HATE
These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth to one another; render in your gates judgments that are true and make for peace; do not devise evil in your hearts against one another, and love no false oath, for all these things I hate, declares the Lord.” —Zechariah 8:16-17
The headline reads NEW STUDY: ANTI-SEMITISM ON THE RISE IN EUROPE http://www.theblaze.com/blog/2014/05/27/new-study-anti-semitism-on-the-rise-in-europe/. “The eight European countries surveyed– Belgium, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Sweden and the United Kingdom– are home to 90% of the world’s Jewish population. This study, released just as tension and civil unrest in Ukraine started making headlines, finds that a majority of Jews living in Europe believe anti-Semitism is a big problem that affects their everyday lives. Some have even considered immigrating to another country to escape prejudice… It’s difficult to believe that in a post-Holocaust era anti-Semitism still has a large presence.”
I hate _________________. What would you put in that blank? Hatred in people runs deep. It is amazing how much hatred is focused on the Jewish population of this planet. What is it that you hate?
In the passage above we are reminded that the Lord hates devising evil against others and lying. Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of other things the Lord hates- “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.” Yes, the Lord hates evil and we are called to hate it as well and are told to do so in Romans 12:9— “Hate what is evil; hold fast to what is good.” Do we truly hate evil or do we allow ourselves to flirt with it?
The evilness of sin is dangerously enjoyable and pleasurable at first. It is said of Joseph that “He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:25). The pleasures of sin is only for a season. Then its destructiveness reveals its ugly head. In the beginning the people of Germany were all “rah, rah” this is a good unifying opportunity for the nation, but then the horrific destruction of over 12 million Jewish and non-Jewish people, including 1.5 million children and those with physical challenges who were consider undesirables, was revealed.
Has the world learned its lesson? No, of course not! There are those who devise evil in this world and seek to carry it out— over 50,000,000 babies have been aborted in the U.S.! Then there are those who believe that man is basically good and don’t believe in evil. Oh, that those of us who love the Lord Jesus will live in such a way as to show the goodness of the Lord God Almighty as it contrasts with those who are bent on doing evil. Yes, may we shine brightly for Jesus in this dark world… and be rejoicing for we know the end result! Heaven is our home! Speak these truths to those in our sphere of influence.
Dear Father, please help me to shine for You and encourage others by living faithfully for You. As Your gospel is share be pleased to draw many others out of the kingdom of darkness and into the kingdom of light, the kingdom of Your dear Son. May it be so!