#11 in Proverbs / Godly Hostility (pt 1)

If we love what the LORD loves, then we’ll hate what the LORD hates.

Often we can determine a person’s values by what they hate. So when we look at the question, “What does the LORD hate?”, we’re also answering the question, “What are the LORD’s values?

Hate

שָׂנֵ֣א / hate; scorn; enemy / to dislike intensely

Six > Seven

Isn’t God love? Yes; however, authentic love fosters hatred for the thing that would harm the thing you love. Eg, because I love my family, I will hate a home invader that would harm them.

God not only hates these things. He finds them detestable.

תּוֹעֲבַ֥ת / abomination, abhorrence / something that is an abomination which causes horror and disgust in others

Revulsion, disgust

Transition: Notice that the first five things the LORD hates are associated with particular parts of the body. The list generally moves from the top down (head to toe). The whole person is in rebellion against God, and deserves His just punishment.

Arrogant Eyes

We’re talking about Pride.

Joke: I heard about a lady who confessed to her pastor, “I often feel guilty of the sin of pride because, when looking in the mirror, I can’t help but think of myself as incredibly beautiful.” To which the pastor replied, “Ma’am, that’s not a sin, that’s a mistake.”

Arrogance often is revealed by the eyes.

Isa 2:11 “11 The pride of mankind will be humbled, and human loftiness will be brought low; the Lord alone will be exalted on that day.”

Looking down on others from an elevated perch.

“The position of the eyes describes the attitude of the heart” (NAC).

Arrogance, no matter the object, is finally against God.

Pride may be the root of all other sins.

Of Satan (Isa 14:12; Eze 28:17)

Psalm 10:4 “4 In all his scheming, the wicked person arrogantly thinks, “There’s no accountability, since there’s no God.””

Common problem

Pride month

Prov 16:18 “18 Pride comes before destruction, and an arrogant spirit before a fall.”

When God wishes to destroy a place, He allows it to become prideful.

God hates YOUR pride, and

Value: humility

Isa 57:15 “15 For the High and Exalted One, who lives forever, whose name is holy, says this: “I live in a high and holy place, and with the oppressed and lowly of spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and revive the heart of the oppressed.”

Isa 66:2 “2 My hand made all these things, and so they all came into being. This is the Lord’s declaration. I will look favorably on this kind of person: one who is humble, submissive in spirit, and trembles at my word.”

Ps 51:17 “17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit. You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.”

Prov 8:13 “13 To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.”

Lying Tongue

No regard for the truth.

Joke: Man received a phone call from the school: “Your son has been lying!”

Examples

Politicians. “Isn’t it great to live in a world where the penalty for lying to a Congressman is up to 20 years in prison, but the penalty for a Congressman lying to you is two more years in office?”

Gender wars

Covid

News

Illustrations

Hillary Clinton “evading sniper fire” in Bosnia in 1996. Navy Seal called her an “arrogant liar,” but she didn’t apologize. Instead she described it as misspeaking.

The SBC President, Ed Litton, was caught last year plagiarizing sermons directly from other pastors. When confronted, he did not apologize, but said God forgave him. (If he did nothing wrong, why would he need forgiveness?)

Jussie Smollet: “This is MAGA country!” At his sentencing, Smollet maintained, “I am innocent!”

The lies we tell

"Little” lies

“It’s no big deal...don’t worry about it” should be “That really was hurtful, but I forgive you.”

“I just can’t make it” should be “I have overextended myself and really need to make some time for myself.”

“I was stuck in traffic” should be “I didn’t leave on time.”

“Have you lost weight?” Flattery

“I didn’t see your message...my phone died”

“Big” lies

If I just had a better job / more money I could relax.

My wife / husband isn’t making me happy anymore.

I don’t have what it takes to be a good wife / husband / parent.

I’m only hurting myself.

I can control it.

I don’ need any help.

I can change him / her.

God won’t use me the way I am.

Value: honesty

Based on God’s character: He cannot lie. Psalm 119:160 “160 The entirety of your word is truth, each of your righteous judgments endures forever.”

Ps 15:2 “2 The one who lives blamelessly, practices righteousness, and acknowledges the truth in his heart—”

Psalm 51:6 “6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self, and you teach me wisdom deep within.”

Rev 22:15 “15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”

To lie is to follow a different father (John 8:44 “44 You are of your father the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of lies.”

Liars won’t inherit God’s kingdom.

Problem: Our world is full of arrogance and lies...arrogant liars. These are two qualities that seem to be valued in our society. But God finds them revolting. Arrogance and lying disgust God.

We need a return to God. When we see Jesus, we see humility and truth.

Humility and Truth in Christ

Humility of Jesus

Php 2:3-8 “3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility consider others as more important than yourselves. 4 Everyone should look not to his own interests, but rather to the interests of others. 5 Adopt the same attitude as that of Christ Jesus, 6 who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be exploited. 7 Instead he emptied himself by assuming the form of a servant, taking on the likeness of humanity. And when he had come as a man, 8 he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death— even to death on a cross.”

All the rights of God, but did not exercise His rights so that He could accomplish His mission to save mankind.

His humility was obedience. You cannot separate obedience and humility.

Truth of Jesus

John 14:6 “6 Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

Jesus told the truth, but He lived the truth. He was true to His authentic Self even while humbling Himself.