He Who Hates
“He who hates, disguises it with his lips, and lays up deceit within himself; when he speaks kindly, do not believe him, for there are seven abominations in his heart; though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.” (Proverb 26:24-26)
It is a sad fact that satan, the enemy of God and of human souls, is often successful at causing people to do things to one another that ends up with one person hating another.
Sometimes the person has actually experienced an attack or a slight from another.
Sometimes the person merely imagines it.
Sometimes the person envies something the other has and that’s enough to cause him to hate the other.
Satan doesn’t care. He simply enjoys people being obsessed with others in hateful ways.
He sees it as worship.
The devil also considers deception to be a form worship toward himself. He knows only God deserves the worship of man…so he routinely inspires people to worship him through hatred, revenge, deception, gossip…..the list goes on and on and on.
He will convince the person who hates to hide it with his words.
“He who hates, disguises it with his lips...” (Proverb 26:24a)
He thinks this is a good idea, for appearances sakes, but it leaves an unsavory deposit inside himself:
“(He) lays up deceit within himself...” (Proverb 26:24b)
We will often eventually come to know that the hatred is there. (It always leaks out in little ways….usually, the constant topic of the one hated signals this.)
This Proverb tells us not to believe the hate FULL person.
“when he speaks kindly, do not believe him ….” (Proverb 26:25a)
The person who hates WILL speak kindly at times of the one he hates. THAT’S the disguise: feigned love.
The Proverb cautions us to not “believe” him when he does this.
That word in the Hebrew is one that means “to not support” him and “to not trust” him.
The Lord, through this Proverb tells us why to not believe the one consumed with hatred:
“for there are seven abominations in his heart….” (Proverb 26:25b)
The word “abomination” is one that the mockers of God find to be archaic and ridiculous. (This is because they are spiritually unwise and dead.)
The word “abomination” means “disgusting”. Yes, there are things people practice that God finds to be disgusting. When the writer of Proverbs says there are seven abominations in the heart of the one who hates like this he is referring to the idea that is in Proverbs 6:16-19. The 7 abominations are as follows:
“a proud look, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood (Jesus said that hatred will do this), 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.”
When satan successfully tempts one of us to hate someone else he installs these things in that person’s heart along with the hatred.
He would love nothing more than to propagate this crop in the hearts of others who pick up that person’s offense as if it were their own. THAT’S why the one hating will speak kindly of the one he hates: so that he will slowly turn others to his case against that person.
And, THAT’s why God warns us not to believe (not to support or
trust) that person.
“when he speaks kindly, do not believe him ….” (Proverb 26:25a)
Satan is a liar and when he gets a person to hate another and, thus, to worship satan in that hatred through deceit he is able to convince that person that he CAN keep his hatred hidden.
The Lord told me long ago that, in time, everything will be made visible and we will be seen as we truly are.
The hatred and all the ways it manifests (gossip, slander, meanness, etc.) WILL be seen:
“though his hatred is covered by deceit, his wickedness will be revealed before the assembly.” (Proverb 26:24-26)
All that satanic worship will be a waste of time, effort…worship. It WILL eventually be seen by everyone.
You know, there IS an easier way!
“Then Peter came to Him and said, ‘Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven (a Jewish saying that means ‘over and over and over, etc.)’” (Matthew 18:21-22)
May we all choose to forgive and not find ourselves inadvertently worshiping the devil by hating another person for whom Jesus died.
Jesus speaking:
“If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” (John 20:23)
Let’s not be like the one who hates, who RETAINS the sins of those who offend him to the point that it poisons him.
Let’s, instead, worship the Lord by living like He does….by living as those who forgive.
Pastor Mike McInerney
Mike McInerney Ministries, Inc.
Decatur, Texas
© February 26, 2018
(For use with permission)