“These six things doth the Lord hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto Him.” (Proverbs 6:16).
Sin in any form is ugly, equally destructive, and appalling. God despises all sin; no sin is welcome with Him. Sin creates enmity with God and causes eternal separation from Him. Though all sin is a revolt against His Holiness, the Bible denotes that seven sins bring Him total disgust and loathsomeness. What is so different about these sins? Though all sin is equally sinful, and God has no fellowship with it in any form, there is something most dreadful about these sins that provoked Him to call them out. They are the seven sins that God undeniably hates.
The first sin that God despises is a proud look. It is evil to be proud and overconfident, to bring glory to oneself, and to think of oneself as superior. Pride makes one feel praiseworthy when he looks good in the eyes of others. However, this does not profit an individual because the reward for self-pride is detrimental. All glory belongs to God and Him only. “Our goodness is as filthy rags before Him” (Isaiah 64:6). No one will ever be worthy of embracing the glory that belongs to God. Satan tried to take God’s glory when he resided in Heaven. He was so lifted with pride that he wanted to be God. That attitude, of course, warranted him a one-way ticket out of Heaven. Pride causes individuals to be isolated from God, severing them from their God-given identity forever. Humility is the right and only path.
The second sin God hates is a lying tongue. All liars offend God. A tongue that lies distorts the truth, often leading to poor outcomes; therefore, speaking the truth is important. When God created man, he was a perfect human being, and lying was not a part of his character. A lying tongue contaminates the whole man and treads on the excellence and worthiness God has positioned in him. One who lies relies on himself and has lost confidence in God.
Liars tell lies for self-promotion and personal benefits. According to Proverbs 12:22, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord.” God hates liars so much that a liar will not tarry in His sight (Psalm 101:7). He said, “All liars will have their part in the lake which burn with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8). Eternity is a long time to regret having a lying tongue when telling the truth is so easy to do.
Hands that shed innocent blood are another sin on God’s hate list. No one will be held guiltless at the shedding of innocent blood. It is true that at the hands of cruel men, Jesus’ innocent blood was shed. And fortunately for us, it was through the shedding of His blood that a peace treaty was signed between God and man, renewing the broken fellowship between them. However, Jesus was the only sacrifice for the sins of man, and there will never be another. All men are created in the image of God, and they must never shed another’s blood. The shedding of innocent blood is a sign of hatred for someone who reflects God’s image.
God was very displeased with Cain for shedding his brother’s innocent blood. God said to Cain in Genesis 4:10 that the voice of Abel’s blood was crying out to Him from the ground. Since man didn’t create life, man does not have the right to take life. It was God who created all men; He is the only creator of one blood, which cannot be duplicated. Leviticus 17:14 states, “The life of all flesh is in the blood thereof.” Cain had to answer to God for the shedding of his brother’s innocent blood. In society, persons who shed the blood of another must answer to the authorities of the land. Far more important, though, is the fact that persons who shed innocent blood will ultimately answer to God.
A heart that devises wicked imaginations is another sin that angers God. Devilish thoughts and an impure heart are an abomination unto Him. Those with wicked imaginations mastermind methods of performing and fostering evil. A heart that devises wickedness takes the time to plan evilness, premeditating what and how to engineer ungodly acts. Its deeds are not done on the spur of the moment. Some people “lie on their beds and make evil plans and later perform them.” (Micah 2:1). It is a terrible thing to plan and plot wickedness.
Sin has captivated the heart of the person who devises wickedness. It is essential that we not allow wicked imaginations to take control because a heart that devises and practices wickedness is far removed from righteousness. Only a clean heart pleases God, and it is the only heart that will spend eternity with Him.
Feet that are swift in running to mischief are on God’s hate list. God is very displeased with people who are troublemakers. He does not delight in anyone who enjoys evil and is motivated and zealous in taking part in it. God hates it when someone gets joy out of creating chaos and then derives excitement from mischievousness. Persons who do these things are peacebreakers and have no fellowship with God. “Mischievousness is an abhorrent sin and God hates it.” (Proverbs 7:16). Mischief starts in the mind, moves to the heart, then leads to action. As you guard your mind, it is essential to guard your heart and footsteps as well. Feet that are swift in running to mischief are out of the perfect will of God. When the Word of God leads people, they will cease being swift in running to mischief. With God, peace is the principal thing. “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God” (Matthew 5:9). God honors the righteous, but the person who sows mischievousness will reap the same.
God hates a false witness that speaks lies. The Bible declares that “A false witness will be chastised, and he that speaks lies shall not escape” (Prov 19:5). A false witness is someone who lies about something they know to be true. Bearing false witness against anyone is an evil act that God hates. He looks at the heart and demands the truth. The Lord commands that no man should bear false witness against his neighbor. It is a common saying, “If you see something, say something,” but to this, I say, ensure it is true.
We are to highly esteem one another. “A faithful witness will not lie but a false witness will utter lies” (Proverb 14.5). Exodus 23:1 states, “Thou shall not raise a false report, put not thou hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”
He that soweth discord among brethren is the seventh sin on God’s hate list. Sowing discord is a heinous sin borne out of pride. Sowers of discord are liars and deceivers who produce thoughts of conflict and friction in the minds of others. They initiate distrust among one another. Sowers of discord are perverted because their minds are corrupt. They sow seeds of bitterness, anger, distrust, and hatred into the hearts of people to bring division. Additionally, they seek followers for themselves.
The concept of discord generates thoughts of disagreement, conflict, friction, or something out of balance. It creates ungodly and negative thoughts about someone. Discord can sometimes turn into large issues such as bitterness, animosity, ill feelings, and hatred. Sowing discord is a deceitful act because it is done through sneakiness, lies, and using gossip in a way that makes the guilty party seem to be the better person. Sowers of discord could turn the direction of another’s life in a negative direction and should never be named among God’s children. The person who sows discord is not a servant of God because he indulges in strife and contention and works for the devil. Psalms 133:1 says, God’s delight is for the brethren, not to just be together but, to dwell together in unity. God hates division among brethren because it incurs insolvency. He promotes togetherness, and nothing less, therefore, so should we.
Sin in any form is cruel, ugly, and disgusting, with nothing good coming from it. It is an offense to God and against His Divine Law. God hates all sin, and none will go unpunished. Although He called out seven sins He particularly hates, no sin is welcomed with Him.
Prayer is key: Dear God, I ask that You keep me from all sin. I ask that You forever lead me and guide me in all truths. Help me to follow Your word and Your Divine way and keep Your laws hidden in my heart so that I might not sin against Thee. In Jesus’ Name, I pray, Amen.
