What Does the Bible Have to Say about Hatred?
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Growing up, some children will spew, “I hate you” when they don’t get their way with their parents, siblings, or friends. If they really knew what it means to hate someone (or something), they would surely choose a different response, right? Does God’s Word give a person (of any age) permission to hate? What does the Bible say about hate and hatred?
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology describes hate in this way, “Hate derives from a strong dislike or ill will toward persons or things. As an emotional attitude, a person may oppose, detest, or despise contact with a thing or a person. Love and hatred often stand opposed.” We will look at how Scripture depicts hate and hatred as it emanates from both God and men.
Where Does the Bible Mention Hatred?
The word hate and its various forms is mentioned close to 200 times throughout the Old and New Testaments. We’ll look first at what Scripture says about hate with reference to men. Many references include the consequences of hatred.
Malicious hate
“Now Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father had blessed him, and Esau said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are approaching; then I will kill my brother Jacob’” (Genesis 27:41).
Genesis 37:4 says Joseph’s brothers hated him because their father favored him. Their hate drove them to almost kill him and then, instead, sell him into slavery. “Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits. Then we will say that a fierce animal has devoured him, and we will see what will become of his dreams.”
In Matthew 10:22, Jesus tells His disciples they will be hated by all for His name’s sake.
In both Testaments, this sort of hate is condemned by the Lord, and His wrath is deserved. Exodus 22 is an exposition of how the Lord God will recompense the evil ones — those whose actions demonstrate their hate of God and others.
In the New Testament, the promise of God’s full wrath is described in John 3:36, Romans 1, prophesied in Revelation 6:16-17; 11:18; 14:10, and throughout the rest of the book of Revelation. God’s wrath against all who hate Him and His righteous ones meets its dénouement in Revelation 19:15, when, “From His [Jesus’] mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty.”
Selfish (resentful) hate
This is when a person refuses that which is good for him or resents favor to others:
Proverbs 12:1, “Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.”
John 3:20, “For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed” (This is also an example of malicious hate).
Judges 14:16: Samson’s wife used his love for her to get her way by stating he hated her for not giving her the riddle’s answer.
Amos 5:10, “They hate him who reproves in the gate, and they abhor him who speaks the truth.”
Man’s virtuous hate
This is a hate which rails against a person’s own sinful actions and that of others, both personal and sins of the nations:
Romans 7:15, where Paul laments the war his sinful flesh rages against his will to be righteous before God, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.”
Psalm 139:21 displays David’s righteous hate at those who hate God, “Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD? And do I not loathe those who rise up against you?”
Luke 14:26 and Matthew 10:37 narrate Jesus’ words to His disciples about how they (and we) are to love Him above all others. By contrast, we are to hate our parents relative to how much we love the Lord.
What Does God Hate?
God’s hatred is altogether different from what humanity hates. We understand God’s hatred according to His holiness and justice, two of His vital traits. God is a divine Being with standards that accord with His attributes. Anything or anyone who willfully rejects, hates, or ignores His standards incurs His hate.
The Bible is clear about what God hates. We who walk according to God’s Spirit are able to hate what God hates because we are filled with the Holy Spirit, and He shares His communicable attributes with us, at least to some degree. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit filled particular men at particular times for particular purposes (Exodus 31:3; Numbers 27:18; Judges 14:6; 1 Samuel 16:13, ect.)
With this information, we can gain a better understanding of what the Bible says God hates.
The Bible says God hates:
Evil – All the items below fall under the heading of evil.
The pretense of religiousness — That of doing religious activities without love or belief (Isaiah 1:14; Amos 5:21)
Evil intent and hypocrisy – Zechariah 8:17; Psalm 26:4 (David spoke of that which God hates)
Robbery and wrongdoing – Isaiah 61:8
Divorce – Malachi 2:16
Violence – Malachi 2:16
Idolatrous rituals – Hosea 9:15
Disdain toward His prophets - Jeremiah 44:4-5
Proverbs 6:16-19 shows us a condemning list of the things God hates:
Haughty eyes (arrogance)
A lying tongue
Murderers
Wicked hearts
Lovers of evil
False witnesses
Those who “sow discord among brothers.”
