Hateful: #7 – Dog Ears

“There are six things the LORD hates, seven that are detestable to him:

haughty eyes,

a lying tongue,

hands that shed innocent blood,

a heart that devises wicked schemes,

feet that are quick to rush into evil,

a false witness who pours out lies

and a man who stirs up dissension among brothers.” Proverbs 6:16-19 NIV

It’s hard to imagine God hating anything. Yet, here it is: God’s Top 7 Hate List. Let’s start with number seven and work up.

#7: A man who stirs up dissension among brothers.

The male members of my house enjoy aggravating the dog. Sometimes they use the laser pointer and watch him chase the red dot. (Zuno will do this for hours.) Sometimes, they snag his rawhide bone or tease him with people food. Before long, Zuno is barking and the culprit is getting the “Mom” look. It reminds me of Proverbs 26:17 NIV:

“Like one who seizes a dog by the ears is a passer-by who meddles in a quarrel not his own.”

“A man who stirs up dissension among brothers” mirrors this behavior of seizing the dog by his ears. He likes to stir things up by creating problems where there were none and he sets the dogs (or brothers) to barking. God through Solomon shows us both the root and the cure in Proverbs 10:12 NIV:

“Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs.”

Stay off the Hate List by being an agent of love today. If you see someone stirring up an argument, step in and cover it with love.

And, for heaven’s sake, don’t mess with the dog.