At the “top” of God’s “hate” list is “pride!”

Here they are, all seven of them, “things God hates.” Proverbs 6:16-19, again note number one.

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A PROUD LOOK, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

The “look” of “a proud look” is actually the Hebrew noun “ayin.” Found 887 times in the Bible, it is translated “eye” 495 times. “Color” 12 times! “Face” 10 times. Even “conceit” 4 times. But over 200 times it is expressed in English as “sight,” thus our word “look” as used in this 16th verse.

Now to the “key” word, “proud.” It is, in Hebrew, a participle. Spelled “rum,” it means something “exalted, lofty, set on high!”

A person who feels himself above everyone else!

An individual who is better than his friends, all of them.

I recently purchased (but have yet to read) a book on Narcissism. What’s that? “Excessive interest in oneself and one’s physical appearance,” says one source. And it’s surely a by-product of pride.

Pride, where “self” reigns and God is ignored … is the height of sin. The “root” of sin, perhaps better said.

Pride, I think, was the first sin ever committed! By Lucifer himself! Read his 5 “I will” statements in Isaiah 14:12-15. The devil was (still is) planning a revolt against God! “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.”

Wow!

Pride, a sin to be avoided, as much as humanly possible.

Proverbs 8:13 says the “The Fear of the Lord is to hate pride.”

Then Proverbs 11:2 adds: “When pride cometh, then cometh shame: but with the lowly is wisdom.”

Proverbs 13:10 suggests that a “proud” person will also be an “argumentative” one, “contentious” is the word. “Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom.”

But Proverbs 16:18 might say it best of all. “Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.”

And ultimately, Proverbs 29:23 says: “A man’s pride shall bring him low: but honour shall uphold the humble in spirit.”

A proud man, who stays that way, will NEVER submit to asking God to save him!

Thus … he will die in his sins and go to Hell for all eternity.

That’s the greatest danger of pride.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

The Bible Study series on “Things God Hates” will continue tomorrow morning, the Lord willing.

Normally I do not write a Sunday Lesson, but due to this week’s busy schedule (travel related) … what would have been today’s Lesson will be written tomorrow morning.

I hope you Saturday readers will understand and remember to check back with us before you go to Church (or after you have been to Church) tomorrow. I know you daily readers will!

Meanwhile, let me go help Debbie pack!

Tomorrow I will preach twice in Greenville, South Carolina.

Then Monday through Wednesday nights in Reidsville, North Carolina.

Then, again Lord willing, Thursday and Friday nights in Andrews, North Carolina.

Next Saturday, early, we leave for Connersville, Indiana, another Revival week.

God is so good.

It’s an honor serving Him.

Pray for us please.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

For specific Church and Pastor information for the above mentioned schedule … just visit our “Calendar” Page.

 

Everyone knows the Text … “These SIX things doth God hate ….”

Yet immediately Solomon adds another condition to the list: “Yea, SEVEN are an abomination to Him.”

So here’s my question this morning, “Are these all the things God hates?”

“A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Count them, seven indeed.

Again, are there more?

Yes!

And I am not saying my list is exhaustive either.

But I have found a few other things (sins) God is said to hate.

I first searched for every time this verb “hate” is used in the Old Testament. “Sane” as a 3rd person, masculine, singular. In Hebrew, a qal perfect.

In Deuteronomy 12:31 Moses tells us something else God hates. “Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, WHICH HE HATETH, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.” The innocent deaths of little children! Yes, literal child sacrifice. To a myriad of gods and goddesses.

Here’s another one. God hates idols! “Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATETH.” Deuteronomy 16:22

Then, God hates “divorce!” Malachi 2:16 says so. “For the LORD, the God of Israel, saith that HE HATETH PUTTING AWAY: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the LORD of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.” The previous verse gives further amplification. “Let none deal treacherously against the wife of his youth.”

But God Himself tells us some more things He hates!

Now some “first person” verbs, or should I say First Person?

Listen to the Lord in Isaiah 61:8. “For I the LORD love judgment, I HATE ROBBERY for burnt offering; and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.” The word “robbery” used here means to take something “violently.” To plunder. Is this giving to God (as an offering) something procured wrongly?

Jeremiah 44:3-4, self explanatory. “Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not THIS ABOMINABLE THING THAT I HATE.” Wow, serving other gods now.

Amos 5:21 too, God still speaking. “I HATE, I despise your feast days, and I will not smell in your solemn assemblies.” Because of Israel’s hypocritical, sinful hearts.

Zechariah 8:17 too. “And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for ALL THESE ARE THINGS THAT I HATE, saith the LORD.”

There’s even one in the New Testament. Jesus to the Church at Pergamos: “So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, WHICH THING I HATE.” No worldliness in Jesus’ true Churches, that’s His ultimate goal!

I’m now wondering if a person could just say, “GOD HATES SIN!”

Period.

And the more we learn about this awesome (ineffable) God … especially what He loves and hates … the more we can properly identify His Character.

Knowing God.

