Are You Messing With God?
I came across a blog entry on Proverbs 6:16-19 a few weeks ago and thought it would be great to share with readers who have been visiting my page. The article is copied here with permission from Daniel Kropf, the penman of this article. May we read this with a heart of humility and honesty and open ourselves to be corrected where the Holy Spirit's conviction can be found.
THOUGHTS ON PROVERBS 6:16-19
By Daniel Kropf
Pro 6:16-19 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, a 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.
I would like to look at these 7 things from a slightly different way. I would like to look in the gospels and show how all of these things were found in the Pharisees of Christ’s day. This will hopefully stir up a little bit of self-soul-searching because if these were found in them, could they not also be found in us?
1. A Proud Look
Pride in the heart is one of those sins that manifests itself more in action than in word. It is interesting that twice in Luke the Pharisees were said to have derided Christ. First in Luke 16:14, after He had said that no one could serve God and mammon, and secondly in Luke 23:35 when He was on the cross. I only recently learned that this word is not verbal derision, but derision by a look.
They did not deride him by speaking, but they held up the nose at him and sneered. Here is the Creator of the universe, humbling Himself to come as a Man, speaking to man, and His own creation turns their nose up at Him and holds Him in contempt. In think this is ample warning to us as to how we listen to any minister of God, not to do so in a spirit of superiority lest we to fall under the abhorrence of God.
2. A Lying Tongue
This one naturally overlaps with being a false witness. In Luke 20:20-25, It says that the Pharisees sent out spies to pretend to be Christ’s followers so that they might catch Him out in something He said. It is interesting how these people address Him in asking Him a question to tempt Him. They say, “Master, we know that you say and teach rightly...”
What they said was actually right, but they had no conviction of it in their own hearts. They would speak whatever was convenient at the time with no reflection as to whether it was true or not (in this case it was more true than they could know).
This is why Paul in his letter to Titus (2:7) tells him that one of the characteristics of his doctrine should be sincerity. Without being to technical – the word sincerity is actually reference to when pottery had wide spread use. Pottery that had small cracks in it would have the cracks filled with wax (cere) by unscrupulous merchants. This prevented the cracks from being noticed, unless you tested the pot in another way... pottery resonates and if it is a good well bonded piece of pottery, one sincere (without wax), it will ring when flicked with the finger. Sincerity really means that when we say something our being should resonate with the knowledge that it is true. If we speak often without even believing what we say, we are morally guilty of lying, even if our words our factual, because our attitude of heart has no reference to the truth when we speak.
3. Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
The Pharisees were guilty of this to the highest degree possible in slaying Christ. Even though they knew He was innocent, they willingly chose to have Him die for the nation and chose a murderer to go free and for Christ to die (John 11:47-51; Matt. 27:16-26).
With regard to the sin that they would commit that all the righteous blood shed before would come upon that generation (Matt. 23:29-36).
4. A Heart That Devises Wicked Imaginations
This is seen in the way they conspired to ensnare Christ in His words and in all the other times they took counsel together on how to deal with Him. Christ’s trial and death were all premeditated crimes, carefully planned out in the hearts of wicked men (according to God’s predeterminate counsel). Some Scriptures that show this diligent plotting are: Matt. 22:15; Matt. 27:1-2; and Mark 3:6.
5. Feet That Are Swift In Running To Mischief
This is seen in the trial of Christ, when they brought Him to Pilate early in the morning. From the beginning of arrest of Christ and through His first two Jewish trials everything was done with the utmost speed so that nothing could hinder their purpose of having Him killed. They even were willing to go against almost every tenet and principle of Jewish law to do it by having the trial at night and by adjuring the Prisoner to bear witness against Himself.
Judas, himself, was told by Christ to do what he doing quickly (John 13:27).
In this swiftness to evil, the Pharisees were imitating their forefathers who at the golden calf had risen up early eager to serve their idol (Ex. 32:6). Note that it is full easy to run when you are headed down-hill.
