Psalm 139:21-22 “Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
I hate them with perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies”
As long as I can remember I have been instructed to not show hatred for another. Hatred carries with it a strong reaction, one that altogether seems ungodly.
How can a christian hate someone and call themself a christian?
The world despises those who hate even though they don’t model their own standard of righteousness. The world claims we should love everyone, (except for those who disagree with them). When christians condemn sin, the world is quick to remind them not to judge.
Does God’s love contradict a believer who is showing hatred?
When David spoke of his hatred for the wicked, he wasn’t saying he hates the sin but loves the sinner….he was saying he despises the sinner. He prayed that God would slay the wicked, he loathed those who are opposed to God and counted them his enemies.
David’s response seems completely contrary to Jesus’ teaching on the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 5:43-48 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Jesus’ exhortation was to:
Love your enemies.
Bless those who curse you.
Do good to those who hate you.
Pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.
How can anyone have this type of response to a group of people so difficult to love?
Recognizing Evil
Recognizing God’s holiness is to see evil for what it is…all that is opposed to God’s goodness.
Psalm 45:7 “You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.”
Does the Old Testament of the law say the opposite of a New Testament grace?
For those who desire to walk in wisdom, hatred for evil seems like an expectation. Pride, arrogance, evil acting people, and even the perverse in speech are to be hated according to Solomon.
Proverbs 8:13 “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.”
At first glance, there seems to be a contradiction to God’s declaration in the Old Testament and Jesus’ teaching in the gospels.
The prophecies show that in the last days God will destroy those who show hatred, particularly towards those who hate the Lord. That doesn’t sound very loving or forgiving to me.
Psalm 21:8-10 “Your hand will find out all your enemies;
your right hand will find out those who hate you.
You will make them as a blazing oven
when you appear.
The LORD will swallow them up in his wrath,
and fire will consume them.
You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
and their offspring from among the children of man.”
The future of those who show hatred toward God is one of eternal judgement.
Even those who claim to be peace loving, who claim to seek harmony upon the earth will be exposed.
Proverbs 26:24-26 “Whoever hates disguises himself with his lips and harbors deceit in his heart; when he speaks graciously, believe him not, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.”
Two Parties of People
There’s a difference between two particular groups of people. One group hates evil and all of those who blaspheme God with their lips. The other hates God and often does so deceptively.
Ezekiel 11:17-21 “Therefore say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: I will gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel. ’And when they come there, they will remove from it all its detestable things and all its abominations. And I will give them one heart, and a new spirit I will put within them. I will remove the heart of stone from their flesh and give them a heart of flesh, that they may walk in my statutes and keep my rules and obey them. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. But as for those whose heart goes after their detestable things and their abominations, I will bring their deeds upon their own heads, declares the Lord GOD.”
The Lord knows the heart. He sees to the very core of mankind and weighs their intentions against His holy perfection. Man lifts himself up by claiming there is no God. He glorifies himself when he claims to understand the mysteries of the cosmos and blasphemes God’s name when he replaces God’s glory with scientific theory and speculation.
When people live for themselves, they live toward their own destruction. When personal drive is bent toward self-fulfillment, personal gain, money, power, sex…the drive is destined to fail.
The heart of man is evil and yet the call goes out to accomplish something that seems impossible.
John 13:34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.”
What was once impossible, has been made possible. The hatred that filled man’s heart has been given new life. The divine love of God has changed the hateful heart of stone and made it tender.
Because of the work of Christ, the dead have been revived.
Why would the Lord have such compassion on a people that committed such an offense? Why would God have mercy on those who have despised His name?
Romans 9:14-16 “What shall we say then? Is there injustice on God’s part? By no means! For he says to Moses, “I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.” So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy.”
God’s Goodness
The goodness of God has been demonstrated at the Cross of Calvary. This is love. Jesus demonstrated the love of God and to all who believe on Him, to them He has granted eternal life.
For the wicked, hateful, and unbelieving there only remains judgement.
So we return to the question, is God unloving in judgement?
Judgement upon mankind has already been pronounced.
Hebrews 9:27-28 “And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.”
Mankind has one life to live. Every life has a sinful nature and each life has been brought under judgement. To sin is to offend God personally. With each offense it is a declaration opposed to God’s sovereignty, God’s name, and God’s goodness. Sin is a high crime against the throne of God. It should not be taken lightly nor should God’s answer to sin be taken lightly either.
Romans 5:6-8 “For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
In judgement God sent His Son to redeem sinful man. God’s love was His response to His hatred for sin.
Perfect hatred is answered by divine love.
Can you see why it is such an offense to reject Christ? To reject God’s ultimate gift is like turning down the ultimate gift of life…there will be no reprieve from this offense.
2 Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
For those who still have breath in their lungs, there is still time. The Lord has shown mercy by not exacting judgement upon those who profane His name. He allows sinners to live out their days in full, knowing that this life is all they will ever have.
Sin has had its day, the rebellious have experienced their glory, and now the Lord will demonstrate His power before all. The day of God’s vengeance is approaching for the world and the day of redemption awaits the redeemed.
Hatred and love…it is a paradox that comes together perfectly in Christ.
U.T. 