Life’s highest aspiration.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

For the next few days our daily Lessons will focus on a paragraph in the Old Testament Book of Proverbs. Specifically, the “things God hates!”

This “list” is unusual in Solomon’s Masterpiece of divinely inspired Literature. The 31 chapters of Proverbs mostly cover a plethora of subjects. Discussing dozens of “types” of people in its journey through human nature.

But occasionally a sustained paragraph is developed. These are usually the “sections” of the Book I enjoy most. I hope to some day (soon) preach a series of five Sermons from the “Paragraphs of Proverbs.” Several are coming to mind even as I type here early this morning. (From a Revival Meeting in Savannah, Tennessee.)

But perhaps no Text anywhere in Scripture is any more informative concerning the Character of God than this little four verse Unit. “These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.” Proverbs 6:16-19

Count them, there are seven … indeed!

Ranging from attitudes to actions … inner thoughts to outer behavior!

We shall, the Lord willing, cover one per day … unless one “spills” over, due to its weightiness, its applicability to today’s society, even today’s Church environment.

In Revelation 3:16, to a half-hearted group of nominal Christians, Jesus literally says “I will spue thee out of My Mouth!” Sounds like strong feeling to me, aversion!

And throughout the Bible, Old and New Testaments, God uses the word “abomination.” Really, 76 times if I have counted correctly. Add 76 more if the plural is included, “abominations!” And these do not yet count the 23 times “abominable” occurs! All use words meaning something like “disgusting!” Or “detestable!” Mighty close to God “hating” something or someone!

But none of the foregoing example are as clear as our Text. “Things God HATES …!”

We shall begin our meditations tomorrow, the Lord willing.

In the meantime, someone start memorizing the list. I will do the same.

“These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: a proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, an heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, a false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.”

“Lord, I pray … enlighten our eyes … and our hearts … as we study these four powerful verses. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell

 

It’s advisable, I think, to have a final Lesson concerning Psalm 77. It’s a masterpiece of theology, poetry too, and a testimony par excellence!

I just studied where a Bible teacher divided the Psalm by it’s little “Selah” words! It has three of these, each at the end of certain verses. Let me show you.

“I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my voice; and he gave ear unto me. ² In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: my sore ran in the night, and ceased not: my soul refused to be comforted. ³ I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah. ⁴ Thou holdest mine eyes waking: I am so troubled that I cannot speak. ⁵ I have considered the days of old, the years of ancient times. ⁶ I call to remembrance my song in the night: I commune with mine own heart: and my spirit made diligent search. ⁷ Will the Lord cast off for ever? and will he be favourable no more? ⁸ Is his mercy clean gone for ever? doth his promise fail for evermore? ⁹ Hath God forgotten to be gracious? hath he in anger shut up his tender mercies? Selah. ¹⁰ And I said, This is my infirmity: but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High. ¹¹ I will remember the works of the LORD: surely I will remember thy wonders of old. ¹² I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings. ¹³ Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary: who is so great a God as our God? ¹⁴ Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people. ¹⁵ Thou hast with thine arm redeemed thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Selah. ¹⁶ The waters saw thee, O God, the waters saw thee; they were afraid: the depths also were troubled. ¹⁷ The clouds poured out water: the skies sent out a sound: thine arrows also went abroad. ¹⁸ The voice of thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook. ¹⁹ Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. ²⁰ Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

Asaph is pleading with God until the first “Selah,” in verses 1-3. By the way, “Selah” for now can be defined as “a musical term, inserted into poetry to say … ‘pause and think’ … reflect on the message just presented.” The Psalmist here (in his first “stanza”) is miserable.

Then from the first Selah to the second, he reasons with himself. Divinely approved thinking, a mind at work, one that believes in God. This is Asaph’s chief value to the Christian … we get to see his way of reasoning through tough situations, always gaining victory through faith.

Then between the second and third Selahs the man focuses much more on God.  Less of self, more of the Creator/Redeemer! One Preacher used to call this “Occupation with Christ.”

With the last few verses, after the final Selah, beautifully magnifying God’s Power! “God’s Way in the storm!” No doubt Asaph is thinking historically, of the Exodus and subsequent Wilderness Journey of Israel, from Egypt to Canaan!

I have been intrigued by Asaph the Psalm writer during these Lessons, over these past three weeks. He is thought to have composed 12 of the Psalms. I think they are labeled as “Asaphian.” And they are Psalm 50, then consecutively Psalms 73 through 83, again a total of twelve. Some are shorter, others longer. For example, Psalm 82 only contains 8 verses. While Psalm 78 has a startling 72 verses!

I now plan, the Lord willing, to somewhere preach a whole week of Revival using only the “Asaph Corpus” of Scripture! I am excited just thinking about it.

I pray you “students” (other websites say “readers”) have enjoyed our journey through Psalm 77. I know the “teacher” (“writer”) certainly has!

I am so thankful my Lord is my Shepherd too!

Appropriately I’ll close with Psalm 77’s ultimate verse: “Thou (Lord) leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.”

Like a flock!

The Lord being the Leader!

Amen.

— Dr. Mike Bagwell