PROVERBS 6:16-19 – There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
THEME OF THE DAY. WHAT THE LORD HATES. There is a verse in the Old Testament book of Proverbs that should be one we put into memory and diligently put into daily practice. It is found in the fourth chapter – “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life” (Proverbs 4:23). Its New Testament companion comes from the words of our Lord to Peter, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). Both are commands to guard our hearts and watch over our lives to ensure nothing is allowed or practiced which will cause us soul damage and bring reproach to the name of the Lord and His gospel. And in Solomon’s exhortation, he shows us the priority of this guarding; it is the main issue in life that determines everything in life. In looking at Jesus’ words, He is reminding us of the intense battle against the flesh this watching will require.
In our pursuit of a guarding and watching life, today’s scripture shows us six areas to be ever on guard and watch against. They are six serious sins which the Lord abhors with the greatest of hatred; haughty (prideful eyes), a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers. In today’s nugget, let’s look at the first and last sins for these take little effort for a Christian to commit.
The first sin the Lord hates is pride. It would be fitting for this to start the list for pride is the mother of all sins. It is what created the devil (Isaiah 14:12-15), brought the downfall of our first parents in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-10), and destroys marriages, families, and churches (Proverbs 16:18). Pride may be simply defined as “having an unhealthy and unbiblical view of oneself.” Basically, pride blinds us to our sinfulness. It is wicked and powerful, the only way God could overcome it is by the life, death, and resurrection of His Son, the Lord Jesus. It is no wonder He hates it and is committed to removing it from the lives of His children. Pride makes us more like the devil than Christ and we are to daily guard against it while pleading with God to remove its ugliness from our lives. And if want to be used by the Lord, then we must gladly submit to His painful work of removing pride from us.
The last sin Solomon mentions making the “hated by the Lord list” is being a source of disunity among God’s people. Why make this such a serious sin? Because it is a direct attack on the power of the Gospel and Person of Jesus Christ. When Christians allow disunity, they tell the world, “The Gospel doesn’t work. Jesus isn’t enough to maintain peace and harmony among His people.” And how do Christians create disunity? Many ways but here are two. First, we create disunity by an ungodly and uncontrolled tongue. This comes through gossip, slander, and any other unedifying speech to or about another believer. Such conduct breeds suspicion, doubt, and unhealthy assumptions about people.
A second way we sin against God by creating disunity is our selfishness. When our lives orbit around ourselves and the most dominant pronouns we use are “I, me, my, and mine” in directing our lives and conversations, the soil is ripe for disunity. It must be because such focus makes us as different to Jesus as possible and the only way to unity is being like Him. In observing the Lord’s earthly life, the only focus He had on Himself was in serving others and doing the will of His Father. Should we follow His example, we won’t put ourselves in a position to commit the sin of disunity.
Friends, let’s give all diligence to guard and watch our hearts. And especially against those sins the Lord hates. The health of our spiritual lives is at stake as well as the testimony of His unifying Gospel.
PRAYER: “Father, make me ever so sensitive to things you hate and avoid them with great earnest.”
QUOTE: “Christians are not free from allowing things the Lord hates to be in their lives so guard your hearts.”