The Lord Hates...

These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19

Part of any successful marriage involves finding out what your spouse hates and avoids that thing, action or behavior as much as possible.  When we look at the seven things which the Lord hates we find that they are not matters of preference but serious character issues that grow out of the sin nature of any person who is not in a right relationship with God.  Note also that it is not just actions, it is the very character of the sin nature controlling a person.  Stated in the positive we can conclude what the Lord loves – humility, honesty, the peacemaker, the heart that plans good, and one who speaks honestly and positively of others.  This special pattern of “six things…even seven…” in the Proverbs is a way of highlighting the last item on the list.  In this case the highlighted abomination before the Lord is the one who makes problems between people.  The busybody, the gossip, the one who inflames others to disagreement or conflict.  If what is on television is any indication we can say with all certainty that we has people find conflict intriguing, interesting, and even fun to watch.  The Spirit of God will always be leading the believer away from these negative things which the Lord hates to the positive attributes that bring greater peace and concord among the brethren.