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
Proverbs 6:16-19 gives us a list of seven things that are an abomination to God. This is a mixture of things that are both a little surprising and some that are what I would expect to be an abomination to Him. Some of them are very easy to believe but some are things that we are all guilty of, things that we most likely consider not that bad. This week we are going to look at these seven things that are an abomination to Him.
A false witness is someone who tells a lie about another person to either hurt them or provide an advantage for themselves. Another example would be lying to a police officer or while under oath in a court of law to change the outcome of a case. This isn't just creating a little white lie. It is intentionally trying to change the outcome of an event by telling a lie. Lying and bearing false witness are both a form of lying. However, bearing false witness is directly aimed at another person. A false witness is more than a liar, but the type of person who would file a false police report to see someone persecuted falsely. A false witness is someone who would lie under oath and seeks to destroy innocent lives.
Naboth, a Jezreelite in the Bible, was falsely accused and tragically stoned to death as a result. His story is found in 1 Kings 21. He refused to sell his land to King Ahab and as a result, Ahab’s queen, Jezebel, had him falsely accused of cursing both God and the King. He was taken outside the city and killed. Bearing false witness is serious.
Colossians 3:9-10says Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in the knowledge after the image of its creator. With this new self and in the knowledge of our creator we can overcome the “old self” ways.
One Who Sows Discord Among His Brothers
As Christians we are brothers and sisters in Christ. We are one body, with many members, working together toward one goal and one purpose – to further the Kingdom of God. When there is disunity in the body, the body cannot function like it is supposed to. It is weakened and ineffective. The members cannot function together with disruption and strife. Satan longs for the body of Christ to be rendered ineffective and it only takes one person to get it started.
This disruption to the body of Christ is particularly displeasing to God because one person causing strife can start an avalanche, causing others to fall into sin also. We may think it is a small thing to sow discord in the office, the shop, the church or the home; but the Bible says that God hates discord and strongly denounces those who sow strife. Satan loves to get into the middle of Christians and break them apart. If he can tear down the church from the inside out, he has accomplished his goal. All it takes is one of us to stir the pot. Don’t be the crack in the door that he uses to get in.
I am so glad to know that, even when we fail, our God does not hate us. Even though we may be guilty of some of these things on this list of what God hates, He loves and forgives us and in Him we can be made new again.
Scripture to Claim:
Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you. Ephesians 4:31-32
