What God Hates

Here in Proverbs we have a very stark statement as to what God hates.  So let us take a look… 

1.  Haughty eyes: Haughty eyes deals with pride and God hates pride.  The eyes are the windows into pride.  The phrase, “That person looks down on me!”  That’s the haughty eye and its full of pride.  Pride is the original sin that goes all the way back to the Garden of Eden.  Man wanted to be like God (notice the pride) more than he wanted to be with God.  He looked down on God.

2.  A lying tongue:  A lying tongue is a reminder that all words count.  All words have consequences and that all our words will be judged by God.  This is why in Proverbs 18:21 we are warned: life and death are in the power of the tongue.  When we lie, we trample on the greatness and dignity that God has placed in all humans. 

3.  hands that shed innocent blood:  Innocence does not imply sinlessness.  But to shed innocent blood is to take the life of one who has done nothing worthy of death.  God loves and wants us to protect the innocent. 

4.  A heart that devises wicked schemes:  Throughout Scripture, God reminds us that He alone searches the heart.  God knows what we think and he sees the plans and purposes that are conceived in the souls of all people. 

5.  Feet that are quick to rush into evil:  To rush into evil is to demonstrate a great delight and enjoyment of evil and an eagerness to participate in it.  God hates the enjoyment of evil.  A lot of people like to witness evil and yet they would never think of doing it themselves.  God says no.

6.  a false witness who pours out lies:  This deals with perjury.  But when the Proverbs writes about a false witness, the principle is so much deeper than the mere avoidance of lying.  This is talking about making right confession.  The word confession is a word that literally means to speak truth that is revealed by God. 

7.  a person who stirs up conflict in the community:  The climax of wickedness is the one who purposefully causes division.  It is the kind of conflict that is done in secret and done by one who won’t appeal through proper channels and who does not submit to proper authority.  It is someone who stirs up conflict for the sole purpose of stirring up conflict.

Now, if God hates these things in this passage (and He does!), then it stands to reason he loves just the opposite.  In other words, if God hates haughty eyes that means he loves the eyes of humility.  If God hates a lying tongue what does he love?  A tongue of integrity.  If God hates those who shed innocent blood, he loves those who defend the innocent.  If he hates the heart that devises wicked schemes, how much more does he love the one who works towards virtue?  If God hates feet that rush to evil, how much does he love feet that run towards goodness?  If he hates a false witness, he must love a true witness!  If he hates those who sow discord, how much more does he love those who sow unity and peace?  At the end of the day, the Proverbs writer is asking us to consider:  What kind of people are we striving to be?  May we strive to be those who practice what God loves!