Ecclesiastes 3:8 ...and a time to hate…
As I am a little late posting this study this week due to being out of town and not bringing my study materials, I will say it was probably a good thing giving me more time to just meditate on the study and what I had already started. The Bible is the ultimate love story. There will be drama, laughter, battles etc. Because even in the midst of being in love, the old creepy word hate will rear its head. Sometimes hate is a needed necessity to be able to expound on love. As far as I know the Bible only references hate from God to a person personally in only one instance.
Malachi 1:3 And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness.
Romans 9:13 As it is written, Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.
God is love! I do not think any of us will deny that. I find it interesting that the Bible does point out what God does hate. When we look at the story of Esau, Isaac and Jacob, (Genesis 27), we might verily understand the context of why God hated Esau. Esau, lied, coveted, stole, envied and more all in this one passage to take the inheritance from his brother. Every thing that Esau did, God hates.
Proverbs 6: (16) These six things doth the LORD hate: Yea, seven are an abomination unto him: (17) A proud look, a lying tongue, And hands that shed innocent blood, (18) An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, Feet that be swift in running to mischief, (19) A false witness that speaketh lies, And he that soweth discord among brethren.
Titus 3:3 For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another.
When we read what is said there in Proverbs 6, it definitely points to a person or groups of persons. It clearly shows that God does hate people that do these certain things. Does God hate me? So, now looking at those verses, do we fall in any of those categories? (Titus 3:3) Kind of put things into perspective doesn’t it. Let’s read more.
Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.
So, the issue now becomes, is it ok to hate people in certain instances? It requires people to do the things God hates. But I thought earlier we established that God is love. He is! I do believe the Bible sets a precedence of acknowledging the things that God hates, and for us to also recognize these things. Most of what we have talked about so far is taking place in the Old Testament. We know there is a separation between God and Man that started in Genesis, that can help us to understand God’s stance on the subject. We have heard the saying, "hate the sin, not the sinner”, but it is very clear in Old Testament law, that seems to not be the case. When we move on to New Testament scriptures, we will see a different tone concerning the word hate. Now that Jesus is here, grace abounds to everyone. God’s love is available to everyone. Jesus teaches to not hate people but love them. Even those who wrong us.
Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
Matthew 5:44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
This would be a very clear statement on "hating sin, not the sinner”. I do believe we should still hate the acts that God hates, just as stated earlier in Proverbs 8:13. But as Christ showed the adulteress woman, (John 8), forgiveness and compassion is the act of love required of us.
In order to truly walk with God, we must change our mindset to His. If God hates it, we should too. We should not accept anything that goes against God’s ways. There is a time to hate, but I often wonder if the things I hate line up with the things God hates. Do I hate enough or too little. Am I more or less allowing things to just go by that I know God hates and merely accepting it, allowing it, maybe partaking in it? Do I hate it? Should I hate it? This study subject is kind of a wakeup call. We should hate anything that Goes against God’s standards.
COMMENTS
[ posted by Cindy, 09/13/2024 03:21 PM ]
We all know "hate" is an ugly word. Hate can be either the kind of hate that is of a hostile view of a person or thing that intends malice, destruction and harm; or a kind of hate that has the strong dislike of someone or something without the intent of malice, harm or damage.Which brings to my mind about how most people these days call you a "hater" if they don't like or agree with their opinion of something of theirs, whether it be politics, person choices or behaviors, idealogy, etc. Hatred is a failure of love. Hate is void of love. Matt 6:24 "No man can serve two masters: or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." We are called to love our enemies, not hate them. 1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." I'm gonna be honest, Mike quoted several instances in the Bible I didn't recognize or remember about God hating Esau. I I know the story, but don't remember the verses he quoted. I do know the sins in Proverbs that are abominations to the Lord. God hates the sin, not the sinners. And he punishes the sinners, not the sin. The Old Testament had no redemption of sins like we do after Jesus came to earth and died for us and our sins. There was so much evil ways and idol worshipping and perversion, etc going on that God had no problem with all the smiting he would do. I mean, come on, let's be for real...If we were still in Old Testament days I think there's quite a few 'smite by God's hand' would be going on all over the world!! As long as there is an evil presence among us, we will never rid hate. When we disobey God and do things He hates ,does he hate us? Does it show we hate Him when we continue to commit sin? John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." We are sinners, and God knows that. Just think of the love he offers us despite that. It's humbling. We will never be able to love and forgive the way God and Jesus love is. They have never and will never hate us. Would we say God hates those unbelievers and sinners he casts into hell in the end? He hates their sins and unrepentance that causes them their judgment. You cannot separate that from the person. Rebuking the act of a sin is not hatred. Isn't that love when we correct someone of a sin? We urge and push them in a different direction according to what God considers not a sin. Someone who hates God and His word will continue a path of sin, they 'represent' sin in their life and behavior. And anyone who tries to tell them what they are doing wrong will take the brunt of their anger. Amos 5:10 " They hate him that rebuketh in the gate, and they abhore him that speakers uprightly." Prov 1:7 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction." Luke 6:22 "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake." So Christians will be hated for their love of God and His righteous ways. We will never be sinless, but He has promised to wipe away our sins in the end. But, we have to walk in His ways the best we can! We can hate sin, but we are to not hate the person committing the sin. I know, sometimes that is hard to do. I reflect on some of my sins and I think how does God keep forgiving me, why does He keep forgiving me. Why does he do it for all of us? Because He does not hate us! He hates our sins but, not us personally! Hate speech we hear all the time when someone voices an opinion different than another's. Hate is used so loosely now to fire back at anyone who doesn't agree with you. Is it they know they are wrong (and it is a sin)? Is that why they get so mad? They can't stand the truth? What's the line from the movie "you can't handle the truth!" A lot of the hate towards Christians is the truth of God's word. The truth about Jesus. The truth about salvation. They all hate things, and speak against things we disagree on. We need to make sure it's the 'right' kind of hate without the malice and harmful intention. God wants us to hate sin, all the kinds of sin described in the Bible. Mike has those verses quoted above. Jesus loved the sinners, ate with them, healed them, blessed them. He surely hated the sins he knew in His heart they had done, yet loved them regardless. Just like me and you. Jude 22,23 " And some have compassion, making a difference: And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh." Amos 5:14-15 " Seek the good not the evil, that ye may live: and so the Lord, the God of hosts, shall be with you, as ye have spoken. Hate the evil, and love the good, and establish judgement in the gate: it may be the the Lord God of hosts will be gracious unto the remnant of Joseph." We are to hate what God hates, and love what God loves. I am gonna end this with an interesting quote I found on my research for today's topic. " David was a good hater, for he hated only those who hated God. Of this hatred he isn't ashamed of, but he sets it forth as a virtue to which he would have the Lord's testimony. To love all men with benevolence is our duty; but to love any wicked man with complacency would be a crime." by Charles Spurgeon Did God see David's hatred of those non Godly people as a righteous emotion? David thought his hatred of the enemies of God as a virtue in his belief and relationship with God. He did not think it was a sin, that type of hatred. When we become tolerate to sin(s), with complacency, and told "not to judge" because we are being haters...are we sinning? Yes. If we call out sin, it is not hate. Now maybe the way we say it to someone or actions...but we stand for God when we stand against sin. Our obligation to God as a Christian is to know what God hates and despises and how that affects our connection and relationship with God and his divine love for us. Don't hate with hostility or with malice or the intent to harm, but hate the act of the actual sin and not person committing the sin.