Last week I visited a local church. It’s one that I’ve
visited a few times over the past few years. I find meaning in the liturgy
there. It’s not like the evangelical free church that I was a part of for many
years. This church understands the importance of symbol and celebration in a
way that actually embodies, at least how I understand it, the work of God in
worship. However, the senior pastor made a statement during a prayer that
puzzled me. He prayed that we would love what God loves, and hate what God
hates. Now, to most evangelicals, this sounds like a good prayer. It is asking
God to show us how and where to direct our affection and our disdain. It seems
to be asking for wisdom and discernment. Good things, right? But, there is more
to this, I think. First, what does God love and hate? The prayer left this wide
open to every speculation and opinion. Although, in his sermon he alluded to some moral concerns, primarily directed to young people, there was no direction for any of us to
take in order to discern these things. So, I decided to take a quick trip
through the Scripture to see if I could find anything that could help me to
love the things God loves, and to hate what God hates.
First, I want to say that this is in no way a comprehensive
study. Most Christians would not understand it if it was. This is a quick view
that any interested person could do in a short amount of time. It is, in its
brevity, accessible to anyone.
In the New Testament I found very few references to God
hating anyone or anything. There is a reference to Mal. 1:2 in Romans 9. It
reads that God has loved Jacob, but has hated Esau. In the Romans context, Paul
was trying to explain God’s sovereignty in the form of election. God will have
mercy on who God chooses. It’s not up to human actions. In the Malachi
reference, it appears that God was explaining that through divine choice, God
considered Esau as an enemy. Again, no reason other than God’s choice. PLEASE NOTE
that this is an example of God’s own divine choice. It is not something that we
could ever possibly act out on our own. We cannot hate Esau because we do not
have a reason to. God alone gets to make that call. Besides, for the pastor’s
prayer above to have any meaning for us today, we would need to know who the
heck Esau is. We cannot hate Esau.
In Hebrews 1:9 we find that Jesus apparently hated
lawlessness, but loved righteousness. Again, no definitions here. What did the
writer mean by lawlessness? Kittel, in the Theological Dictionary of the New
Testament, wrote that in this particular instance, lawlessness could be synonymous
with sinfulness. So, the writer was basically making the statement that Jesus
hated sin. But, the sin, or lawlessness here appears to be that which Jesus
hated in his own life! Not in anyone else’s. Because of this, God set him above
his companions. Ok, so we can learn to hate sin IN OUR OWN LIVES. This text
does not give us privilege to hate it in anyone else’s life.
There is a statement in Revelation that is a tad confusing.
Apparently, God hated the deeds of someone referred to as Nicolaitans. No one
really knows for sure who these folks were, nor what deeds are being referred
to. Can’t hate what we don’t know about.
So far, there isn’t much that I can find that would help us
to hate what God hates. Mostly because, it doesn’t appear that God hates too
much.
The Hebrew testament has some interesting things to say
about what God hates. Without giving specific references, I found that God
hates dishonest gain. Hmm… If we were to bring that statement forward a couple
thousand years, perhaps God would not be happy with Western economic systems
that reward those who get ‘gain’ using any means, including dishonest ones. Of
course, when these people or institutions are found out, there is a great
public outcry for a day or two. Then, back to business as usual. Maybe we could
find an object of hatred there. But, as Jesus told those who brought the
adulteress to him, let whoever is without sin toss the first rock.
The Scripture is clear in many places that God hates
idolatry…all idolatry. What can we learn from that? Most people would define
idol worship as anything that a person places importance on at the exclusion of
other things, especially God. That could be money, house, job, spouse/kids,
lover, prestige, RV, or cable TV. Here again, though, it is idolatry that we
have in our life that is important here. It’s not up to us to point out the
idolatry that we may sense in others. We are pretty much incapable of having
accurate discernment.
In Proverbs chapter 6 the writer gave a list of things that
God hates. Now, with this kind of list, the main point is usually the last item
in the list. In this one that item is one who spreads strife among brothers. In
fact, all of the items are interpersonal things. Lying, shedding innocent
blood, etc. God apparently doesn’t like it when people treat other people
badly. Ok, I can understand that. So, how does that play out as we relate to
the LGBT community? What’s that look like as we objectify and marginalize
women? Immigrants? The poor? Just something to think about.
There are other texts that I could reference, but, I’ll finish
with this one. Amos 5:21-24,
21 “I hate, I reject your festivals, Nor
do I delight in
your solemn assemblies.
22 “Even
though you offer
up to Me burnt offerings and your grain offerings,
I will not accept them;
And I will not even
look at the peace offerings of your fatlings.
23 “Take away
from Me the noise of your songs;
I will not even
listen to the sound of your harps.
24 “But let justice
roll down like waters
And righteousness
like an ever-flowing stream.
Perhaps, now I’m just speculating here, God isn’t all that
happy when people use that authority of the pulpit to speak for God. At least,
when making general statements that are loaded with emotion. Maybe our church
leaders would do well to make sure that the words that come out of their mouths
are accurate and precise. From what I’ve found out, these are the ones who may
experience God’s displeasure.
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