"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." Proverbs 6:16-19
Seven Things God Hates
A PROUD LOOK - feeling 'too good', 'too holy' to be with "them". Even if it's not expressed in word or action, it is detectable. God created us all equal and loves and treats everyone the same. He sends rain on the just and the unjust, what right have we - created beings - to lift ourselves above other created beings?
A LYING TONGUE - deliberate untruths, unkept promises, saying nothing, half-truths. A lier cannot be trusted. If it is impossible for God to lie (In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began... Titus 1:2), and Satan is the Father of Lies (Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it. John 8:44), then it stands to reason that liars will not be able to stand in the Great Judgement. The pain, confusion and misery of this world began with a lie. First Satan deceived himself and 1/3 of the angels in heaven. Next, he told the Woman, Eve, 'Thou shalt not surely die." When God had plainly said she surely would if she disobeyed Him. And what horror followed the acceptance of this lie!
We must always be very careful to never speak an untruth even in jest. A lie spoken in jest is a lie still and not only injures those around us but tarnishes our own souls.
HANDS THAT SHED INNOCENT BLOOD - While I may not see myself as a murderer, perhaps God has a different perspective on the matter. Think with me of ways that we can wound a friend. A sharp or thoughtless word, a withering look, gossip, envy, neglect, preferring one above the other, and I'm sure there are many more. Now I ask myself, how many times have I shed innocent blood? And the answer must be: many. In our dealings with each other, so much can go wrong from a simple misunderstanding of an action or word. But how often do I stop to analyse the consequences before I speak? In wounding others we are wounding Christ.
A HEART THAT DEVISETH WICKED IMAGININGS - Our imagination is a gift from God. Without imagination there would be no art, no music, no inventions, no forward planning. "Through the imagination [Christ] reached the heart. His illustrations were taken from the things of daily life, and although they were simple, they had in them a wonderful depth of meaning." (DOA 254) As Christ taught, He painted pictures in the minds of His listeners. As they saw the parables enacted by their imagination, the truths became clearer and life was thus imparted to them.
I think that Jesus must have had the most agile and pure imagination in the universe. Imagine, (there it is again) speaking worlds into existence! Creation is so intricate, so amazing! We are told to contemplate Christ's crucifixion. When I imagine that vivid scene and create in my mind a picture of that terrible day, the price and sacrifice paid for my salvation becomes realer and dearer.
Sadly, but not surprisingly, Satan has twisted and perverted man's imagination until it is scarcely recognisable as a God-given power of the mind. Our world is full of evil imaginations. The entertainment industry is almost completely compromised of evil imaginings. All around us are pictures, books, music, movies, sculptures, magazines - all products of unholy imaginations.
Paul, speaking of the "works of darkness" says: "For it is shameful even to speak of those things which are done by them." Today, surrounded by evils and telling of evils, we must strive harder then ever to shelter our minds from the subtle attacks of Satan and with God's help keep our hearts and minds pure in His sight.
FEET THAT BE SWIFT IN RUNNING TO MISCHIEF - Mischief today is quite a light word. To me it speaks of little kids being cheeky and giggles and playing harmless pranks on each other. However, I feel that this word has a more sinister character when it is used in the Bible. In this verse it is synonymous with evil. Perhaps these days we do not run to the market place to hear the latest scandal or witness the guilty being punished, but do we need to? Of course not! We have televisions and the internet that bring the 'news' right to our fireside. While some are blessed with the ability to deduce useful information from the world's horrible events, and while I understand that it is important for us to know what is happening around us, it once again comes down to what we are filling our minds with. I cant imagine God wants us to fill our minds with sin, suffering, and horror instead of elevating the mind to think holy thoughts of Him. What we think on has a huge influence on what we become. Where are your feet running to?
A FALSE WITNESS - Everyone hates a lier. And yet, lying is a perfectly acceptable thing in our culture. Bearing a "false witness" is a perfectly "normal" way of lowering others to make one's self look better. It makes me think back to the days of slavery in North America. If a slave was charged with something by a master, yes, he may have been taken to court but he didn't even get the chance to speak in his own defence. How must God have wept over these injustices! God today is weeping, may we not add to His burden of sorrow by bearing false witness.
HE THAT SOWETH DISCORD - A person who stirs up trouble is not a pretty sight. Everywhere he or she goes there springs up arguments, discontent, and unholy words and emotions. Jesus calls us to make peace saying, "Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the Children of God." Apart from peace being such a desirable thing, being called a Child of God is something to be obtained at any price! Being called a Child of God means you know Him closely and personally and you resemble Him to others - your ticket into spending eternity with Him.
So, how do I avoid sowing discord today? Making peace rather then spreading discord is a big project made up of tiny, simple acts. It normally involves keeping your mouth shut. Keeping your mouth shut even when you are tempted to say something which could stir up controversy, covetousness or unkind thoughts and words toward someone else. This is a small, simple thing but it can be terribly hard for those of us who haven't yet (with God's help) put a seal on our lips and learned to control the words that cross them. If we can become peacemakers, others will notice the beautiful, restful, comfortable environment that surrounds us and will know that we are the Children of God and will glorify our Father in Heaven.
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