not in the practice of it, or by familiarity with the practice of it in the world. But judgment comes on such. He is unexpectedly destroyed without remedy. He has been occupied with evil; there remains but judgment. "Judgment" here is the instruction of Proverbs; and surely, though there is not a direct government by it, so it is continually in the world even now. The character of the man of Belial and vanity is then described in the traits which the Lord hates.