Hatred in the Bible?

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lov3123

Guest
#1
#1
I was reading the book Psalm,I was in Chapter 139 and came upon a verse that says " Do I hate those you hate you. O lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them,I count them as my enemies." (Verses 21-22) I was a little bit confused because I know God has said to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and to love those who are sinful, so I was confused on why this verse had said this , it was a bit unfitting for God's commandment to LOVE.
 
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TaylorTG

Guest
#2
#2
Hello miss.

The book of Psalms features poetry from the old testament, which was written before Christ came down to Earth.
 
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Spokenpassage

Guest
#3
#3
God's people are grievous with people of the world and their conduct, that it becomes and is an abomination to us because it's against the Most High. Friendship with the world is hostility towards God (James 4:4) yet we should love them (Matt. 5:44), but we should definitely not condone, neither practice their wickedness (Eph. 5:5-11).
 
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Tintin

Guest
#4
#4
King David or King Solomon wrestle greatly with love for God and hatred for God's enemies. It's very real, raw and honest. We can relate with the way they feel. It's not right but it's very, very human. God is Love, yes, but there's so much more to Him.
 
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Ugly

Guest
#5
#5
Keep in mind this is a person spilling his heart out, not preaching a message. We all suffer from various emotional afflictions in life. Some alcohol, some drugs, some sex and some hatred. Speaking on it doesn't mean he is approving of it, but merely opening his heart and words to God as an open, honest expression of what the inner battle is going on inside of him. Always remember to keep context in mind when reading the bible. The bible is a multifaceted collection of books, and not all books or all lines are meant to be intended as spiritual teachings, but are there for other reasons as well. Rather than viewing this as teaching, view it as self expression and prayer.
 
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Tintin

Guest
#6
#6
Great points, Ugly. But let's remember also, OP, that while God is love, it's not all puppies and rainbows. The Psalms speak to our sinful humanity before God and God's wrath at sin.
 
TheAristocat

TheAristocat

Senior Member
#7
Oct 4, 2011
2,150
26
0
#7
lov3123 said:
I was reading the book Psalm,I was in Chapter 139 and came upon a verse that says " Do I hate those you hate you. O lord, and abhor those who rise up against you? I have nothing but hatred for them,I count them as my enemies." (Verses 21-22) I was a little bit confused because I know God has said to LOVE YOUR ENEMIES and to love those who are sinful, so I was confused on why this verse had said this , it was a bit unfitting for God's commandment to LOVE.
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In English you can hate someone and still show them love. So English is tricky. But if it helps, this was written by a man - a man who committed adultery and murdered. Certainly he had his flaws and none of those should pass as God's. God is the same today as he was yesterday. It doesn't matter if it's the Old Testament or the New. I don't remember him commanding anyone in the Old Testament to hate their enemies but to help their enemies. Loving one's enemy is simply Christ's fulfillment of the principles found in the Old Testament.

Exodus 23:4-5 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
 
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SkepticJosh

Banned
#8
Apr 26, 2014
93
0
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#8
TheAristocat said:
In English you can hate someone and still show them love. So English is tricky. But if it helps, this was written by a man - a man who committed adultery and murdered. Certainly he had his flaws and none of those should pass as God's. God is the same today as he was yesterday. It doesn't matter if it's the Old Testament or the New. I don't remember him commanding anyone in the Old Testament to hate their enemies but to help their enemies. Loving one's enemy is simply Christ's fulfillment of the principles found in the Old Testament.

Exodus 23:4-5 “If you come across your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it. If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
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Um...what about when God tells Moses to lead the isreallites in pillages of cities and camps? Or when he commands the killing of gays and those who work on sundays? Or when he kills every 1st born in egypt? How is that loving the enemy?
 
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Tintin

Guest
#9
#9
We only have to read Genesis and Exodus, let along the rest of the Bible, to see that God takes human sin very seriously, because He's holy, the epitome of holiness. God is Love, yes. But what does that really mean? Read the Bible to find out more.
 
TheAristocat

TheAristocat

Senior Member
#10
Oct 4, 2011
2,150
26
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#10
SkepticJosh said:
Um...what about when God tells Moses to lead the isreallites in pillages of cities and camps? Or when he commands the killing of gays and those who work on sundays? Or when he kills every 1st born in egypt? How is that loving the enemy?
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The passage of Exodus 23:4-5 deals with personal enemies. I'm talking about one kind. You're talking about another - an enemy on a national scale. This is a mistake I see Christians making, too. They look at laws, which are meant to govern our personal lives in such a way that it would foster love between individuals, and then try to apply them to national entities like militaries or courts of justice. And it doesn't work very well. Nor is there a lot of evidence to support this practice in the Bible.

A couple of other observations. I don't ever remember gays being called our enemies. And the day of rest at least in the Old Testament was a Saturday sabbath - not a Sunday.
 
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TheAristocat

TheAristocat

Senior Member
#11
Oct 4, 2011
2,150
26
0
#11
By the way, that's not to say that God wants us to hate our national enemies or those condemned by a system of justice. I think we should forgive them. But if God would tell the Israelites to go out and wage war on another kingdom I would see that as being more of an act of necessity or practicality instead of an act of hatred. What modern soldier today fights battles simply because he hates his enemy and wants to kill as many of them as possible? I think a lot of them would tell you that they're doing it out of some perceived necessity.

So if David is justified in his hatred of his enemies I'm not exactly sure how. I think we should just go with what God has told us.
 
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oldernotwiser

Guest
#12
#12
i've always loved the "kill everyone that pisseth against a wall" line.
 
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