Proverbs 6:16 These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
God has every right to hate certain things. In fact, there are things a true child of God should hate. Notice here that the LORD is not speaking of hating people, but things that people get involved in.
God created man to glorify Him.
Revelation 4:11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Many people refuse to accept the fact that man has freewill. Many people also refuse to accept that God is much wiser than man and He gives man freewill, but He can also see the end from the beginning. He does not force anyone to sin. He does not want anyone to sin. He wants all to be saved.
II Peter 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.
If we were to believe the Calvinist, we would have to agree that God is a liar. He clearly states that He does not want anyone to perish. He wants all to come to repentance. The one who is the liar is the Calvinist, who suggests that some people cannot be saved because God will not allow them to be saved. That is a lie.
The seven things that God mentions here are all things that we as people are capable of. Young children can demonstrate the proud look that God is warning of here. Most parents are guilty of encouraging that proud look in their children. They laugh at their acts of defiance because after all, ‘they look so cute’. Many adults are guilty of that proud look as well. The lying tongue is something every created person is guilty of. Adam lied to God when he sinned. Cain lied to God when he murdered his brother. David lied when he tried to cover up his sin with Bathsheba. Peter lied when he tried to deny he knew Jesus. The list goes on and on. God hates the lying tongue. David lied, but he also paid a very steep price for that lie. God forgave him, but he had a very negative effect on his sons as a result of that lie. Peter was forgiven for his lie, but it also cost him. God hates the lying tongue.
Hands that shed innocent blood is another thing that God hates. There are many doctors and nurses who have and are shedding innocent blood. They murder unborn children and think nothing of it, at least in public. Then there are those doctors and nurses who are getting involved in the murder of the elderly or the mentally ill through the MAID program. Yes, there are those who murder people for other reasons as well. God hates that. Those who commit that sin and never repent toward God and get saved, will be at the great white throne judgment and that will not be a good day for them.
The heart that deviseth wicked imaginations. The men and women who work on putting together a corrupted text of the Word of God are devising wicked imaginations. They corrupt God’s Word so that people think they are justified in divorcing their spouse and marrying someone else. God calls that adultery, but the perversions suggest it is justified. There are many religious leaders who also encourage people to commit adultery. The whole liquor industry is also guilty of devising wicked imaginations. Liquor dulls the senses. It helps the participants to loosen up and accept wickedness as good.
Then there are the feet that are swift in running to mischief. They love to get involved in mischief. There are thousands upon thousands in this position as well. They love to go to bars and they love to seek out that brothel and many other wicked things. Politicians are famous for running to mischief. They get volunteers to help them pass out pamphlets at people’s doors that are deceptive at best. Different people from different parties try to arouse the emotions of people to get them to vote for them. Sad to say, politicians are trained in deception. They all seem to be wicked individuals who lack godly convictions. They cannot be trusted. We have truly plummeted to a dark place in this country.
The false witness that speaketh lies is another thing that God hates. Did you actually see what you claim to have seen? Again, many preachers stand in the pulpit and tell lost people they are good. After all, God is a God of love. There might be a few people who deserve hell, but the majority have good intentions. They might do things a little bit wrong sometimes, but not bad enough to keep them from “heaven”. Of course that is a fictitious heaven that does not exist.
Then there are those who would sow discord among brethren. I have witnessed this many times. Even before I was a pastor I witnessed this. In fact there were men who tried to drag me into such a matter. Thankfully, God helped me to see what was going on and He kept me from committing that sin. Disgruntled church members who want to get rid of their pastor or who want to slander a fellow church member, are many. God wants us to talk to one another. God even offered to reason with the nation of Israel when they were steeped in sin.
These seven things are a poison that we need to identify and avoid. If we are guilty of one or more of these sins, we need to acknowledge that and deal with it correctly. First of all, be sure you are saved. Then confess the sin to God and then to the person(s) you have sinned against. Establish a guard in your heart and mind against committing such sins again. Memorize verses and if you are saved, God will bring them back to your remembrance to help you not to commit such sins.
There are times when a public rebuke is necessary to stop such sins. The apostle Paul needed to confront Peter because he was guilty of creating divisions among true saints. God hates these sins. God hates all sin. These seven sins encompass every evil thing that man can commit.
When God points out certain things, He never does so to suggest there might be some other sin we can commit and it is not too bad. It is the sinful heart of man that deviseth wicked imaginations. Man is capable of creating a “straw man”. God deals with reality. We should do that as well.
The wise person trusts in the Lord with all his heart and does not lean on his own understanding.
Pastor Bartel