6. A False Witness That Speaks Lies
This is an interesting expression in the Hebrew, because of the two different words used together dealing with falsehood. The one means to fabricate from nothing (Ie. To create a report against someone from thin air) and the other means to twist or mold (Ie. To take the existing situation and distort it to form a lie). To do either of these things is to lie in God’s eyes.
In Mark 14:55-59, we are expressly told that the Pharisees brought in false witnesses, but their testimonies conflicted. Clearly no one in this court was interested in the truth at all. Their very words when they brought Him before Pilate show this to be the epitome of every lynch mob and kangaroo court that has ever existed. Paraphrased it is, “If He was not guilty we wouldn’t have brought Him!” (John 18:30).
It is interesting that the Jews were convinced that they were doing God’s will (as they were but not how they thought). We too can easily fall into this trap, unless we love the truth. If we allow the love of truth to find deep root in our hearts, then it will be clear to us that the God of Truth will never be defended by falsehood. It would be better in God’s sight to lose a case then to convict a man through falsehood. There is a great temptation for us to defame those whom we dislike or even to speak beyond the truth concerning people who we know are bad. This is slander in God’s eyes. To be truthful we can only say what we have good evidence for, even of a person who is truly wicked.
7. He That Sows Discord Among Brethren
Judas was guilty of both this and slander when he accused Mary of Bethany of waste with regard to the ointment she poured on Christ (John 12:4-8). By his words the other disciples were also caused to bring reproach upon one who had poured her all out for Christ (Mark 14:4-9). Christ, however, not only silenced their criticism, but commended her for it.
Of all these seven sins we have covered here, this one is the worst as it often incorporates the others within it. A study of Judas’ life would show most of these within him. Christ prayed for unity only after he had left, because had he been there unity would not have been possible (John 17:23).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of contributing the worst of motives to the best of deeds, however this is the antithesis of love which “believes all things.” May God not find us guilty on That Day of having sown discord, one whom others success in Christ was in spite of rather than because of, a stumbling block.
Rather, on That Day may we be found as those who have striven for unity in the Body of Christ and have even laid our own selves down that others may step upon us to reach Christ, even as ants form bridges with their own bodies that their fellows can advance!
Thoughts on Proverbs 6:16-19 (Seven Abominations)
THOUGHTS ON PROVERBS 6:16-19
By Daniel Kropf
Pro 6:16-19 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, a 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.
I would like to look at these 7 things from a slightly different way. I would like to look in the gospels and show how all of these things were found in the Pharisees of Christ’s day. This will hopefully stir up a little bit of self-soul-searching because if these were found in them, could they not also be found in us?
1. A Proud Look
Pride in the heart is one of those sins that manifests itself more in action than in word. It is interesting that twice in Luke the Pharisees were said to have derided Christ. First in Luke 16:14, after He had said that no one could serve God and mammon, and secondly in Luke 23:35 when He was on the cross. I only recently learned that this word is not verbal derision, but derision by a look.
They did not deride him by speaking, but they held up the nose at him and sneered. Here is the Creator of the universe, humbling Himself to come as a Man, speaking to man, and His own creation turns their nose up at Him and holds Him in contempt. In think this is ample warning to us as to how we listen to any minister of God, not to do so in a spirit of superiority lest we to fall under the abhorrence of God.
2. A Lying Tongue
This one naturally overlaps with being a false witness. In Luke 20:20-25, It says that the Pharisees sent out spies to pretend to be Christ’s followers so that they might catch Him out in something He said. It is interesting how these people address Him in asking Him a question to tempt Him. They say, “Master, we know that you say and teach rightly...”
What they said was actually right, but they had no conviction of it in their own hearts. They would speak whatever was convenient at the time with no reflection as to whether it was true or not (in this case it was more true than they could know).
This is why Paul in his letter to Titus (2:7) tells him that one of the characteristics of his doctrine should be sincerity. Without being to technical – the word sincerity is actually reference to when pottery had wide spread use. Pottery that had small cracks in it would have the cracks filled with wax (cere) by unscrupulous merchants. This prevented the cracks from being noticed, unless you tested the pot in another way... pottery resonates and if it is a good well bonded piece of pottery, one sincere (without wax), it will ring when flicked with the finger. Sincerity really means that when we say something our being should resonate with the knowledge that it is true. If we speak often without even believing what we say, we are morally guilty of lying, even if our words our factual, because our attitude of heart has no reference to the truth when we speak.
