One section of Proverbs which has always stuck out to me is the short and sweet list of things God hates. It’s not an exhaustive listing, but a healthy sampling of core themes repeated throughout scripture are summarized here.
- Arrogant eyes
- Lying tongue
- Hands that shed innocent blood
- A heart that devises wicked schemes
- Feet that are quick to rush into evil
- False witness who pours out lies
- A man who stirs up dissension among brothers
Each of these are fairly straightforward, but one has at least a little room for misinterpretation. “Dissent among the ranks” is a common phrase, but it has a very specific meaning here. At first glance, you might think Proverbs is simply condemning people who bring strife to families, but the message is actually more specific.
“Brothers” in this case specially refers to the church. All believers are brothers and sisters, because they have a singular father. God.
Essentially, and very specifically, God hates those who sew conflict within the church.