What does God Hate?
Text: Proverbs 6:16-19
16 These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
17 A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
18 A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
19 A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
On Wednesday mornings I’m doing a class in the Hamilton County Jail. This week I found a little publication in the chapel that caught my attention. It noted the huge growth in the population of Tennessee prisoners. In June of 1975 the prison population in Tennessee was 5,464, not including jails. In June of 2011 the prison population was 25,518. While there was a 33% general population growth in TN, the prison growth was 467%. In 1978 one out of 782 of the state citizens was in prison. In 2011 one out of 248 are in prison. If you also count those on parole, on probation, doing community corrections, in Jail and on misdemeanor probations the number of Tennessee citizens either locked up or under state or county supervision comes to 196,570 in June of 2011. That is one out of every 32 citizens of this state. That is appalling!
Those are just statistics from this article, but clearly, we have a problem… a growing problem. As the removal of God from our culture and society continues to degrade our country’s moral fiber, the terrible consequences come home to roost.
The last book in the Old Testament gives a sober warning: Malachi 4:5-6
5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the LORD comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
The day of the Lord is coming and Malachi warns that it will come with burning judgment on the arrogant and wicked, but with healing and blessing for those who fear the name of the Lord. Then God promises to send Elijah the prophet. His job description is this: to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else…
Or else what? God says, “I will come and strike the land with a curse!” What a way to finish the Old Testament! God wants fathers to turn their hearts to who? Their children! God wants the children to turn their hearts to who? Their fathers! Why? Because if they don’t God will come and strike the land with a curse!
One of the major causes of the escalation of prison population lies right here in these words. Here in Malachi God tells us what will happen if the fathers hearts are not turned to the children and the children’s hearts are not turned toward the fathers. He is describing the family system and connections that will protect the nation from being cursed. And when children grow up without this heart to heart connection, it brings down a curse on us all.
The most stable societies are those with strong family ties. When the family begins to fracture and fall the society fractures and falls. Come on, Dads! We’ve got to hear this message! We’ve got a job to do in our children’s lives that mom and church and school can’t do for us! We have a God given calling to lead our homes with a heart to heart relationship with them all.
How? How can we manage this in the midst of all the work load and business we find ourselves tied into?
First, let’s admit that we easily let every other priority tear away at this one. There are so many important things to do that keep us from the most important people in our lives. What can we do?
I wonder how many of you dads here have texting capability on your cell phones? Imagine texting notes of encouragement or prayer to your kids on your break at work. Imagine praying for them and telling them specifically what you are praying for and asking your children what they would like you to pray about for them. Imagine reading a chapter of Proverbs together regularly and letting those words of wisdom start a conversation.
Brothers, it all starts in the heart. Turning your hearts to your children means thinking about them and being motivated to share your life with them and helping build theirs in Christ.
Second, be aware of the dangers of giving too many things and not enough instruction and discipline. We live in the first generations where the family size among white middle class Americans is two kids. The generation before me was the last generation before birth control received popular use. Four or more kids used to be normal. Today the norm is two. When birth control became the norm it allowed people to amass wealth instead of have children. Do you remember the DINK slogan? “Double income no kids.” With the acquisition of more and more money and things and less children to spend it on… well, you can see today what that has created. We now live in a society that looks down on those who have more than three children.
My brother, David has five children. When he had his fifth you would not believe all the harassment and jokes he received from church members and fellow workers. Why? Our society looks down on those who have “too many children.” We are so concerned about world population, we forget that God’s word says
Psalm 127:
3 Sons are a heritage from the LORD,
children a reward from him.
4 Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are sons born in one’s youth.
5 Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
One of the issues that the present day focus on things and departure from instruction and discipline has produced is arrogance in the hearts of children. The list there in Proverbs 6 tells us about things that God hates. That statement ought to grab our attention. What does God hate? The very first item on the list is a proud look. This is where it all begins to move toward destruction. Pride comes before… destruction! And a haughty spirit before a fall. Proverbs 16:18.
With our smaller family units and more lucrative jobs many parents give enormous attention to seeing that their children have all the material benefits and educational opportunities they can get. What does this do to the heart and mind of a child? What does it convince them about themselves? Does it teach humility or pride? Does it form thankfulness or entitlement into their hearts? Do we see more humility coming out of this or looks of pride?
As parents, do we really believe God actually hates a proud look? Do we really believe that pride comes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall? If we did take that to heart, don’t you think we would be working hard to make sure pride is stripped from the hearts and minds of our children and humility planted in its place?
Humility… Being poor in spirit and recognizing the terrible dangers of a sinful condition before a Holy God, these are only formed into a heart that knows the fear of the Lord and the price God paid to redeem us. This is not someone beaten down by the world, but someone strong and wise before God.
Where will this pride that God hates in Proverbs 6 lead? The next item is dishonesty, a lying tongue. Pride will protect itself with lies. Jesus said that Satan is a liar and the father of lies, when he lies he speaks his native tongue. Satan’s sin that started his fall was pride. 1 Tim. 3:6. All liars have their place in the lake of fire. Rev. 21:8. Do we teach our children the true danger of dishonestly and lying?
The rebellion of pride and the depravity of dishonesty leads to such things as shedding innocent blood. I can’t help but think of abortion here. How can we live in a country that legalizes murder of unborn children (millions since 1973) and think we will escape God’s judgment? Where did that start?
And each of these things God hates start in the heart of children brought up without the fear of the Lord and the love of God as central features of their daily instruction.
Reverse that list and see what we should be teaching our children. Humility, honesty, protecting the innocent, seeking to please God, swift to obey His will, bearing witness to the truth, and building up unity and making peace between brethren.
Proverbs is a gold mine of practical instruction for raising up wise children who walk in God’s ways. Dad’s we are called and commanded by God to turn our hearts toward our families and lead them in God’s word and ways.
