The Text
Proverbs 6:16-19 (NIV)
16 There are six things the Lord hates,
Seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes,
a lying tongue,
hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes,
Feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies,
And a person who stirs up conflict in the community.
Insight & Breakdown
When we think about who God is, it’s safe to bet that characteristics such as graceful, merciful, truthful, and loving would be the first to come to mind. And we would be absolutely right in thinking about God in these terms. He is all of those things. When we’re having a season of loneliness, God’s love keeps us going. When we’ve “fallen off the wagon” yet again, God’s mercy and grace are there to pick up the pieces. When we find ourselves in precarious situations, God’s truth guides us home. But what if the best measure for knowing who we are rests in fully understanding who God is? A.W. Tozer said, “What comes into our mind when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
Understanding that God is full of grace, mercy, and kindness is the foundation of our faith. But so is understanding that God is wrathful, just. We often skim over these attributes because it’s hard to understand for ourselves how God can be all of those things in one. How does wrath and justice exist alongside grace and mercy? Sometimes it’s even harder to tell others that while God is forgiving and patient, He also feels hate and anger towards our sin.
Proverbs 6:16-19 is an example of this. If we are caught up in doing the things that God hates, illustrated in this passage then we aren’t pleasing Him. And if I’m being completely honest, I’ve found myself here more times than I care to admit.
Upon first reading chapter 6, I wondered what I could possibly write about this week. A person who lacks the proper fear or respect for God is full of folly and does these kinds of things. This couldn’t pertain to me. I had no folly in my life! But then I began to dig deeper into what the text really says: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, false witness … I laid my Bible aside. I didn’t pick it up again for a week. Remember what I said about measuring ourselves by understanding who God is? I didn’t like what I saw in myself. I wanted the good, graceful, kind, and loving God back. I didn’t want to examine my life through His justness. And I certainly didn’t want to examine it through His wrath.
But…Jesus. When we look at some of the things that God hates, we find hope in Jesus. Where God hates haughty eyes, meaning pride or conceit (6:17), Jesus demonstrates humble eyes (Philippians 2:6-7); God hates a lying tongue (6:17), Jesus is truth (John 14:6); God hates murderous hands (6:17), Jesus has healing hands (Mark 5:41-42); God hates a wicked heart (6:18), Jesus is pure (1 Peter 2:22); God hates feet that follow evil (6:18), Jesus’ feet rush to redemption (Luke 9:51); God hates a false witness (6:19), Jesus instructs us to love our neighbor as we would ourselves (Matt. 22:37-39). And you know what? Not only does Christ’s perfect sacrifice on the cross allow us to be forgiven but he also molds believers to be more like Jesus! (Romans 8:29).
As 6:19 concludes, all of the above result in discord, insecurity, and division among a body. Specifically, God’s body of believers. If we only examine God through the lens of simply who WE want him to be instead of the fullness of who He REALLY IS how can we ever begin to understand the full extent of our own sin and how it affects this body of Christ we are all a part of?
Application
The truth is we all have committed at least some of the things in this passage. That is sobering. So what
should we do about it? The answer is simple. Ask forgiveness. Take a few moments to step through each
line of the short passage at the beginning of page one. It may be tempting to ignore some of it, such as the
part about shedding blood. However, 1 John 3:15 says that everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.
Don’t rush past these lines, take time to examine each line against your life, and ask God, as David did in
Psalm 139, to show you if any of this is in you, and simply ask forgiveness. Ask God to continue to show you
His ways.
Questions For Reflection And Discussion
If you could put the big idea of this passage into one sentence what would it be?
Which line in this week’s text stuck out the most to you? Why? Did God reveal anything specific about yourself?
What has been the balance of teaching on grace/mercy and justice/wrath you’ve heard throughout your life? Has the balance been off?
What does it look like to live and speak in a way that holds both God’s mercy and wrath In a high view?