Seven Things God Hates

Introduction

Proverbs 6:16-19

[The Substance Of A Message Preached By The Rev. Francis W. Dixon At Lansdowne Baptist Church, Bournemouth, England, On Sunday 14 February 1965]

"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)

We preach on this subject for several reasons, but perhaps the most important reason is that in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 we read that, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." Our tendency is to turn first to the passages of scripture that bring comfort and encouragement. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to turn to those portions which minister reproof and correction and instruction in righteousness, and the verses before us do this very thing, for they lay before us a most practical subject. This is the kind of teaching we are always needing, but before examining these seven things which God hates, let us make three observations about this portion of scripture.

1. Moral Hideousness of the Human Heart

These verses clearly emphasize the moral hideousness of the human heart and of the world in which we live. If you pause to think about it for a moment you will agree that the seven evils mentioned here abound on every hand. These verses, therefore, declare the depravity of man. This,  of course, is not a popular subject and in many quarters it is no longer believed, but whether men believe that the human heart is depraved or otherwise, it does not alter the fact. All we have to do is to watch the trend in literature, in programs on the radio and television and the kind of pictures and plays that are advertised by cinemas and theatres. What is the trend on every hand? Wherever we look we see the exceeding sinfulness of sin. As Jeremiah reminds us: "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9); and because the heart is like this my text speaks about the eyes, the tongue, the hands and the feet being affected. Or, as Isaiah reminds us, "The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrefying sores..." (Isaiah 1:5-6). How great is the moral hideousness of the human heart!

2. Immaculate Holiness of God

The verses before us also remind us of the immaculate holiness and purity of God and of His hatred of sin. These are the seven sins that He "hates", and they are called "abominations". How much  does God hate sin? In a former dispensation, God hated sin so much that He destroyed most of the human race whom He had created - "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart. And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created..." (Genesis 6:5-7). But to find out how much God hates sin we have to look at Calvary and to remind ourselves that so great was the Divine hatred against sin that God actually surrendered His own Son to the fearful suffering and anguish of a Roman gibbet in order that sin might once and for all be dealt with and put away. How holy God is, and how much He hates sin!

3. True Ambition of God's People

These verses also remind us that the true ambition and desire of God's people is, or should be, to live without these offensive sins that God hates. Thank God, it is possible to live a life that is pleasing to Him. He has provided victory over all things that grieve Him. We are to be a different people, and  we may be. We may be "more than conquerors through Him that loved us" (Romans 8:37).

The Book of Proverbs was written and is included in our Bible to show us the kind of people we ought to be and the kind of people we ought not to be. It is an intensively practical book. There is guidance on all kinds of matters. For example: do you want to know the kind of wife you should choose? The Book of Proverbs will help you to decide. Do you want to know how to bring up your children? The Book of Proverbs will guide you in this. Do you want to know about the special temptations that you will meet as you travel through life? Again, this book will help you. I was once advised to read a chapter of Proverbs every day of my life. This surely is very good advice, and this brings us to ask: What, then, are the seven things that God hates? Let us look at them and let us place beside them the things that God loves.

I. Haughty Bearing

"a proud look"

Pride is the primary sin. It was through pride that the Devil fell, and we read that "God resisteth the proud..." (James 4:6). What an insidious thing pride is! That is why it is that the Apostle Peter exhorts us to "be clothed with humility" (1 Peter 5:5). This is the thing that God loves - "the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price" (1 Peter 3:4). Do you remember one of the things that Jesus said? Ponder these words carefully - "Learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly  in heart."

II. Verbal Falsehood

"a lying tongue"

"But surely Christians do not lie!" Unfortunately they do sometimes. "But surely it is all right to tell 'white' lies?" Is it? God hates "a lying tongue". "But surely, if one is in business one has to tell li8es occasionally! It is quite impossible in our modern society to get on!" God hates "a lying tongue, and this is why Paul wrote in his letter to the Ephesians, "Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another" (Ephesians 4:25). We need to pray the prayer that David prayed - "Deliver my soul, O Lord, from lying lips" (Psalm 120:2).

III. Heartless Cruelty

"hands that shed innocent blood"

We quite naturally and rightly think of Cain and Abel in this connection. In the New Testament we are told about Cain, who shed innocent blood when he killed Abel - "For this is the message that ye heard from the beginning, that we should love one another. Not as Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him" (1 John 3:11,12,15). Do you hate anyone? Then you are a murderer, and God hates murderers.

IV. Vicious Scheming

"an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations"

Here we are reminded of where evil has its source. Does it begin outside or inside? It begins inside, for Jesus said, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man." Someone once said of another man, 'That man is an inventor. He is always inventing some evil thing!' How dreadful! How different was Dorcas, who was "full of good works" (Acts 9:36), and Barnabas, who was such a "good" man (Acts 11:24)! How different was Jesus, "who went about doing good" (Acts 10:38)!

V. Mischievous Eagerness

"feet that be swift in running to mischief"

Here are feet that not only do mischief, but they run, they are eager to do it. This is the Devil's work,  for he it is who "goes about like a roaring lion" (1 Peter 5:8). God hates this mischievous eagerness. What are your feet doing? Are they "feet that be swift in running to mischief", or are they the beautiful feet "of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things" (Romans 10:15)?

VI. Social Slander

"a false witness that speaketh lies"

An old writer has said, "This is an accursed thing. It works oftentimes by other means than words: by a look or a shrug of the shoulders it levels its poisoned arrows; it has broken many a virtuous heart and stained many a virtuous reputation. It has nodded away many a good name, and winked into existence a host of suspicions, that have gathered round and crushed the most chaste and virtuous of our kind. It often works in the dark, and generally under the mask of truthfulness and love." God hates slander, and He says to us: "Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers" (Ephesians 4:29).

VII. Divisive Strife

"and he that soweth discord among brethren"

This, perhaps, is the worst of the seven sins that are mentioned, and the old writer goes on to refer to the man who "by tale-bearing, untrue stories, half-truths, subtle insinuations, produces the disruption of friendships and the break-up of fellowship..." God hates this!

Conclusion

Confessing Our Sins

This is a dreadful subject, but perhaps it is needed, and we must ask the question: How can we be freed from these things that God hates and filled with those things that He loves? We must do three things:- First, we must be honest with ourselves and with God. We must let the searchlight of His Word and of the Holy Spirit come into our hearts and reveal to us the things that are displeasing to Him. Then, we must admit our wrong, confess our sin and forsake that which grieves the Lord - "Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God" (2 Corinthians 7:1). Second, we must seek and receive the cleansing of the precious Blood of Christ. Thank God, this is available for the saint and for the sinner, and "the blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanseth us from all sin" (1 John 1:7). Finally, we must rely upon the Holy Spirit for victory, for we cannot be victorious in our own strength - but we can live the life that pleases God as we yield to the sovereignty of the Holy Spirit Himself.

Let no one feel that he has "got away with it" as this sermon has been preached or read. Perhaps the sin of which we have been particularly guilty has not been mentioned. I would remind you that when the writer says, "These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him..." it is only his way of saying, "These six or seven things, or sixteen or seventeen things, or twenty-six or twenty-seven things - as many as you like to mention - are an abomination unto Him." God hates sin in every shape and form. Let us be done with all that grieves Him and let us seek to live the life that glorifies Him.