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“Hate the sin, but love the
sinner.” This statement is as standard
in the church as air conditioning is in the south. We have heard it so much that we just assume
it is true. The truth is that “hate the
sin, but love the sinner,” is never found in the pages of Scripture. It is believed to have come from St.
Augustine in one of his letters when he writes, “Cum dilectione hominum et
odio vitiorum, which roughly translates as “With love for mankind and
hatred of sins.”[1]
Augustine lived a wild life before the prayers of his mother were answered in
his conversion. Our culture has corrupted Augustine’s original meaning by
twisting its emphasis. Augustine was
referring to loving others and hating one’s own
sins. The phrase regained modern popularity not with a Christian thinker, but
with religious, pacifist Gandhi. Gandhi writes in his autobiography in 1929, “Hate
the sin and not the sinner is a precept which though easy enough to understand
is rarely practiced, and that is why the poison of hatred spreads in the
world.” Gandhi did not promote the
phrase, but rather his quote has been taken out of context and popularized in
our culture.
All
truth is God’s truth so regardless of where this phrase originated, we have to
ask, “Is it true?” Does God love the
sinner and hate the sin? And if so,
should we? The answer is Yes and No.
Does God love the sinner?
Absolutely. Romans 5:8, “but God
shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Does God hate sin? Absolutely. Habakkuk 1:13,
“You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong,” God
cannot look on evil with approval. But
does God hate the sinner? The answer is
yes. Psalm 5:4-6,
For you are not a
God who delights in wickedness; evil may not dwell with you. The boastful shall
not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers. You destroy those who speak
lies; the LORD abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
And this is not an isolated
verse. The Bible says that God hates
sinners 14 times in the first 50 Psalms.[2]
And this doctrine is not only seen in the Old Testament, but also in the New
Testament in Romans 1:18-2:5 and John 3:36.
The
Bible is too complex for clichés. Obadiah offers wonderful insight on God’s holy
hatred towards sin and His holy love towards His covenant people. Obadiah is the shortest book in the Old
Testament consisting of only 21 verses.
All we know about the author is his name given in the first verse, “The
vision of Obadiah.” Obadiah means the “servant of Yahweh.” There is no other biographical information of
him in the next and his name was very common in Israel. The prophecy can be broken down in two
sections: a prophecy against Edom and a prophecy for Judah.
God Hates Pride
Obadiah
opens his prophecy with a pronouncement against Edom. Obadiah 1:2-4,
Thus says the Lord GOD concerning Edom: We have heard a report from the LORD, and a messenger has been sent among the nations: “Rise up! Let us rise against her for battle!” Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you shall be utterly despised. The pride of your heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty dwelling, who say in your heart, “Who will bring me down to the ground?” Though you soar aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring you down, declares the LORD. (Obadiah 1:1-4 ESV)
Edom was located in a mountainous
region southeast of the Dead Sea. They
believed that they were secure from their enemies because of their
location.
It is difficult to
win battles when the opposing side has the high ground. The Edomites thought they were safe because
of their lofty position. The Lord
exposes how pride has deceived them.
Verse 3,
The pride of your
heart has deceived you, you who live in the clefts of the rock, in your lofty
dwelling, who say in your heart, “who will bring me down to the ground?”
They believed that they were
untouchable; they believed that no nation was able to defeat them because of
their position. They ask a rhetorical
question” who will bring me down to the ground? but surprisingly the Lord
answers them. Verse 4,
Though you soar
aloft like the eagle, though your nest is set among the stars, from there I will bring down, declares the
Lord.
Their pride deceives them with
false security.
“God opposes the proud.”
God is set against the proud. 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.
God sets Himself up against those
who are arrogant and disdainful. C.S.
Lewis says in Mere Christianity,
As long as you
are proud you cannot know God. A proud man is always looking down on
things and people; and, of course, as long as you are looking down, you cannot
see something that is above you. Pride gets no pleasure out of having
something, only out of having more of it than the next man... It is the
comparison that makes you proud: the pleasure of being above the rest. Once the
element of competition is gone, pride is gone.”
Does that describe you? Are you always looking down on other people
and their pursuits? Do you have pleasure and contentment in what you have or
that you have more than others? The proud
are condescending and rude. They never look to serve others, but only
themselves.
This
was Edom. They thought much of
themselves so God, said, “Behold, I will make you small among the nations; you
shall be utterly despised.” Your pride
has caused you to despise others, therefore you will be despised. As Jesus
warns us, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you
pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured
to you “(Matt. 7:1-2). How did Edom’s pride manifest itself? They persecuted
God’s people.
God Hates Persecutors
The prophecy
continues against Edom showing that they will be completely pillaged and
ransacked. The nation of Edom came from
the line of Esau. Obadiah draws out the
comparison between Jacob and Esau. As
Jacob and Esau were brothers, Edom should know its special relationship with
God’s people. Yet instead of loving God’s people, they persecuted them. Verses 5-9,
If thieves came
to you, if plunderers came by night— how you have been destroyed!— would they
not steal only enough for themselves? If grape gatherers came to you, would
they not leave gleanings? How Esau has been pillaged, his treasures sought out!
