Psalm 5:5

Boastful ones will not stand before you; you hate all those who practice wickedness.


Leonard Ravenhill - "Some people say 'God hates your sin but loves you, the sinner', but that's bunkum - God hates you for sinning."

Adam Clark - "Some sin now and then, others generally; some constantly, and some labor in it with all their might. These are the Workers of iniquity. Such even the God of infinite love and mercy hates. Alas! what a portion have the workers of iniquity! the hatred of God Almighty!"

BROADMAN BIBLE COMMENTARY: "Yahweh takes no pleasure in wickedness and does not dwell with evil (or evil men). Insolent, boasting people have no position at all in the presence of Yahweh, who hates all 'doers of sin.' Indeed, Yahweh will annihilate those who speak deception: He detests the man of bloody deeds and deceits."

F. DELITZSCH : "Of such (sinners - the foolish, and more especially the foolish boasters:)... such men Jehovah hates: for if He did not hate evil, His love would not be a holy love," ... "And His soul hates the evildoer and him that delights in the violence of the strong against the weak. And the more intense this hatred, the more fearful will be the judgments in which it bursts forth." (Psalms, Vol.5, pp.122,189)

JONATHAN EDWARDS: "The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much in the same way one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect, over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: His wrath towards you burns like fire: He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else but to be cast into the fire: He is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in His sight: you are ten thousand times more abominable in His sight than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours." (Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God, July 8, 1741)

CHARLES G. FINNEY: "The very thing that God hates and disapproves is not the mere event - the thing done in distinction from the doer; but it is the doer himself. It grieves and displeases God that a rational moral agent under His government should array himself against his own God and Father, against all that is right and just in the universe. This is the thing that offends God. The sinner himself is the direct and only object of His anger." (The Guilt of Sin, pp.84-85)

THE INTERNATIONAL CRITICAL COMMENTARY: "But the wicked His soul doth hate ... Their treacherous preparations...are all observed by Yahweh, and He hates them from His very soul. The soul is the seat of the passion of anger and hatred, for God as well as for man...therefore, Yahweh is trying the righteous man, and hating His deadly enemies..."

THE INTERPRETER'S BIBLE: "In vs. 5 the verb 'trieth' has its object both the righteous and the wicked, and means nomore that the Lord watchfully observes them both and estimates them for what they are, hating the latter and ultimately pouring His destruction upon them."

LAYMAN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY: "God's Hatred of Evildoers (Psalm 5:4-5)... God is not said to love the sinner and hate his sin; He is said to hate both the sinner and his sin. This sounds harsh to modern Christian ears, but thereis truth here we dare not overlook."

MATTHEW HENRY'S COMMENTARY: "He is a holy God, and therefore hates them (the sinner), and cannot endure to look upon them; the wicked, and him that loveth violence, His soul hateth... Their pros-perity is far from being an evidence of God's love...their abuse of it does certainly make them objects of His hatred. He hates nothing that He has made, yet hates those who have ill-made themselves."

J. VERNON MCGEE: " If you think God is just lovey-dovey, you had better read this (Ps.11:5) and some of the other Psalms again. God hates the wicked who hold onto their wickedness... I do not think God loves the devil, I think He hates him, and He hates those who have no intention of turning to God. Frankly, I do not like this distinction that I hear today, that 'God loves the sinner, but hates the sin.' God has loved you so much that He gave His Son to die for you, but if you persist in your sin, and continue in that sin, you are the enemy of God. And God is your enemy." (Psalms, Vol.1, p.72)

CHARLES H. SPURGEON: "Verse 5 - Note the singular opposition of the two sentences. God hates the wicked, therefore in contrast He loves the righteous..." (The Treasury of David, Vol.2, pp.57-58)

AUGUSTUS HOPKINS STRONG : "There is no abstract sin that can be hated apart from the person in whom that sin is represented and embodies. It is the sinner who is punished, not the sin." (Systematic Theology, p.290f)

JOHN WESLEY (1703-1791, founder of Methodism): "But as for the wicked, God hates them, and will feverishly punish them." (Explanatory Notes Upon the Old Testament, Vol.2, p.1639)


I believe God!
I believe His Word!
I believe that God is Love!

I believe, along with these men and numerous others, that God also hates. Just as expressed above.

May we preach the Gospel of God, even as the apostles did. May we not add nor take away from that Gospel. For the wrath of God abides on them, and they are condemned already. May we preach the Gospel of grace that men may repent and believe upon the Lord Jesus Christ and be saved from that wrath and condemnation.