3. Hands that Shed Innocent Blood
The Pharisees were guilty of this to the highest degree possible in slaying Christ. Even though they knew He was innocent, they willingly chose to have Him die for the nation and chose a murderer to go free and for Christ to die (John 11:47-51; Matt. 27:16-26).
With regard to the sin that they would commit that all the righteous blood shed before would come upon that generation (Matt. 23:29-36).
4. A Heart That Devises Wicked Imaginations
This is seen in the way they conspired to ensnare Christ in His words and in all the other times they took counsel together on how to deal with Him. Christ’s trial and death were all premeditated crimes, carefully planned out in the hearts of wicked men (according to God’s predeterminate counsel). Some Scriptures that show this diligent plotting are: Matt. 22:15; Matt. 27:1-2; and Mark 3:6.
5. Feet That Are Swift In Running To Mischief
This is seen in the trial of Christ, when they brought Him to Pilate early in the morning. From the beginning of arrest of Christ and through His first two Jewish trials everything was done with the utmost speed so that nothing could hinder their purpose of having Him killed. They even were willing to go against almost every tenet and principle of Jewish law to do it by having the trial at night and by adjuring the Prisoner to bear witness against Himself.
Judas, himself, was told by Christ to do what he doing quickly (John 13:27).
In this swiftness to evil, the Pharisees were imitating their forefathers who at the golden calf had risen up early eager to serve their idol (Ex. 32:6). Note that it is full easy to run when you are headed down-hill.
6. A False Witness That Speaks Lies
This is an interesting expression in the Hebrew, because of the two different words used together dealing with falsehood. The one means to fabricate from nothing (Ie. To create a report against someone from thin air) and the other means to twist or mold (Ie. To take the existing situation and distort it to form a lie). To do either of these things is to lie in God’s eyes.
In Mark 14:55-59, we are expressly told that the Pharisees brought in false witnesses, but their testimonies conflicted. Clearly no one in this court was interested in the truth at all. Their very words when they brought Him before Pilate show this to be the epitome of every lynch mob and kangaroo court that has ever existed. Paraphrased it is, “If He was not guilty we wouldn’t have brought Him!” (John 18:30).
It is interesting that the Jews were convinced that they were doing God’s will (as they were but not how they thought). We too can easily fall into this trap, unless we love the truth. If we allow the love of truth to find deep root in our hearts, then it will be clear to us that the God of Truth will never be defended by falsehood. It would be better in God’s sight to lose a case then to convict a man through falsehood. There is a great temptation for us to defame those whom we dislike or even to speak beyond the truth concerning people who we know are bad. This is slander in God’s eyes. To be truthful we can only say what we have good evidence for, even of a person who is truly wicked.
7. He That Sows Discord Among Brethren
Judas was guilty of both this and slander when he accused Mary of Bethany of waste with regard to the ointment she poured on Christ (John 12:4-8). By his words the other disciples were also caused to bring reproach upon one who had poured her all out for Christ (Mark 14:4-9). Christ, however, not only silenced their criticism, but commended her for it.
Of all these seven sins we have covered here, this one is the worst as it often incorporates the others within it. A study of Judas’ life would show most of these within him. Christ prayed for unity only after he had left, because had he been there unity would not have been possible (John 17:23).
It is easy for us to fall into the trap of contributing the worst of motives to the best of deeds, however this is the antithesis of love which “believes all things.” May God not find us guilty on That Day of having sown discord, one whom others success in Christ was in spite of rather than because of, a stumbling block.
Rather, on That Day may we be found as those who have striven for unity in the Body of Christ and have even laid our own selves down that others may step upon us to reach Christ, even as ants form bridges with their own bodies that their fellows can advance!
Thoughts on Proverbs 6:16-19 (Seven Abominations)