All your allies have driven you to your border; those at peace with you have
deceived you; they have prevailed against you; those who eat your bread have
set a trap beneath you— you have no understanding. Will I not on that day,
declares the LORD, destroy the wise men out of Edom, and understanding out of
Mount Esau? And your mighty men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man
from Mount Esau will be cut off by slaughter. (Obadiah 1:5-9 ESV)
It is interesting how the Lord
speaks of future events as if they had already happened, “you have been
destroyed!” and “Esau has been pillaged.” The Lord’s judgments are so sure that
when He announces them, they are as good as complete. Edom will be destroyed,
but we do not yet know when Edom will be destroyed or why the Lord will execute
His judgment against Esau.
The
Lord calls out Edom for how they persecuted His people. Why will Edom be destroyed, Verse 10,
Because of the
violence done to your brother Jacob, shame shall cover you, and you shall be
cut off forever.
Those who do violence to God’s people will
have violence done to them. Since Edom cut off its help to Jacob, God will cut
off His help to them. The Lord continues
in verse 11,
On the day that
you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and
foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of
them.
When the Babylonians invaded
Jerusalem, the Edomites did not offer any assistance to help His people. And in not acting for God’s people, they were
acting against God’s people. God takes
it very serious when people act against His people. When people act against God’s people, it is
as if they are acting against God Himself.
On the road to Damascus, Jesus Christ appeared to the then Saul of
Tarsus. Jesus said, “Saul, Saul, why are
you persecuting me?” As far as we know, Saul of Tarsus never met Jesus in
person, then how could Saul be persecuting Jesus? Well, Jesus so closely
identified with his special people that, as Mark Dever notes, “Actions against
God’s people are actions against God.”
To sin against God’s people was to sin against God.
Do
you see why God cares so much about unity and love in the local church? God hates persecutors of His people, because
to persecute other Christians is to persecute God. God indwells believers by the Holy Spirit so
to attack God’s people is to attack God.
Does that put a greater weight on how we are called to live and love
each other as a body of Christ? We are even identified as the “body of
Christ.” This is an intimate picture of
God and His people.
Obadiah
promises Edom will face a future judgment on that Day and there will be nothing
they can do to stop it. Verse 8-9,
Will I not on that day, declares the LORD, destroy
the wise men out of Edom, and
understanding out of Mount Esau? And your mighty
men shall be dismayed, O Teman, so that every man from Mount Esau will
be cut off by slaughter
The wise and the strong will not be
able to help on that day. Notice the irony in which the Lord speaks on how
often “the day” is used in verses, 11-16,
On the day
that you stood aloof, on the day that strangers carried off his wealth and
foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of
them. But do not gloat over the day of your brother in the day of
his misfortune; do not rejoice over the people of Judah in the day of
their ruin; do not boast in the day of distress. Do not enter the gate
of my people in the day of their calamity; do not gloat over his
disaster in the day of his calamity; do not loot his wealth in the
day of his calamity. Do not stand at the crossroads to cut off his
fugitives; do not hand over his survivors in the day of distress. For
the day of the LORD is near upon all the nations. As you have done, it
shall be done to you; your deeds shall return on your own head. For as you have
drunk on my holy mountain, so all the nations shall drink continually; they
shall drink and swallow, and shall be as though they had never been. (Obadiah
1:11-16 ESV)
The Lord says do not rejoice or
gloat when God’s people suffer, because the Day of the Lord is near. “As you have done, it shall be done to you;
your deeds shall return to your own head.”
The
Lord is fulfilling the golden rule. What
you do unto to others, will be done unto you.
This is a common theme throughout Scripture. In light of the day of the Lord, when you
will be held accountable for your actions, you must live in a way that honors
God by honoring God’s people.
God Hates Prince of
Darkness
Our
world is fallen. People live in fear. But
God promises a day when He will come and restore His people. Obadiah 17-21,
But in Mount Zion
there shall be those who escape, and it shall be holy, and the house of Jacob
shall possess their own possessions. The house of Jacob shall be a fire, and
the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble; they shall burn
them and consume them, and there shall be no survivor for the house of Esau,
for the LORD has spoken. Those of the Negeb shall possess Mount Esau, and those
of the Shephelah shall possess the land of the Philistines; they shall possess
the land of Ephraim and the land of Samaria, and Benjamin shall possess Gilead.
The exiles of this host of the people of Israel shall possess the land of the
Canaanites as far as Zarephath, and the exiles of Jerusalem who are in Sepharad
shall possess the cities of the Negeb. Saviors shall go up to Mount Zion to
rule Mount Esau, and the kingdom shall be the LORD's.
God will restore His people Israel
through His Son when He will establish His kingdom forever. Obadiah speaks
about a future days when the exiles in Babylon will possess the land. This can only happen through the work of
Jesus Christ who will destroy the works of the Prince of Darkness. Hebrews
2:14-15,
Since therefore
the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same
things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death,
that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were
subject to lifelong slavery.
The only way to destroy the one who
has the power of death, the devil, is for the Jesus to share flesh and blood
like us then to die in our place. Jesus
hates the Devil and therefore He destroys him through his death and then
delivers all those who through the fear of death were subject to lifelong
slavery.
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“For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him
should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the
world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through
him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of
God.
God sent Jesus so that you might be
saved through Him. God does not want you as His enemy. Whoever believes in Him
is not condemned. Believe in Him. Turn
and experience His love today. Submit to
Him as your King for, “The kingdom shall be the Lord’s.” Hate your sin by loving the Savior.
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