Dr Paul Allen

Just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated ” (Romans 9:13). The Bible says that God hates some people . Romans 9:13 says that God hated Esau before Esau was even born, because Esau had inherited Adam’s hatred of God, and God was not pleased (in His mysterious decision) to elect Esau to salvation. Psalm 5:5 says, “The arrogant cannot stand in Your presence; You hate all who do wrong.” Notice that is it not some abstract “sin” or “wickedness” that God hates in this verse; it is people whom He hates. Psalm 139:21–22 tells us that we should join God in His holy hatred of these people: “Do I not hate those who hate You, O Lord …? I have nothing but hatred for them; I count them my enemies.” The New Testament says the same in Revelation 2:6. How are we to understand this ? In some cases, hate simply means “love less.” In Luke 14:26 we find Jesus saying that we must hate the members of our own families if we want to follow Him, while in the parallel passage in Matthew 10:37, Jesu...

We don’t often realize where we put our hope . We can seek sustenance, energy, or relief in the most transient, innocuous things—from our morning coffee to a vacation we’ve been anticipating for months. These things are not bad in themselves, but if they constantly serve as minor fixes in our daily lives, they can shift our focus. We can end up trading God ’s help for caffeine and a few days in the sun. The trouble arises when we fail to see the complexity in our motives. The psalmist helps us look beyond what seems comforting and shielding: “I lift up my eyes to the mountains; whence will my help come? My help is from Yahweh , maker of heaven and earth” (Psa 121:1). The psalmist uses the hills and mountains to point us beyond what we can see to the true source of help and protection. These stationary shields seem to offer protection, but God is the true source of help and refuge in our often chaotic circumstances. He is constantly present—“your shade at your right hand” (Psa ...