What a God of love hates
Proverbs: witty sayings– literally “instead of many words”
They can be contrasting statements. For instance some proverbs on Beauty vs. unattractive –
“Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman w/o discretion
“The ugliest life is better than the nicest death”
Concerning parents vs. children –
Small children give you headache – big children heart ache”
To understand your parents’ love you must raise children yourself
Concerning poverty vs. wealth –
“Riches are gotten with pain, kept with care, and lost with grief”
“When you are rich you suffer in a more comfortable way”
In our study tonight we look at a contrast –
How a God of love can hate!
In order to be total love God must hate all things that oppose it
We can all acknowledge “what the world needs now is love sweet love” but we also have a lot of justifiable hatred towards our justice system, Wall Street, government, recent voter registration frauds in Ohio - pedophiles, senseless murders and child abusers - Did you hear a local man put a 6mos. old baby in the hospital with a broken arm and multiple bruises!
Last I heard the baby was on the verge of death! – We all hate his actions right? Well, if we can hate these things how much more can a righteous God hate such practices?
So let’s read the seven deadly sins
Proverbs 6:16-19*
It is likely these seven sins are a commentary of the previous paragraph Kenny covered regarding “wickedness” from man’s point of view. But these are from God’s point of view.
*Abomination = utterly outrageous to God in its audacity or evil/
Proverbs 3:32 For the perverse person is an abomination to the Lord but His secret counsel is with the upright.
Compare Vs 12-14
Now Let’s consider each deadly sin
1) Proud look – one who intrudes God’s sovereignty-
Like Nadab & Abihu in Lev 10 who offered strange fire to the Lord – It was pride that made them think they could intrude on God’s sovereignty – It’s The same way a parent feels when a child acts haughty and lifts their eyes at you when you try to instruct them. James 4:6 “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”- God hates pride because it opposes Him and eventual burns your ministry up!
2) A lying tongue –
Acts 5 – Ananias and Sapphira lied about their offering keeping back part of the proceeds and brought a certain part claiming it was “all of it” & laid it at the apostles’ feet. But Peter said, Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? You’ve not lied to men but to God. God hates a lying tongue because it kills you
3) Hands that shed innocent blood –
Judas himself received 30 pieces of silver to identify Jesus & later with remorse said in Matt 27:4-5 “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.”And they said, “What is that to us? You see to it!” Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself. - God hates hands that shed innocent blood because you are only hanging yourself
4) A heart that devises wicked plans –
Many examples in the bible – Laban’s plan to deceive Jacob with Leah, King Saul’s plan to hunt down David, Tobiah and Sanballet who tried to twart the rebuilding of the temple, and Haman’s plan to destroy all the Jews in Esther’s day – The Sanhedrin who planned an illegal trial against Jesus, the Judaizers who made plans to kill the Apostle Paul many times. God hates a heart that devises wicked plans Laban lost his cattle, Saul & Haman lost their lives, Tobiah & Sanballet were ordered by to rebuild the temple against their will and many Jews lost their souls
5) Feet that are swift in running to evil –
The idea is one who has no hesitation to doing a crime – Joab was the captain for King Saul and David but he was quick to avenge his brother Asahel killing Abner, putting Uriah in harm’s way. Though very loyal to David, he murdered his son Absalom, He was quick to side with Adonijah when Solomon took the throne. Joab had great military prowess, he was valiant, and capable – but his feet were swift to do evil. God hates that because he would end up being executed and buried in the wilderness!
6) A false witness who speaks lies –
“right information – wrong implication” I can’t help but think of Potiphar’s wife when she claimed Joseph was trying to rape her – “rape” was the right information but the wrong implication was Joseph – it was she herself! Then there’s Matt 26 when the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought who false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward and said, “This fellow said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to build it in three days.’” (right info – but wrong implication – the literal temple.) Jo 2 tells us Jesus was speaking of his body not the literal temple. God hates a false witness because it leads to the ultimate abomination. Not adultery, doing drugs, even killing but.
7) One who sows discord among brethren why abominable?
Discord = Web. lack of agreement or harmony
I can relate to this meaning as a musician – when something is out of tune or the vocals are flat it sows discord! Some examples: Num 12 – Aaron and Miriam when they opposed Moses’ Ethiopian wife, Num 16 When Korah challenged Moses’ authority he sowed discord - When King Saul spread lies about David, In the book of Acts when the Judaizers followed Paul around and stirred up the crowds with discord. God hates that because Miriam was struck with leprosy witness, Koah & his family were swallowed up by the world, Saul killed himself & the Judaizers rejected Jesus -Discord leads to the ultimate abomination.
So what do we do to avoid these seven deadly sins?
Turn to Jude 1:20-21
RD - Jude 1:20-21 - 1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.
Turn to 1 John 4:7
1John 4:7-19
1-Instead of a proud “haughty” look;
God’s love helps us to be look at others humbly “humble yourself”
2-Instead of a lying tongue; God’s love helps us to speak the truth
Eph 4:25 says... putting away lying, “Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbor,” for we are members of one another.
3-Instead of hands shedding innocent blood; our hands to restore - 1 Thess 4:11 aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands...
4-Instead our hearts devising wicked plans; God’s love helps us to submit to His will Eph 1:9 /He has predestined us to adoption as sons by JC to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will
5- Instead of feet swiftly running to evil; God’s love helps us to run the right race - We can sound like Paul in*
Acts 20:24 *none of these things move me; nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy & the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.
6-Instead of being a false witness; we can be His true witness
In Acts 1:8 Jesus promises us you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem & in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” God’s love helps us to be a true witness for Him –
Right information with the correct implication
7-finally instead of sowing discord; God’s love helps us to bring harmony and agreement
Phil 2:1-2 if there is any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and mercy, fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.