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Proverbs 6:16–19
“There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”
Do all sins deserve the same punishment? The answer is both yes and no. Scripture is very clear, as Westminster Shorter Catechism 84 puts it, that “every sin deserves God’s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.” After all, God’s Word tells us that the Lord cannot even look upon evil (Hab. 1:13)—He cannot tolerate it in His blessed presence. So even the slightest sin is worthy of eternal punishment. Scripture also tells us, however, that though all sins merit divine wrath, not all sins are equal. Some transgressions are worse than others because they more blatantly express rebellion against the Lord and have more destructive consequences for us and those around us. Thus, the law of God punishes some sins more severely than others, and some impenitent sinners will receive a harsher punishment in hell than others (see, e.g., Luke 12:35–48). This is a great mystery, to be sure, since to suffer under God’s wrath for all eternity certainly must be terrible, but some sinners in hell will experience greater pain than others. In any case, the point is, as Westminster Shorter Catechism 83 puts it, that “some sins in themselves, and by reason of several aggravations, are more heinous in the sight of God than others.”
Proverbs 6:16–19 helps us see that some sins are worse than others in its listing of seven sins that the Lord hates. The text does not mean that our Creator hates only those seven sins and not others. After all, Psalm 5:5 reveals that God hates all evildoers and thus all expressions of evil. Instead, today’s passage highlights sins that are especially worthy of divine hatred, seven transgressions against which the Lord shows special ire. One object of God’s hate is closely connected to the ninth commandment: the “false witness who breathes out lies” (Prov. 6:19).
We should not be surprised that the Lord finds false witness particularly heinous. He is truth itself, His character being the very standard by which we judge what is true and what is false, for Jesus is God incarnate and He tells us in John 14:6 that He is the truth. Thus, bearing false witness constitutes an especially brazen rejection of God’s character. Too often, however, we do not think of telling untruths in this way. We think that our “little white lies” are no big deal. Yet Scripture tells us otherwise. The Lord absolutely detests false witness, so it should have no place in our lives.
Coram Deo Living before the face of God
Lying to one another is contrary to God’s character, and it is something that our Lord especially hates. Thus, even what we call little white lies and withholding information from those to whom it is due are serious sins. Let us examine ourselves this day to see where we might be guilty of bearing false witness, repent, and then seek to make restitution where necessary.
For Further Study
- Proverbs 12:22
- Jeremiah 23:32
- Ephesians 4:25
- Revelation 21:8