Get Wisdom! - Proverbs 6:16-19 - The End

Today for our HSPT prayer focus let’s recall what God requires of us from Micah 6:8 and then pray that God would help us do those things in a humble, obedient manner.

Act justly
Love mercy
Walk humbly with God

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Welcome to our final installment of Get Wisdom!! Do you feel wiser than you were when we began this journey in early May? I hope so. God has promised that His Word always accomplishes what He purposes for it and I’m believing that our time in Proverbs has accomplished much in your life.

Today’s selection from Proverbs is four verses that are chock full of wisdom. We are going to hear God tell us some things that He hates. Yes, God does hate….not people but things that keep people from Him. So, let’s jump into Proverbs 6:16-19. Pick your translation.

There are seven things that the Lord hates and cannot tolerate:

A proud look,

a lying tongue,

hands that kill innocent people,

a mind that thinks up wicked plans,

feet that hurry off to do evil,

a witness who tells one lie after another,

and someone who stirs up trouble among friends. (GNT)

Here are six things God hates, and one more that he loathes with a passion:

eyes that are arrogant,

a tongue that lies,

hands that murder the innocent,

a heart that hatches evil plots,

feet that race down a wicked track,

a mouth that lies under oath,

a troublemaker in the family. (The Message)

There are six things the Lord hates. There are seven things he cannot stand:

a proud look,

a lying tongue,

hands that kill innocent people,

a mind that thinks up evil plans,

feet that are quick to do evil,

a witness who lies,

and someone who starts arguments among families. (NCV)

These six things doth the LORD hate : yea, seven are an abomination unto him:

A proud look,

a lying tongue,

and hands that shed innocent blood,

An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations,

feet that be swift in running to mischief,

A false witness that speaketh lies,

and he that soweth discord among brethren. (KJV)

I could really teach all day from these four verses but I will spare you the agony. Just a few things I would like to point out.

• Typically when we hate something, there is a reason. Why does God hate these things? Because they are very much the antithesis of God—the polar opposite of God’s character and person. And they keep man from being able to be in relationship with God.

• Check out the first one. Pride! I believe this is first because God hates this sin most. It is what caused Satan to be thrown—lock, stock and barrel—out of heaven, and it is what caused man to be separated from God.

• Notice that lying is mentioned twice. Hmmm, does that tell you anything? God really, really hates lying.

• God hates the killing of innocent people. Notice the key word here is ‘innocent’. I believe God recognized that justice would have to be served when someone breaks the law and often that justice involved killing.

• The Word is clear about the person who not only thinks up evil, but hurries off to do it. Either action alone is despicable to God. Ditto for someone who is always out to cause trouble among friends and family. My Daddy would have said that person just likes to ‘stir the pot’ and cause trouble.

So, my friends, it would seem to be wise to avoid doing these things that God says He hates. I hope as we have studied several proverbs in our Get Wisdom series you have begun to make wiser choices in your daily lives. I know I sure have.

Thanks for taking this journey with me. I’d love to hear how this series spoke to you.