A few passages are troublesome to us regarding what they say about God hating someone. Malachi 3:13 and Romans 9:13 say God loved Jacob but hated Esau, yet the Lord commanded Israel to not hate an Edomite, who were descendants of Esau (Deuteronomy 23:7). Scripture does not contradict itself. The Bible shows us Esau did not know God as Jacob did, and God “hated” him by keeping him out of the promise He gave Jacob. The word hate as used here denotes the stark difference between those chosen by God to be in Christ and those who will remain apart from Him in disbelief. Jacob was chosen, and Christ is the True Jacob. All outside Him are hated by our holy and righteous God.
God hates unrepentant sinners
Because of what we know about God, we know He hates anything and anyone who is at enmity with Him. Inclusive of that group of people are those who refuse God’s kindness that leads to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Hence, they are against God, and He looks at them as evil.
Two passages give clarity to this biblical truth:
Psalm 5:4-6 states God does not delight in wickedness (all the unsaved are wicked). The passage clearly says God hates evildoers and He destroys those who speak lies and He “abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.”
Psalm 11:5 declares the Lord tests the righteous and hates the wicked and those who love violence.
Erik Lutz of Answers in Genesis tells us, “Although He takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Ezekiel 33:10), the Lord must and will judge sinners, which includes everyone since all have sinned (Romans 3:23).”
Does God Give Christians Permission to Hate?
Jesus said to His disciples (and therefore, to us), “By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). He also proclaimed a commandment, “And He answered, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself’” (Luke 10:27).
Many ask, “and who is my neighbor?” Our neighbors include every person wherever we are.
1 John 3:15 expresses hate within the professing church, for our brothers (and sisters) are Christians, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.”
This verse refers to people who claim to be Christians but in truth are not truly saved.
Knowing all of this, what are we to hate? Simply stated, we are to hate what our Lord hates.
Jesus told us in John 12:25 we are to hate our lives in this world. Simply put, author Mike Leake says, “it means to value life less than you value your allegiance to Jesus.”
The Apostle Paul said, “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate” (Romans 7:15). He struggled with his flesh, which at times sought to overrule his striving to live a righteous life. So, then, we are to hate what we were before Christ saved us.
We are to hate evil (Proverbs 8:13; Jude 1:23; Revelation 2:6). This falls in line with God’s standards, and all we hate is based upon obeying God’s Word, loving Him above all others, and loving our neighbors as ourselves.
When we hate evil (Psalm 97:10; Proverbs 8:13; Amos 5:15), we also hate those who do evil (Psalm 26:5), those who bow to idols (Psalm 31:6), and every false way (Psalm 119:163).
How Should Christians Respond to Hateful People or Actions?
Scripture has many passages which speak of hate, but which ones give us wisdom in dealing with hatred by and from others?
In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.' But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.”
Luke 6:27, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you.”
Psalm 97:10, “O you who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the lives of his saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.”
Proverbs 10:12, “Hatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses.”
James 1:19-20, “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.”
We should all see a pattern in Scripture regarding how we are to deal with worldly hate. Because we keep God’s Word and openly heed it, our responsive witness to a world which hates is vital. We should speak the Gospel to ourselves daily, for we were once darkness (Ephesians 5:8), and we who are in Christ are a light in that darkness. Our light is to shine so our good works will bring glory to the Lord (Matthew 5:14-16). God’s kindness led us to repentance and faith in the Lord Christ (Romans 2:4). Perhaps He may work through us to show His reflection to those who hate.
We should also include news of coming judgment (Isaiah 2:4; John 12:48; 2 Timothy 4:11; Hebrews 10:30; Revelation 6:10, e.g.). In our witness to those who hate, it behooves us to relate God’s holiness and the news that He will not allow evil (hatred) to continue forever. One day evil will meet its end; unsaved people need to hear that, too.
Psalm 86:17 is a beautiful verse to end this look at hate. “Show me a sign of Your favor, that those who hate me may see and be put to shame because you, LORD, have helped me and comforted me.” This verse is a genuine cry to the Lord for His glory as the psalmist seeks the Lord’s favor, for those who hate the psalmist will see God’s goodness at work.
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