MAY 2

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

Proverbs 6:16-19

“These six things the Lord hates,

Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look,

A lying tongue,

Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans,

Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies,

And one who sows discord among brethren.

Psalms 5:4-6

“For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,

Nor shall evil dwell with You.

The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;

You hate all workers of iniquity.

You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;

The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

Deuteronomy 12:31

“You shall not worship the Lord your God in that way; for every abomination to the Lord which He hates they have done to their gods; for they burn even their sons and daughters in the fire to their gods.”

Psalm 11:5

“The Lord tests the righteous,

But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.”

Hosea 9:15

““All their wickedness is in Gilgal,

For there I hated them.

Because of the evil of their deeds

I will drive them from My house;

I will love them no more.

All their princes are rebellious.”

Leviticus 20:23

“ And you shall not walk in the statutes of the nation which I am casting out before you; for they commit all these things, and therefore I abhor them.”

We have a few days left in the book   “100 NAMES OF GOD”  written by Christopher D. Hudson.  Each day we’ll take one Hebrew name for God as given in the Bible to study and relate to.  Then we’ll be changing to another book.

SANE

THE GOD WHO HATES

Psalm 5:5

“The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence.  You hate all who do wrong.”

The God who HATES?  Surely that’s a typo.  That can’t be right.  Isn’t God a God of love? Who would want to pledge allegiance to a God who HATES?

When we describe God as the God who hates, don’t we validate all the critics who insist that God is an angry God ~ the ones who claim that He is unreliable, unstable, even unrighteous?

Yet, when we think about it more deeply, aren’t some things worthy of hatred?  We hate the ugly realities of child molestation, addiction, AIDS, sex slavery, rape, and racism.  Wouldn’t we want and expect God to hate these things as well?  Wouldn’t we be leery of a God who was indifferent about such matters and reject a God who was okay with or, even worse, approving of these things?

Scripture tells us that God hates idolatry.  It tells us He despises people who are bloodthirsty and deceitful.  He hates pride, lying, murder, evil plots, those who love evil, false witnesses, and troublemakers.

God’s hatred stems from His goodness.  Because He is always good, He is always just.  Because He is just, He intrinsically hates unjust things.

God’s hatred is also propelled by His love.  Because He loves us fiercely, He loathes any and every thing that would harm us; sin, death, disease, Satan, destruction, and division.

The hatred of God is tied to His purity.  In the same way a surgeon is intolerant of a germ-fille O.R., or an oncologist hates even one malignant cancer cell.  God cannot and will not tolerate, much less celebrate, impurity.  It goes against His nature.  We serve a God who is utterly knitted to His own glory and our good.  Therefore, He hates whatever would stand in the way of those things.

Does God hate?   Absolutely He does – because of His goodness, love, and holiness.  But when we understand God’s hatred, it makes us love Him more.

How would you defend the Biblical claim that “God hates” to someone who didn’t understand it?

PRAYER,  LORD, I praise You for Your goodness, love, and holiness.  Please help me to hate what You hate and love what You love.  Please help me to flee from the things I know You hate.  Amen.

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