The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. Righteousness
guards the one with integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner. ~Proverbs
13:5-6
If only You would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name! Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against You? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ~Psalm 139:19-24
We don’t usually say very much about these verses in Psalm 139. In today’s modern culture of tolerance these verses make us uncomfortable. We really appreciate the verses that come before about how our creator has lovingly made us. We like how the Psalm begins with the assurance that we can never be out of His sight. We can even appreciate how the Psalm ends, giving our permission to search us and correct us so that we will be able to walk in His everlasting way.
But, how are we supposed to regard verses 139:19-22 along with Solomon’s Proverb, “The righteous hate what is false?” Hate is such a strong word. The confusion is only heightened when we consider Jesus’ words on the Sermon On The Mount, when He says: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to the judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother…”You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matt. 5:21-22) Also: “You have heard that it was said, “love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:43-44)
Does Jesus’ message contradict Solomon and the Psalmist? At first blush, it sounds like the Psalmist is simply acting out what the proverb suggests; hating evil. One way that moderns have often resolved this dilemma is to say, “Love the sinner, but hate the sin.” But that’s not clear in the verses we have quoted from Psalm 139. And that is not the only place in the Old Testament where we read about hating sinners, and even punishing them with death! God himself instituted capital punishment for certain sinners, and not just murderers. Leviticus 24 has a law against blasphemy. So, you could get stoned to death just for the sin of talking, cursing God.
But here is where we can come to an understanding. Love and hate are not just feeling words that express emotions. To hate sin is to love God. Jesus also used the word hate when he said, in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” We know that means that loving God must come first in all our affections. It certainly does not mean that we are supposed to feel hatred toward them emotionally. Jesus is not saying that angry and painful despising of our family members is supposed to rise up in us whenever we think of them. We are commanded to love all people, even our enemies!
Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do for a sinner is to allow him to suffer the painful consequences of sinful behavior so that he learns from it and repents of sin. Of course, the sinner might feel as if we hate him, and say so, because we do not do what he might wish us to do for him. That’s why it’s called tough love. It’s not just tough on the sinner. It’s tough on us because our feelings of love make us want to rescue the sinner, and not let him suffer.
Now let’s get back to the proverb and psalm. “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. Righteousness guards the one with integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” The Proverb is very accurate. It says to hate not “what” is false, not “who” is false. And it says that wickedness overthrows the sinner. The sinner is his own worst enemy. His own wickedness will reap a harvest of his own suffering.
Now the psalmist: “If only You would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name! Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?” This is in line with the proverb but leaves vengeance to God. It is a prayer that God would slay the wicked. It is the emotional expression of how hard it is to put up with people who persist in their evil ways. How much better the world would be if it were a place where there are no people inspired to act wickedly. And that is what God ultimately wants too. So, the palmist is not out of line.
And Jesus does not contradict any of this when he says, “Love your enemy.” Love is the ultimate force for good that has the greatest power to undo evil. Because of this there is a sense in which it is literally true that we can “kill them with kindness!” God’s love for his enemies slays them by turning them into his friends! When a sinner responds to the gospel and God’s love and becomes a believer, he “dies” to himself. He is crucified with Christ. Thus, all Scripture is fulfilled!
Prayer: Father, I hate all the sin in me. I accept the death penalty, and I thank you that I am crucified with Christ, for otherwise I myself would still be your enemy, subject to condemnation and eternal punishment. But I thank You Lord for salvation! Now use me Lord to hate sin and the enemies of God by loving them and proclaiming the gospel that announces that they are not going to get away with it, but that they can also be saved from the worst of the consequences of evil, by believing in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Love God, Hate Sin
If only You would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name! Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord, and abhor those who rise up against You? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies. Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. ~Psalm 139:19-24
We don’t usually say very much about these verses in Psalm 139. In today’s modern culture of tolerance these verses make us uncomfortable. We really appreciate the verses that come before about how our creator has lovingly made us. We like how the Psalm begins with the assurance that we can never be out of His sight. We can even appreciate how the Psalm ends, giving our permission to search us and correct us so that we will be able to walk in His everlasting way.
But, how are we supposed to regard verses 139:19-22 along with Solomon’s Proverb, “The righteous hate what is false?” Hate is such a strong word. The confusion is only heightened when we consider Jesus’ words on the Sermon On The Mount, when He says: “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, “Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to the judgment.” But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother…”You fool!” will be in danger of the fire of hell.” (Matt. 5:21-22) Also: “You have heard that it was said, “love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I tell you: love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.” (Matt. 5:43-44)
Does Jesus’ message contradict Solomon and the Psalmist? At first blush, it sounds like the Psalmist is simply acting out what the proverb suggests; hating evil. One way that moderns have often resolved this dilemma is to say, “Love the sinner, but hate the sin.” But that’s not clear in the verses we have quoted from Psalm 139. And that is not the only place in the Old Testament where we read about hating sinners, and even punishing them with death! God himself instituted capital punishment for certain sinners, and not just murderers. Leviticus 24 has a law against blasphemy. So, you could get stoned to death just for the sin of talking, cursing God.
But here is where we can come to an understanding. Love and hate are not just feeling words that express emotions. To hate sin is to love God. Jesus also used the word hate when he said, in Luke 14:26, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters—yes, even their own life—such a person cannot be my disciple.” We know that means that loving God must come first in all our affections. It certainly does not mean that we are supposed to feel hatred toward them emotionally. Jesus is not saying that angry and painful despising of our family members is supposed to rise up in us whenever we think of them. We are commanded to love all people, even our enemies!
Sometimes, the most loving thing we can do for a sinner is to allow him to suffer the painful consequences of sinful behavior so that he learns from it and repents of sin. Of course, the sinner might feel as if we hate him, and say so, because we do not do what he might wish us to do for him. That’s why it’s called tough love. It’s not just tough on the sinner. It’s tough on us because our feelings of love make us want to rescue the sinner, and not let him suffer.
Now let’s get back to the proverb and psalm. “The righteous hate what is false, but the wicked bring shame and disgrace. Righteousness guards the one with integrity, but wickedness overthrows the sinner.” The Proverb is very accurate. It says to hate not “what” is false, not “who” is false. And it says that wickedness overthrows the sinner. The sinner is his own worst enemy. His own wickedness will reap a harvest of his own suffering.
Now the psalmist: “If only You would slay the wicked, O God! Away from me, you bloodthirsty men! They speak of You with evil intent; Your adversaries misuse Your name! Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord?” This is in line with the proverb but leaves vengeance to God. It is a prayer that God would slay the wicked. It is the emotional expression of how hard it is to put up with people who persist in their evil ways. How much better the world would be if it were a place where there are no people inspired to act wickedly. And that is what God ultimately wants too. So, the palmist is not out of line.
And Jesus does not contradict any of this when he says, “Love your enemy.” Love is the ultimate force for good that has the greatest power to undo evil. Because of this there is a sense in which it is literally true that we can “kill them with kindness!” God’s love for his enemies slays them by turning them into his friends! When a sinner responds to the gospel and God’s love and becomes a believer, he “dies” to himself. He is crucified with Christ. Thus, all Scripture is fulfilled!
Prayer: Father, I hate all the sin in me. I accept the death penalty, and I thank you that I am crucified with Christ, for otherwise I myself would still be your enemy, subject to condemnation and eternal punishment. But I thank You Lord for salvation! Now use me Lord to hate sin and the enemies of God by loving them and proclaiming the gospel that announces that they are not going to get away with it, but that they can also be saved from the worst of the consequences of evil, by believing in Jesus. In Jesus’ name, amen.
Song: Love God, Hate Sin
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