Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

THE HURT OF HATE

This entry was posted on 03-24-2010 and is filed under STUDIES IN GENESIS.

We hear a lot about "hate speech" and even "hate crimes" today. But the Bible talks about the sin of hatred. Earlier in Genesis we have seen the horrible results of unchecked hatred when Cain killed his own brother. Now we see hatred rear its ugly head once again. Joseph's brothers had a great hatred for their brother (see vs. 4, 5, 8). Three times the scriptures tell us about their exceeding and seething hatred. Their hatred led them to even discuss killing him. Finally, the settled on selling their own flesh and blood into slavery!

John tells us that he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness because hatred has blinded his eyes (1 John 2:9). In fact, "Whoever hates his brother is a murderer" (v. 15). Paul calls hatred a work of the flesh (Gal. 5:19). We are instructed to lay aside all hatred (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8). You would think that, of all people, Christians would not have to be asked to put off hatred, but we find those admonitions in the Bible. Hatred often rises up even in the church of the redeemed. Those who say they love God but hate their brothers and sisters in Christ are liars (1 John 4:20). One of the first commandments in the Bible is "You shall not hate your brother in your heart" (Lev. 19:17). The only things we should really hate are sin and the devil himself. Let us live above hatred. Let us never lower ourselves to the sin of Joseph's brothers.