Friday, June 19, 2009

Not full of hate, but neither full of love

To be added to the long list of the world’s haters: King David.

“I hate those who cling to worthless idols;
I trust in the LORD” (Psalm 31:6).

3 comments:

D.B. said...

Don't forget God as the biggest hater. Isn't there somewhere He says He hates certain folks (in rebellion against Him)- Can't recall verse. :-)

He is the one who always tells us things we should do or not do. So bigoted. Why can't He just leave my human nature alone and not expect so much. I was born this way, you know, so I should not be burdened with moral expectations for my behavior.

Who does He think He is...Oh wait.

Kwame E. said...

Take your pick:

Psalm 5.4-5: "For thou [art] not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. The foolish shall not stand in thy sight: thou hatest all workers of iniquity."

Psalm 11.5: "The LORD trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth."

Proverbs 6.16-19: "These six [things] doth the LORD hate: yea, seven [are] an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness [that] speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

All told, I think that at the end of the day neither reality, nor the universe, nor accurate theology is subject to a simplistic analysis or description. Is God a god of love? Yes. Is Christianity a religion of love? Yes. But like anything else, that's true only as far as what aspects of the subject mattter you want to emphasize at any given moment. There's a time for love and hate, it seems. Didn't a wise man by the name of Solomon once say something like that?

D.B. said...

I thought it was The Byrds... I agree with you and would add that all too often folks like to only emphasize the "good" news and ignore the full accounting of the Bible.

There can be no good news without a little bad news. :-)