Seven Abominations Series

PROVERBS 6: (12-) 16-19

SEVEN ABOMINATIONS

[Psalms 133]

Man conceives of God as "one such as himself" (Ps. ) who looks at sin with indifference. It is not so. God is not nearly so neutral as man is concerning sin. There are actually sins which God absolutely hates.

This familiar list of "seven deadly sins" appears to be a commentary on the scoundrel in the previous paragraph. The scoundrel’s activities (12-14) depicted in the use of his body and the seven deadly sins both close with the same climactic line, who "sows discord" [or spreads strife] (vv. 14, 19). Here God evaluates man’s perverse conduct from His viewpoint.

The Lord made man and gave him great gifts and desires to see man use his abilities wisely. He is displeased when His gifts are distorted and exercised as tools of Satan. Our eyes, hands, feet, and tongue are instruments of surpassing skill and wonder. They declare God’s glory as articulately as the stars of heaven or the flowers of earth. Who would dare to corrupt the goodness of these abilities and make them rebel against their Creator? What kind of person would dare to use the good abilities God gave us for evil? God looks seriously at those who distort and use for evil what He intended for good. Every act which we perform is observed by God and He holds those accountable who refuse to use their body and life for the purposes for which He intended them (CIM).

Our outline will simply follow the seven abominable sins. God is a God of love, but Solomon will tell us in verse 16 that there are seven things He hates. And if God hates them, so must we. "There are six things which the Lord hates, Yes, seven which are an abomination to Him."

The Maker and giver cares about what we become and how we use the members of our body. Verses 16-19 are a further elaboration of why disaster will over take the previously described scoundrel (12-15). The numerical pattern—"six, seven"—plays several roles: (1) it aids memory by numbering the items in a list; (2) it encourages recitation or repetition of the items by making a game, almost a riddle, of the text. Third, it stresses the final item, here the seventh, as the climax and center of the list. The list though true is not exhaustive (30:15, 18).

Notice it says "things the Lord hates" meaning attitudes, actions or deeds and not people or kinds of people. God demonstrates love to sinners (Rom. 5:8), but He hates sin. He loves the saint who sins but He hates their sin and will discipline them to remove them from it. God does not desire that sinners perish in their sin. He wants them to repent, but His holy nature demands that He punish sin.

Abomination is used in Proverbs [and Deuteronomy] to describe what is utterly outrageous to God in its insolence or evil (see Prov. 3:32). [Hubbard, David. The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol 15: Proverbs. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc, 1989, S. 103]

So here is a list of things that provoke God’s hate. This sins are especially enraging to God because of how they destroy lives and society. These things which God hates, we must hate in ourselves, not simply hate them in others. Let us shun all such practices, and watch and pray against them. Let us avoid, with marked disapproval, all who are guilty of them, whatever may be their standing in society.

Let us look at this catalog of evils specially odious to the Holy One of Israel as well as insidiously injurious to mankind. The first three sins in verse 17 look at the body member by which the sin is exhibited. "Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,"

First on the "most detested list" is pride (a proud look; 8:13; 30:13; Ps. 18:27; 101:5). Eyes reveal the truth in our souls. They convey so many unspoken emotions and attitudes. Eyes announce anger, impatience sorrow, sarcasm, guilt, and especially pride. Pride is usually the basic motive for all other sins.

Pride is to think of one’s self better that one ought. Pride says lift yourself up. God gives self-worth and self-esteem. Satan pumps up pride. It was pride that turned Lucifer into the devil (Isa. 14: 12-14). It was pride that led Eve to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit (Gen. 3:1-6). Proverbs 8:13 says "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; pride and arrogance and the evil way, and the perverted mouth, I hate." "God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble (Jas. 4:6). (Ps. 12:3-4; 73: 6-9).

The lofty look of man shall be humbled and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down (Isa. 2:11). Haughtiness is an abomination because it implies self-ignorance, unkindness and irreverence. Haughty eyes come from a stubborn, rebellious attitude of heart. It usurps God’s place and wants what rightfully is God alone.