The Way of the Wise - Proverbs
8 - Things God Hates
We are looking this time at Proverbs 6:16 to 19 where we read: “There are six things the Lord hates, seven things that are detestable to Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.”
This time we are going to consider different kinds of people who might come to your church. Now, if there are seven hateful, detestable things in God’s sight, we need to identify them carefully and consider them seriously. They are seven things that affect the eyes, the tongue, the hands, the heart and the feet, and they can be placed under four headings. So here are four people who might come to your church, and perhaps, like me, you will be saying very shortly ‘I have met them all.’
The first is the proud person. He is “Mr Haughty Eyes”. He is educated and intelligent, but he is very contemptuous of other people; he looks down upon them. He thinks that none are as holy as he is. He doesn’t really understand Romans12:10 which says, “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love, honour one another above yourselves.” This man is very correct in his knowledge of theology and doctrine, but he is very abrasive, there is no tenderness, no compassion, no time to listen to people; often no sense of humour and no joy. This person has a tendency to talk at people, not to them.
“Mr Haughty Eyes” doesn’t really understand what it means to be gentle and humble, although Jesus says, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am gentle and humble” (Matthew 11:29). “Mr Haughty Eyes” wants position; he feels that he has great gifts. He thinks he should be recognised and revered and given a position of leadership and authority. He is, after all, a very important person, and often gets angry when other people don’t seem realise it. He has no understanding of humble, faithful service for Christ, he just wants to be seen. It grieves him that he doesn’t have a more exalted position. He doesn’t understand John the Baptist who said about Christ, “He must become greater. I must become less” (John 3:30).
He is so unlike the Lord Jesus who humbled Himself and made Himself nothing. “Mr Haughty Eyes” has no vision for evangelism; his head is full, but his heart is empty. This man actually loves to criticise the methods of those who are reaching the lost with the Gospel. Perhaps it is because he is conscious of his own shortcomings in witnessing in love to others. So beware of “Mr. Haughty Eyes”, but seek to reach out to him with true Christian grace and love.
Then, someone else is coming to church, so watch out. He is the liar, we find him in verses 17 and 19. He exaggerates to impress; he can be flippant and glib. He is always saying the Lord told me this, and the Lord told me that, often over very minor things. He uses a lot of pious jargon that just trips of the tongue. The liar is often a smiling assassin, he will be very pleasant and courteous to you, but he is really full of gossip and slander. He is always tale bearing and back biting. He is very dangerous to have around in the church because lies and false witness are very destructive. This man uses unrealistic flattery which can be very harmful to people, and there is a deceit mentality which can become a way of life. Half-truths seem to come very easily to him, but white lies are still lies. There is the man or woman who promises to do something but they are unreliable and they don’t do it. As Christian believers we follow the One who is the truth, not the father of lies who is Satan. Paul says we are to “speak the truth in love” (Ephesians 4:15). Again, people like this need to be disciplined in love by the elders of the church. We must be on our guard against them.
Who else may come to your church? We find this person at the end of verse 17 which speaks about “hands that shed innocent blood.” These are people that hurt and destroy the fellowship of God’s people. We see in the world around us: hatred, the neglect or abuse or humiliation of children or aged parents. There are those who treat their husbands or their wives very poorly and even cruelly? But what about being resentful and wanting to get even with people? What if there is no appreciation, no respect, no tenderness, no thoughtfulness? This murdering spirit comes in many forms and can even be found in our churches. Paul in writing to the Corinthians said, “For I am afraid when I come I may not find you as I want you to be, and you may not find me as you want me to be. I fear that there may be quarrelling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, factions, slander, gossip, arrogance and disorder” (2 Corinthians 12:20). What a sorry picture that is, and yet Paul recognised that there was a very real danger of these things happening if they were not watchful.
What about those who won’t speak to other Christians and avoid them? You and I have a murder weapon in our mouth, which is our tongue. There is such a sin as spiritual murder when the fruit of the Spirit is not evident in the life. Yes, such people might come to your church: the proud person, the liar, even the murderer. Let us be on our guard that such a person is not allowed to ruin our church, and let us be sure that we do not exhibit any of these destructive characteristics ourselves.
The fourth person who may come to the church is the schemer. We find him in verse 18 and at the end of verse 19. Here we see “the heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil…and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” “Mr Schemer” has wrong motives; maybe he wants power, or money, or recognition, or even revenge. He may want to lead the church in a very different direction; he may have his own agenda; he may have a very strong personality. “Mr Schemer” is never content. He lets his negative feelings smoulder and he complains to other church members. He never thinks things through. What he is doing is stirring up dissension; he is devising schemes that are wrong. What is the heart of the problem? “Mr. Schemer” has a covetous spirit. His focus is all wrong, it affects his thinking. His ambition absorbs his time and his energy; it diminishes him; it affects his usefulness and his objectives have become distorted. This attitude can become infectious. He can carry other people along with him. The problem is that he is not living close to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is his will that is uppermost in his mind, not the Lord’s will for the church fellowship of which he is a member.
So these are the things that Proverbs chapter 6 tells us that God hates; that are detestable to Him: pride, falsehood, a murderous spirit, wicked schemes, feet that are quick to do evil, false witness and those who stir up dissension among brothers; all of which can creep in our churches and cause harm and distress.
What must we do, then, to be on our guard against these things that the Lord hates? The first is to keep close to the Lord and to his Word. The second is to truly love one another with sincere hearts. The third is to be on our guard against the whiles of the devil who is always seeking to destroy the testimony of the church. And the fourth is to deal quickly in loving discipline with those who come in with wrong motives or wrong teaching.