"Man, sometimes it seems like when it rains it pours. I do everything that I can, give my tithe regularly, and I go to church. Yet, it seems like God is punishing me. I'm pretty sure God hates me." This is probably the saddest statement that I have ever heard in my years as a Christian. To most of us, it's completely abhorrent to think that God hates us, but when you are only seeing rain it's understandable how a person could feel like God is against them. There are two sides to every argument and I want to dispel some and reinforce others so that you know the truth about what is happening when you are under a constant barrage of attack.
This is going to be a two-part series because we can't fit everything we have to say about this topic into one post. There are far too many lies out there that the enemy wants people to believe. Far too often we point the finger of blame at God when in reality we are sowing and reaping as a result of the influence the enemy has over our lives. The first part we will cover the things God does hate, and how to line up with his thoughts.
The very first thing I want to point out is that no weapon formed against you shall prevail (prosper in most cases). We all know this verse right? Well if you don't you will now, "no weapon forged against you will prevail, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and this is their vindication from me," declares the LORD." Before I dive into the implications of this verse I want to address where the attacks are coming from, and does God hate you?
God doesn't hate you. In fact, it says in 1 John 4:8 that God is Love. Now, it's important to remember that God does hate the sin but sin is not a person. Sin is anything that is contrary to God's nature and will. Proverbs 6 gives you a pretty straight forward understanding of the primary things that God really hates, so it would be a good idea to get these things out of your life if you recognize any of these in your life. Even still, if you are doing any of these, God doesn't hate you; He hates the sin. Proverbs 6: 16-19 says, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."
Let's break down what each of these seven things means. Haughty Eyes: In Hebrew the word translated as eyes is enayin. This means to look through eyes. Haughty is Rum (not the liquor). This means to exalt oneself. Therefore, haughty eyes literally translates to "looking to exalt yourself" which is wanting to boast about yourself, promote yourself, lift yourself in your own power. 2 Corinthians 10:5 goes further into detail letting you know that his includes even thought patterns you may have that exalt themselves over Him. You need your thoughts to line up Jesus and since Jesus is Love then you want to line up your thoughts and life with this scripture, " Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud." -1 Corinthians 13:4.
A Lying Tongue: You may not be aware of this, but if you even speak something over yourself that is out of line with the word of God, you are cursing yourself. If you say, "I am such a butt," (forgive my wording), then you are lying about yourself. You are calling yourself the tail when God has said you are the head and not the tail. See, so often we think of a lying tongue as outright lying about something but it goes so much deeper than that. Whenever you say something that doesn't line up with the word God over yourself or other people you are lining up with the slanderer, the accuser, the enemy of God and your words are becoming weapons that are formed against you that the enemy will use to attack you and the people around you.
Hands that shed innocent blood: There is a lot to this. In the eyes of God, this is not only speaking of killing someone who did nothing wrong, but it is also speaking the way you use your words as well. Here's how; Jesus said in Matthew 5:21-22, " You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to a brother or sister, ‘Raca,’ is answerable to the court. And anyone who says, ‘You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell." In the eyes of God even saying something out of anger makes you just as guilty of murder as a person the physically slew someone. God hates this but he still loves you.
A heart that devises wicked schemes: This one is subtle. Mahshabeth is the Hebrew word translated as schemes which literally means thoughts and intentions. Horesh is translated as the word devise but in actuality, it translates as to remain silent, to hold your tongue, to be still. A first glance it just looks like it's saying a person that plans to do evil God hates, but In actuality, it is saying that a person that quietly confabulates or thinks evil things in their heart and remains silent about it, God hates that.
A good example of this is when someone makes up a story in their head. Day after day they create an entire argument based on something they perceived, but not based on the reality of a situation. Husbands and wives, roommates, and siblings have a tendency to do this. You have an entire argument in your head and come up with all the possible answers to their arguments. You don't listen to what each other has to say because you just want to be right. Doing this lines up with the enemy as well, you see it in the new testament in 2 Corinthians 2:1, " in order that Satan might not outwit us. For we are not unaware of his schemes." The Greek word for schemes in this verse is Noema. This means thoughts and intentions, to exert mental effort, the personal verdict that comes out of using the mind.
Feet that are quick to rush into evil: The face value of this is straight forward. Don't be quick to run to do evil things. But if you know me, then you know that I can't accept it just for what it means without diving deep into it. Upon closer inspection of this verse, the Holy Spirit revealed to me that this doesn't just mean that God hates it when you are quick to do evil. The Hebrew word for foot used here is regalim. This means to go about on foot. The context in which it is used actually means to go and spy out or seek out evil. So what God is actually trying to convey is that a person that seeks out evil and quickly goes to do it, that is what he hates.
A false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community: The first part of this statement in Hebrew says, "who speaks lies a witness." The word for speaks is yapiah; this word originates from the word puach (not ruach) which means to blow, to speak, to set a flame. It shows that not only does God hate when people lie, but that a lie actually starts a fire in the spirit realm. James 3: 5-6 gives us a better understanding of this, " Likewise, the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell." That small little lie, those untrue words, those things you spoke over yourself and others actually come from the very fires of hell.
The next part of that verse seems to state that God hates a person who stirs up conflict in a community. It actually doesn't say 'person' in Hebrew. The word translated as person is Shawlawk, which means to send forth, to cast off, or to forsake. The last part of this statement speaks of a community in English, but what it actually says in Hebrew is The whole statement, when put together properly states that God hates a false witness (testimony) that stirs up fiery strife and discord among brothers (kindred).
Now you see, God doesn't actually hate anyone. He hates sin. "The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love. The Lord is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made." -Psalm 145:8-9. God loves you. Make sure to keep your eye out for the next part of the series of 'Does God Hate Me?'
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