Bible Passage:  Proverbs 6

There are quite a few sections  and teachings to today’s reading, but I decided to write about the section that means most to me.

Do we know what God hates?

Don’t you think it is very important that we know what God hates so that we do not give Him or become what He hates?

Can anyone afford to be hated by God? 

16 These six things the Lord hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

17 A proud look,
 A lying tongue,
 Hands that shed innocent blood,

18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
 Feet that are swift in running to evil,

19 A false witness who speaks lies,
 And one who sows discord among brethren.

Verse 16 started with 6 things God hates, but ended with 7 things that are an abomination. So why are there two different numbers used here? I wondered as I read this verse.  What do you think?

One explanation I found on google says probably it is because 6 represents man and 7 represents completeness and hence this list is the complete list of what God hates in man. Sounds somewhat reasonable? Well, if we google things God hate, we can find a list of the verses in the Bible of at least 43 things hated by God. These 7 mentioned in Proverbs stem from the hearts of ungodly men and did not mention perversity or idolatry.

Abomination is a strong word. It implies that these listed things are directly against the nature of God and hence God abhors them.

And on the top of the list is Pride (or arrogance).

When I was young I was taught that the sin of Adam and Eve was disobedience.

Later when I grew older, I learnt that the root of the disobedience is man’s pride.

And it is our pride that will separate us from God.

The reason why so many people refuse to search for God, reject religion and their need for God, or refuse to hear any teaching against what they already believe to be true, is their pride. It stops them from finding out the truth, from admitting their ignorance or mistakes, and submit to true authority.

Pride can be in a freethinker, an atheist, in any religious person as well as a Christian.

And I see the rest of the abominable behavior as a result of not having the fear of God. Perversity and idolatry/sorcery seems more as a result of not having the knowledge of God.

It is scary to live in a world of god-fearless men, because there is no moral compass for these men who will do whatever they deem profitable for themselves.

Man lies because they think it makes their lives easier and no one will find out.

Man devises evil thinking he is smart and can do whatever he wants to the weak. Man runs to sin, showing no resistance to sin and temptation.

Bearing false witness is lying that harms an innocent person.

And sowing discord goes against God’s will for peace and unity among brothers and within the church.

If we say we love God, let us love what God loves, and hate what God hates, and most importantly, flee from the sins that God hates, so that we do not put a barrier between God and ourselves.