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Seven things the Lord hates
(Proverbs 6:1-19)
Andy Nagahara
Today in our series on Proverbs, we will be reading the first half of chapter 6. Let’s start by reading up to verse 5.
1. The Limits of Human Relationships (1-5)
1 My son, if you have put up security for your neighbor, if you have struck hands in pledge for another,
2 if you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth,
3 then do this, my son, to free yourself, since you have fallen into your neighbor’s hands: Go and humble yourself; press your plea with your neighbor!
4 Allow no sleep to your eyes, no slumber to your eyelids.
5 Free yourself, like a gazelle from the hand of the hunter, like a bird from the snare of the fowler.
It’s still common to hear stories of people losing all their money because they became someone’s guarantor. This seems to have been the case at the time Proverbs was written. If it is a debt, if the person who borrowed it does not return it, the guarantor must shoulder it, and if it cannot be done, the guarantor will be charged with a crime.
The point is not that this means you shouldn’t be a guarantor. Otherwise, the social economy would not be able to function.
What it says is that you should be careful when acting as a guarantor for someone, and if you find that you have been deceived, don’t give up, but be persistent. Previously, the New Interconfessional Translation of the Bible used a unique translation at this passage. “Go and stamp your feet and rebuke your friends, for your life is in their hands.”
However, that level of advice is too common sense to be considered proverbs as words of wisdom from God.
So, what kind of God’s wisdom can we receive from this passage? This means that no matter how trustworthy a relationship may be, it can be betrayed. From the perspective of the person who betrays someone, even if they never want to disappoint that person, there will come a time when they are in a situation beyond their control and they are forced to unwillingly disappoint that person.
To put it in religious terms, “people cannot save other people.”It’s a completely hopeless story. Is there no other option but to distrust people?
2,000 years ago, Jesus appeared in the Israelite society that gave birth to this proverb, and his actions directly contradicted today’s teachings. Jesus became the guarantor for the most unreliable people.
This is about us turning our backs on God and, as a result, having an indebtedness to God called sin that we have no way of repaying. More precisely, He took upon Himself the suffering of death on the cross, taking our sins that deserved death. He made no effort to escape the Cross.
If we were to summarize Jesus’ teachings for approximately three years from the time he began to teach people until he was crucified in two short words, it would be “Follow me,” which means “Love.” But He also knew very well that it would be very difficult for us and that we could not do as He did.
Jesus has made us his body, the church. It is clear that the church, which is in reality a gathering of human beings, is full of flaws. Yet, we can still fulfill our role as God’s body and meet His expectations. This is possible if we are aware of our limitations and still try to be forgiving and tolerant of one another.
Even if the person him/herself is powerless, a relationship of trust is established because Jesus is their guarantor. Borrowed things are not returned, promises are not kept. It’s not necessarily something we can blame entirely on the other person. The same is true if we are in the other person’s position.
But since Jesus is that person’s co-signer, He not only replenishes our losses in another way, but also meets our needs with His abundant grace.
2. Avoid evil and be diligent (6-15)
6 Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise!
7 It has no commander, no overseer or ruler,
8 yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.
9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard? When will you get up from your sleep?
10 A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest–
11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.
12 A scoundrel and villain, who goes about with a corrupt mouth,
13 who winks with his eye, signals with his feet and motions with his fingers,
14 who plots evil with deceit in his heart– he always stirs up dissension.
15 Therefore disaster will overtake him in an instant; he will suddenly be destroyed–without remedy.
Here the importance of hard work is contrasted with avoiding evil. This shows that hard work here is good and laziness is evil.
Evil here refers to the will to obtain something without legitimate effort, not through one’s own efforts, but through dishonest means, by stealing what others have worked for. On the other hand, there is also diligence and effort that does not lead to good. Have you ever seen a movie where someone meticulously plans and prepares for years to steal a priceless painting from a museum? There is also the diligence that evil demands of those in its grip.
In Japan, where the military once held power, young people were taught that sacrificing their lives for their country was a virtue, that luxury was the enemy, and were made to say, “We don’t want anything until we win.” That war ended 80 years ago. Half a century after its land was reduced to ashes and it vowed never to wage war, Japan has not only become a country that is accepted by the international community, but also one that can contribute to the world as a whole in a variety of fields.
However, over the last decade, it seems to me that the determination to maintain peace in this country has disappeared somewhere. People are beginning to forget that what we now call “Japanese First” once destroyed a country. However, this trend is not unique to this country. I believe that values that could once again lead to a major war are spreading across every continent.
However, this goes against God’s will, who created all people in his image and wants them to work together to keep the world a good place. If hard work and self-sacrifice are directed toward other humans, they could be seen as contributing to the evil that is the enemy of God. If we do not consider this carefully, our hard work will cause suffering to some people.
What is required of us is diligence toward the will of God.
3. Seven Things the Lord Hates (16-19)
16 There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil,
19 a false witness who pours out lies and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.
The final part of today’s text lists seven specific things that God hates. These overlap with the description of the wicked person described in verses 12-14. All but the last two are represented as parts of our bodies.
This clearly shows how vulnerable our bodies are to the temptations of evil. Anyone who says that they do not become arrogant and look down on others, lie to gain unfair advantages, or try to avoid their responsibilities is a hypocrite.
However, you may well say that hands that shed innocent blood are not your own. Of course, we probably won’t have a direct hand in this. But all over the world, innocent blood is being shed. This responsibility does not lie solely with those who do the work. Even though it was the outrageous act of a dictator, there were people who tolerated it and were complicit in it. Society tolerates such things that the Lord hates.
Who do you think is responsible for the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which shed the blood of so many innocent people? To the person who pressed the button? To the captain of a B29? To the Commander? President? or Americans? I don’t think that’s the case.
Did you know that Japan also had the desire to have an atomic bomb? Japan’s project began even before the American atomic bomb development project, known as the Manhattan Project. It’s just that we lacked the financial and development capabilities to complete it. If Japan had made it first, the same tragedy would have occurred in some other country.
In the sentence on the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb Memorial, “Let all the souls here rest in peace, For we shall not repeat the evil,” the subject is “we,” although it is omitted in Japanese. This was written by Professor Tadayoshi Saiga of Hiroshima University, who is a Japanese and a survivor of the atomic bombing. It means, the responsibility for this evil lies with all of us.
We are all sovereigns of the countries we each belong to. And today is the voting day for this country’s national elections. Let’s use our vote in the election to ensure that our country does not become complicit in the shedding of innocent blood.
If you are a Christian, you should listen to Jesus’ will and vote for the party and candidate that best suits it. Even among those who call themselves Christians, from right to left, there are differing opinions about which party or candidate is closest to Jesus’ will. That is why what God requires of us is daily contact with the words of Jesus and diligence in trying to act according to his teachings.
(Prayer) Jesus, thank you for speaking to us today through Proverbs.
Thank you for teaching us that loving one another is impossible without you.
Help us to love and forgive one another, trusting in you as our mutual guarantor.
May we be diligent listeners who seek Your will.
Teach each of us what we can do about the suffering of the innocent, and empower us to do it.
Please guide us as we continue to follow You this week.
With gratitude and expectation we pray in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Summary
When Jesus commands us to “love one another,” even though we may sometimes disappoint even those we care about most, he is not saying this as if it were someone else’s problem. Jesus’ suffering on the cross was the result of him becoming a guarantor, knowing that we would not be able to live up to his trust, and taking on the punishment that we should have received. Through his resurrection, Jesus showed us that following him is the way to overcome death and evil, and he still guides our steps.
For Discussion
1. In what sense is Jesus our guarantor?
2. How can we avoid doing things that displease the Lord?