Our God reigns!

"Have I any pleasure in the death of the wicked, declares the Lord GOD, and not rather that he should turn from his way and live?" Ezekiel 18:23

If God truly hates the wicked, he would take great pleasure in making them suffer.

It is rather tenuous to build a doctrine of God's hate toward mankind based on language in a poem.

_________________
Todd

Matthew 5:43
Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Matthew 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

P.S. to my post below: "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" is one of the worst things ever written.

_________________
Todd

Maybe where we fail with all this theology is that we misunderstand what is God's love and God's hate. Vernon McGee quoted above is right in saying 'God does not have a sentimental gooey love for people'. But he does Love the sinner, that is He Loved (agape) the world in sending His son to die for all. We can misinterpret John 3:16 to say 'God just feels so emotionally in love with all people He sent Jesus'. When it actually says is that 'God so loved (past tense verb) the world He sent Jesus to die. God's love here is something He did for us, a sacrificial love.

This is the love we are to have for our enemies, not a sentimental emotional feeling, but a practical love just as the scripture Proudpapa posted. In a similar way God's hate is not an emotional feeling, but a contrasting action to His Love, e.g. God resists the proud. He call us to also hate brother, mother, wife, etc in contrast to us loving God Himself, i.e. if there is any conflict in our allegiance.

So as I understand it, scripture declares that God both Loves and hates the sinner. When we understand what this means we see there is no contradiction in it.

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Dave

Savannah,
I really wish you would cease with your Calvinist agenda on this website. As clever as you think you are and as stupid as you think we are...we know the difference between love and hate. What is driving you sir? What kind of kick do you get out of stirring the pot and trying to convince others that God hates people? Where are you coming from man? You come across as an angry little man with an angry placard around your neck yelling at sinners that Gad hates them. Very sad.

Before the foundations of the world God loved me and had a plan for my life that involved sending His Son to die for me...His enemy. I let Him down and fail Him everyday and yet He still loves me. I do not believe that there has ever been a day in my life that God hasn't loved me and I don't care what your favorite preachers have to say about that. I know God and I know He is love and that's the end of the matter.

But for you and your Calvinist friends your God hates people and in the words of Dave Hunt I would say, "what kind of love is that" and as many have noted over the centuries that is not God of the Bible.

If God hates some people can I hate some people too? If not why not? And if so which ones can I hate, my friends or my enemies? This agenda is dangerous.

These are some thoughts and questions I have pondered over the years regarding Gods love and Gods hate. Because God is infinite and we are presently finite God already sees the beginning and end of men and we do not.

He knows who will choose and those who will reject Him I believe, before men are even created. I have to say, even though I have been saved since 1988 and for half my lifetime, I know absolutely ZERO about the debate between Calvinism and Arminianism? I have never been led to understand or even study the debate between the two, there is just no interest on my part. I have seen many discussions and debates but for me it is confusing so I would rather read and study other topics.

So when I say God knows who will choose or reject Him, I do not believe God does not make us choose to reject, I believe we are free moral agents and everyone who He creates He gives them the opportunity to choose Him and also the freedom to reject Him.

So when God created the angels I believe He knew Lucifer and 1/3 of the angels would reject Him. When God created Adolf Hitler and Judas He knew before He created them that THEY would choose to reject Him.

I do not fret, worry, debate, or waste my time asking "Then why did God create them?" I have ZERO interest in figuring that out, there are so many things about God that are a flat out mystery, but I am at total peace knowing He is in control and I am totally secure in knowing He loves me.

So here are some thoughts, when looking at men's lives in the past tense like Adolf Hitler or Judas who we know have ended their lives rejecting God, my question is, does God STILL love them? Or can we say or assume God hates them?

Because we cannot see these men's end and God can and now that it (their life) is in the past tense and they have rejected God, I believe God hated these men. I can say that now because I know their end as it is now in the past tense. But if I was alive when they were and had the opportunity to preach Gods love to them in spite of their attrocities that is what I would preach to them. Jesus, knowing Judas would betray Him washed Judas' feet just before his betrayal of the Christ.

The risk I run in believing that God would still love me even though I would choose to abide in, practice, and habitually commit sin gives me ZERO security. I find ZERO comfort whatsoever in believing that if I choose to reject God and practice sin that God still loves me. I do not want to believe that.

