HATE EVIL, CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD
HATE EVIL, CLING TO WHAT IS GOOD
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. —Proverbs 6:16-19
In Proverbs 8:13 we read that “The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil.” In the verses above are some of the evil we should hate because the Lord hates them!
1- Haughty eyes speak of someone who thinks they are important. They are arrogant and are thinking more highly of themselves than they ought to think and are not thinking of themselves with sober judgment. They are not seeing themselves as God sees them (Romans 12:13). “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (I Corinthians 10:12). Proverbs tells us— “Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall” (16:18) and “Before a downfall the heart is haughty, but humility comes before honor” (18:12).
2- A lying tongue is simply one who is not telling the truth. It is interesting that “If a ruler listens to lies, all his officials become wicked” (Proverbs 29:12). Think of how destructive that is! We are told that “all liars–they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death” (Revelation 21:8). This is serious!
3- Hands that shed innocent blood— murderers. This sin took place in the very first family of the earth— “Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous” (I John 3:12). These also “will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.”
4- A heart that devises wicked plans obviously comes from a wicked, ungodly person. Jesus said that “the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.” (Matthew 15:18-19). Guard your heart!
5- Feet that make haste to run to evil are those people that just want to do evil things. They are quick to get involved in wickedness of all kinds. They “love evil rather than good, falsehood rather than speaking the truth” (Psalm 52:3) or they “hate good and love evil” (Micah 3:2).
6- A false witness who breathes out lies is one who is not giving an honest testimony. A witness is supposed to speak the truth. “An honest witness does not deceive, but a false witness pours out lies” (Proverbs 14:5). “A truthful witness saves lives, but a false witness is a traitor” (Proverbs 14:25). “Telling lies about others is as harmful as hitting them with an ax, wounding them with a sword, or shooting them with a sharp arrow” (Proverbs 25:18). A liar is a destroyer just as Satan is— “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
7- One who sows discord among brothers is a person who is being divisive and we are simply told to “Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them” (Titus 3:10). This is serious and is like a cancer it allowed to continue.
These are things that the Lord hates and we need to hate them as well. As followers of Jesus we are to seek to do good— “They must turn from evil and do good; they must seek peace and pursue it” (I Peter 3:11). Yes, may we hate what the Lord hates and love what He loves. May it be so! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zYHzeoO_9KM
Dear Father, please help me to hate what is evil and to cling to that which is good. May this be so in the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Jesus. I am so grateful my sin is forgiven in Jesus. May I not take that lightly—- ever!