Does God hate?

This was recently brought into question at church as to whether this is an attribute of God. It was said that this is merely an “Anthropomorphism,” that is applying human characteristics to God in order to make Him understandable. One example of this would be speaking of God holding the waters of the oceans in His hand. Since God is spirit and not contained by a physical body the term hand is being apply to convey a truth or idea.

The first argument that will normally come to mind is that “God is Love”. This truth is found in 1 John 4:8

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

There is one important fact that is usually left-out at this point. God is God and not a man. God soverignly defines what love is. It is not some kind of fuzzy squishy love. But rather it is strong, purposeful, and correcting just to name a few aspects. We must not try to make our definition attributes apply to the Holy God. God is above all things Holy. If we keep this fact in mind we can avoid these types of mistakes. God is Love. God is Wrath. God is Mercy. God is Righteous. Each one of these and many more must be understood in light of His Holiness.

Now with that ground work layed I would like to examine the scripture that was brought into question.

Romans 9:13 As it is written, “Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated.”

It would be easy enough just to stop here and deal with this passage, but I think it may be better understood by going back to Malachi 1:1-5. This is the section from which it is lifted.

Malachi 1:2 “ I have loved you,” says the LORD. “ Yet you say, ‘In what way have You loved us?’ Was not Esau Jacob’s brother?” Says the LORD. “ Yet Jacob I have loved; 3 But Esau I have hated, And laid waste his mountains and his heritage For the jackals of the wilderness.”

Notice the people of Isreal do not even understand how God has loved them. He starts off by explaining His utter detestable view of Edom and how He has destroyed them. It is because of Edom’s wretched sinfulness. Yet the people of Jacob are wicked, but God corrects them as a feather would a child. The rest of the book speaks of discipline, restoration and renewel. All of this because God chose to have mercy on Jacob and to not have mercy on Esau. They both deserved the same treatment. Yet God has chosen to exercise the giving of grace to some.

This is the nature of man. Spiritually dead. Destine for Wrath.
Vessels of Wrath - Romans 9:21-23; 2 Timothy 2:19-21
By nature Children of Wrtah - Epesians 2:3
The wrath of God abides on unbelievers - John 3:36

This is man at his best:

Psalm 36:1 An oracle within my heart concerning the transgression of the wicked: There is no fear of God before his eyes. 2 For he flatters himself in his own eyes, When he finds out his iniquity and when he hates. 3 The words of his mouth are wickedness and deceit; He has ceased to be wise and to do good. 4 He devises wickedness on his bed; He sets himself in a way that is not good; He does not abhor evil.

God hates evil. If we love God we will hate sin likewise, starting with our own sin.

Psalm 97:10 You who love the LORD, hate evil! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked

Proverbs 9:10 “ The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way And the perverse mouth I hate.

So, does God Hate?

Let the scriptures speak on the subject.

Psalm 11:5 The LORD tests the righteous, But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.

Zechariah 8:17 Let none of you think evil in your heart against your neighbor; And do not love a false oath. For all these are things that I hate,’ Says the LORD.”

Hebrews 1:8 But to the Son He says:“ Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”

Revelation 2:6 But this you have, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

Yes, God does hate... But not as a man does. Man is corrupt in his nature where as God is perfect in His nature. God's hate has a righteous purpose, not based on emotional self-centeredness as in man so many times.

James 1:19 So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath; 20 for the wrath of man does not produce the righteousness of God.

Yes, God has hatred, anger, vengeance and wrath as well as love, mercy, and longsuffering just to touch on a few. But as everything God does, He does it righteously. He is Holy, Holy, Holy!

Numbers 23:19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

The primary teaching of this section out of Romans 9 is that God choses by His sovereign counsel apart from anything in us that could somehow merit this favor. There is nothing good in any man. We may not completely understand it but nevertheless scripture teaches it and we know it to be true. We can always trust that whatever God does it will be Wise Right and Good.

Matthew 22:14 “For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Sherman