I actually find peace and comfort in knowing that my willful rejection of God will bring down His wrath upon me and that I will be eternally separated from Him in the lake of fire. So when I read Psalm 5:5, it makes me realize that if I choose to willfully turn from my righteousness in Christ and love my sin more than I love God I will heap Gods wrath and hatred upon myself.

Todd said Jonathan Edwards sermon Sinners In The Hands of an Angry God was the worst thing ever written, I respectfully disagree with that statement for this reason.

Two and a half months before my older brother died this sermon was given to me to consider giving to my brother. When I received it, I read it and prayed over it for some time. I made some alterations by boldening, highlighting, and underlining certain portions and read that sermon over 20 times before giving it to my brother.

My brother had heard the Gospel over and over again, he was truly enslaved to the sin of drug and alcohol addiction. He stole, used, and manipulated people to feed his own habit.

But our family and friends had a tremendous amount of love and compassion on him because he hated doing what he was doing. I have many of his papers and diaries that he would express his love for God and his hatred for his sin.

He would cry bitter tears when he would come off a binge, missing family time, holidays, his children's birthdays, etc.

This went on his whole life and he was reaping his lifestyle in his flesh and ended up with heart issues which he ended up dying from.

He was pretty much incapacitated and I took the sermon to him and asked him if he would consider reading it and he said absolutely. I gave it on a Saturday and told him I would not go to church on Sunday but come over and we would discuss it.

When I came the next day and let myself into his house I heard him crying in his bed, when I got there I asked what was wrong with him and he said it was the sermon I gave him.

It scared him so much he stayed up all night and did not sleep one wink crying out and confessing to God every sin he ever committed.

The last two and half months of his life were completely different and noticed by all, God granted him repentance and set him free from his sin, condemnation, and utter hopelessness he struggled with his whole life. He was finally at peace, visible peace.

My brother, like myself found no pleasure or security in knowing that while he was choosing to do his own will that he would still attain heaven. This sermon accomplished what our family had been praying and hoping for in his life. There was sorrow in my brother for many years but it was not the sorrow that would eventually lead him to repentance.

I believe and preach both the love and hatred of God and by Gods precious grace with a balance and by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. I dreadfully fear making people so comfortable with Gods love that their is ZERO motivation for them to repent and forsake their sin.

And on the other hand, I dreadfully fear leaving people so hopeless and condemned because of Gods hatred should they choose to continue and abide in their sin.

Watching many debates of this topic and others like it here on SI reminds me of those who go to a football game and there are two teams on the field and the spectators in the stands. I know Jesus does not attend such games, He neither plays, nor spectates, He is neither found anywhere in the stadium but is out in the highways and bi-ways preaching the gospel, healing the sick, cleansing the lepers, and setting the captives free.

While many here believe you are worlds apart in your opinions about the love and hatred of God there is absolute truth to both sides but I believe you are both missing the forest between trees.

The whole chapter in Ezekiel 18 needs to be read but here is one verse I will pull out.

Ezekiel 18:25 KJV Yet ye say, The way of the Lord is not equal. Hear now, O house of Israel; Is not my way equal? are not your ways unequal?

The facts are God both loves and He hates and He is totally just and equal in doing so. He already sees and knows the beginning and end of men's lives and we don't.

I truly hope this helps and does not cause further division and strife, I have done my best to express what is in my heart and head. There is more in there but its kind of like dropping a guitar pick into the body of a guitar and flipping the guitar over and shaking it while moving it left and right to hopefully get the pick out, I hate that when it happens!

Hope you all enjoyed and are enjoying this time of year with your family and friends.

BD

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David Fella

David- thanks for your post.

Do you believe the Westboro Baptist folks are justified in carrying their signs like "God hates queers?" even if they are technically correct? If it is not okay, even if correct, why is it ok for Jonathan Edwards?

I also wonder how his sermon would stand up to 1 Cor. 2:4.

I guess my point is that the end may not always justify the means. In the case of your brother I will make an exception. Praise God!

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Todd

Knowledge puffs up but love edifies. Love builds up and does not tear down. It attempts to reconcile and bring together, even at the death of the one doing the bringing together. Loving someone may mean you discipline them and shun them, but you never stop loving them. If my son broke the law I would hand him over to the authorities BECAUSE I love Him. Just because God loves us does not mean He approves of anything that we do or say. And just because He loves us does not guarantee our salvation.