An Abomination to God

In Proverbs 6:16-19, Solomon states,“These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him.” Then Solomon goes on to list those things. First on the list is pride. One of the most famous quotes from the entire Bible comes again from Solomon in Proverbs 16:18, “Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.”

This is the second Trying to Walk article concerning pride. The other was “The Problem With Pride,” on August 22, 2024. Looking back, I wish I had called it “A Problem . . .” instead of “The Problem . . .” It appears that there are many different problems that can be caused by pride, and actually, more than one paradigm from which to perceive it.

The kind of pride (pun not intended) under discussion here manifests itself in people embracing an “alternate lifestyle” which is more properly described as homosexuality. Thousands of years of human history demonstrate emphatically that this practice is abnormal, but pride makes some people think they know better.

More directly connected to the church itself, we find some churches being proudly led by homosexuals disregarding the words of the Bible in Romans 1:25-28, in brief “. . . also the men . . . burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful.” Other churches are led in their teaching and worship by women, violating verses such as 1 Cor. 14:34-35, “Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive . . . And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.” And 1 Tim. 2:8-15. in which we are instructed, “I desire therefore that the men pray everywhere . . .Let a woman learn in silence with all submission. And I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence.”

Some have said it is wrong for God to command people to love Him as in Mark 12:30, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your [heart, soul, mind and strength.]” One cannot love, it is said, simply because someone commanded them to. Love must flow from the heart, so Jesus was wrong to have said the greatest commandment is to love God, or even that there is a commandment to love God. (Jesus was actually quoting a commandment God gave the Israelites through Moses, so God is equally guilty with Jesus.)

In all of the above examples (and many more) pride is exhibiting why it is a problem. All of the above contain an element of “I know better than God. I am more caring than God, hence, I am better than God.” This is unadulterated blasphemy.

Would we put limits on God? Is it written somewhere in our job description that we are to tell God what He can do and what He cannot do?  What He should say, and what He should not say? Do we have the ability, or right to tell God these things even though it may not be written anywhere? I hope it is clear to everyone that I have an extreme desire to separate myself from anyone who would answer yes to any of these questions. It is my desire to leave no doubt before God that I do not entertain any of those thoughts.

Amazingly, there are people who would answer those questions with a ‘yes.’ They might answer ‘no’ if presented directly with the question, but their behavior in regard to those things discussed in paragraphs four and five, provide evidence to the contrary. Statements from the Bible - the only place in which a Christian can find a message from God regarding God’s ideas/desires in regard to how His church should conduct its business on this earth - are plainly made. Sadly, the behavior of some people, as they just as plainly violate the very scripture God has provided, says, “We believe it is necessary for us to correct some errors God made.”

In Ezekiel 14:14-20, God singles out Noah, Daniel, and Job (or would that be “tripling” out?) as being exceptionally righteous when He says that even if these three men were inhabitants of a land that was iniquitous, even their presence in the land would not save anyone but their immediate families. What an honor to be a person chosen by God to make His point in this way. God is pointing out the elevated level of righteousness of these three men.

Yet in Job 38-42 we find God giving Job a berating the likes of which are only found in Jesus description of scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23, and to those selling for profit in the temple in Matthew 21:12-13.Basically, God’s message to Job was, “Who do you think you are?” Using rhetorical questions, He told Job, “You don’t know anything about what I know, or what I can do, or what I have done. You weren’t there to see it. You don’t know how any of it works. You couldn’t begin to do it yourself. Who do you think you are demanding an audience with Me to have Me explain things to you that are beyond your comprehension?”

Abraham is a good example to us of what God is looking for. In Genesis 12:1-3, God calls Abram to leave his homeland, his family, and his father’s house, not knowing where he was going, only that God would show him. What I like about this narrative is the first word in verse 4.  Verse 4 says, “So Abram went . . .” God said go, so he went. It rained, so the ground was wet. There was no discussion. There was nothing to discuss. God had spoken.

In the first two verses of Genesis 22 God tells Abraham to offer Isaac as a burnt offering. God said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love . . .” Not just your son, but your only son that did not come to you until you were 100 years old. Not only that, but he is your son whom you love. God says, take that son and kill him. Then we have verse 3 with that word again, “So Abraham rose . . . and went,”

Saying “I believe” in a way that satisfies God means you believe the truths about God in the Bible that do not necessarily fit the accepted template. God berated righteous Job in Job 38-41. The Bible does not condemn Jepthah’s vow which led him to offer his daughter as a burnt offering, Judges 11:29-40. God “gave up” people to sin in Romans 1:28-32. God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac (although He did not allow Abraham to actually do so.) God struck Uzzah dead for touching the ark, 1 Chron. 13:9-12.

God condemns homosexuality. God disallows women from leadership roles in His church. God did command people to love Him. There are others. And if you believe in God, then you believe God is righteous, holy, justified, and yes, gracious and merciful in every one of these actions and many more. You don’t think you’re called upon to correct some mistakes God (who must lack the level of competence you possess) made.

All Job had done was state that he wished he would be able to ask God some questions about what he (Job) was having to endure. God tells this exceptionally righteous man that He (God) doesn’t have to give him (Job) the time of day. And people think they’re going to “fix” errors God made in His creation and plan of salvation. Don’t be one of these people. Stay far away from such people. Their pride is an abomination to God.