In the 400 years since the first printing of the King James Version of the Bible, our understanding, our views of God, have changed a whole lot. Typically, many in the Church apparently now teach a “seeker friendly” gospel based solely or principally on the understanding that “God is Love.” From that follows that He will always forgive (for He always does) – so we can accept Christ and live our lives as we please. But this is not the Biblical way.

The Bible tells us that God, the Creator of us and all we can see, is a well rounded character. He is not a two-dimensional cut-out god make in our image who is our servant and jumps to perform the whims of our mortal machinations.

The Bible clearly tells us:

Our God is a Jealous God (Exodus 20:5

Our God is Vengeful for his own (Deuteronomy 32:35)

Our God is to be feared (Hebrews 10:31)

Our God is an all consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24).)

God can hate, and he hates many things.

Let is look at six things which God says He hates:

1) God hates haughty eyes. Haughty here means proud, arrogant, conceited, self important or puffed-up. In our eyes, God seeks a reflection of the character of the person. The signs are there to be read on ones face, for those who can read. What God hates is the character which the eyes display, basically pride, conceit and self importance. God hates these characteristics in one of His creations.

2) God hates a lying tongue. Lying here means deceitful, dishonest, false and double-dealing. The lies reflect the character inside. What God hates in the character which a lying tongue displays are dishonesty, falseness and deceitfulness. We are admonished to let our Yes be Yes and our No be No so that we do not fall under condemnation (James 5:12).

3) God hates hands which shed innocent blood. To shed innocent blood is to break one of the 10 Commandments (or 10 Words as the Hebrews call them) as Exodus 20:13 says “You shall not kill.” It is reconfirmed in Deuteronomy 19:19.

4) God hates a heart which devised wicked plans. Wicked plans are rebellion against both God and man and God and are born in a heart which aligns with Satan, not God. In Psalms 10:4 we are told that the wicked are too proud to ask for God help, again a reflection or the haughty eyes. Proverbs 10:11 warns that the words of the wicked hide their violent plans.

5) God hates those who run to evil. The Bible sees those who run to evil, run to commit all manner of sin with greediness, especially murder. Proverbs 1:16 says “They run to do something evil, and they cannot wait to kill someone.”

6) God hates a false witness. A false witness is someone who lies and spreads discord among brothers, or a family or a group. It is also a Commandment that “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour”. Being a false witness, is acting as an agent of Satan and God cannot accept this.

All of these examples are taken from a single passage of scripture, Proverbs 6:16-19 which reads:

“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.” (Emphasis added)

Amen and Amen.