Sin Odious To God.

Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate!

(Jeremiah 44:4 ESV)

Our text this morning is in the 4th verse of the passage we have read: Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate! And the topic in this sermon by George Burder is how Sin is Odious To God.

Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate! This is part of a message sent from Jehovah, by his servant, the prophet Jeremiah, to the Jews who had fled to Egypt, when their brethren of Judah were led captive to Babylon. God here reminds them of the reproofs he had given their nation, and of the punishments he had inflicted for its sins---"I persistently sent to you (said he) all my servants the prophets;" and the substance of his messages by them was, "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate."

The "abomination" here referred to was, doubtless, their idolatry; they had "provoked him to anger, by making offerings to other gods," and by "making offerings to the queen of heaven."{Jeremiah 44:8, 17} This sin was peculiarly hateful to God, for it robbed him of his glory as the only proper object of his worship; it was a breach of his clear commandments; and it was exceedingly criminal in them, for they were favored above all nations with the knowledge of his nature and will; they were his appointed "witnesses,"{Isaiah 43:10} to testify to the world the unity of God; and this breach of their trust led them into undue associations with the heathen world, from which he had separated them, and induced them to commit many atrocious crimes inseparable from the worship of idols.

And their history shows how God resented this conduct. Neighboring nations were let loose upon them for their punishment; and sometimes they were carried captive by their enemies; the ten tribes who were the most idolatrous, were irrecoverably dispersed; and Judah herself was now captive in Babylon. God, therefore, here exhorts them, by his servant Jeremiah, to abstain from this provoking practice. "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate."

But though this charge related originally to the idolatry of Judah, it is properly applicable to sin in general, and to every sin in particular---and, O that every one of us may consider the text as a message from God to himself, and particularly with relation to any sin of which he is conscious "which clings so closely."{Hebrews 12:1} And with this view, let us notice three things contained in the words.

I. Sin is an abominable thing.

II. God hates it.

III. He requires us to avoid it. "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate."

I. With regard to the real nature and evil of sin, we must form our opinion of it, not from the world, but from God. If we consult the world, in which sin abounds, we will find that "fools make a mock at it."{Proverbs 14:9 NKJV} They treat it as a trifle, which need not give them any uneasiness: there are some who are properly "workers of lawlessness;"{Matthew 7:23} it is their trade, indeed, their food, their element, their delight; they are "insatiable for sin:"{2 Peter 2:14} and some go further still; they plead for it: they promote it in others, and "glory in their shame."{Philippians 3:19}

But, whatever mistaken men, who are deceived and enslaved by the Destroyer, may think of sin, we are sure that our holy God, who cannot be deceived, and will not deceive us, accounts it an abominable thing, and hates it with a perfect hatred. And how can it be otherwise? For it is exactly the reverse of all that he is, all that he approves, and all that he requires.

He gave us our being; he gave us all the powers of body and mind which we possess. He gave us this earth on which we dwell; and he has filled it with his goodness. He gives us "rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying our hearts with food and gladness."{Acts 14:17} And all that he requires, and most reasonably requires, by way of return, is that we love him supremely, and that we love our neighbor as we wish he should love us. And is this not most reasonable? Who can object to such a demand?

But does man, thus love his God, or his neighbor? Sadly! no. It is in fact the contrary. The hearts of men are by nature alienated from God, and their carnal minds are hostile to him. This will appear if you take a glance at the holy law, as it is summarized in the Ten Commandments.

The first commandment requires us to know and acknowledge Jehovah to be the only living and true God, and to worship and glorify him accordingly. But alas! how have vain men formed, in their corrupt imagination, "many gods and many lords!"{1 Corinthians 8:5} They have multiplied deities, male and female, to the number of many thousands! And thus they have given that glory to idols which is due to him alone!

The second commandment forbids the worship of God by images: but how fruitful have been the corrupt imaginations of men, in "exchanging the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things!"{Romans 1:23} ---offenses so hateful to God, that he gave up these idolaters to the basest lusts of their own hearts.{Romans 1:24}

How abominable to God is the profane, or even trifling, use of his most holy name!---a crime which though overlooked by men and magistrates, is such that the Majesty of Heaven, so affronted, will not hold the offender guiltless, but will punish him as his iniquity deserves.

God, in mercy to mankind, has appointed one day in seven to be sacred to religion and to rest. But ungrateful man refuses this heavenly gift; and while he robs God of his glory, in refusing obedience and worship, robs himself of the inestimable benefits he might enjoy.

God notices and hates the undutifulness and disobedience of children to their parents, while he gives a gracious promise to those who honor their father and mother.

How provoking to the Father of mercies is the crime of murder! When the first murder was committed, "The voice of your brother's blood (said God to Cain) is crying to me from the ground;"{Genesis 4:10} it cried for vengeance; and the decision of justice is, "Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed."{Genesis 9:6}

God has marked with peculiar infamy the sins of adultery and fornication; they are stamped with the name of "impurity," as being in a peculiar manner contrary to that holiness which he requires of his creatures;---and let such offenders tremble when they read that "God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous,"{Hebrews 13:4} Indeed, so infamous are these vices in his sight, that they must not even be named among saints.{Ephesians 5:3-5}

Dishonesty, in all its forms, is offensive to the God of truth and equity. Not only open thieves are offensive to him, but all injustice between buyers and sellers; frauds committed in the price, weight, and measure of goods; all the arts of deception practiced in trade; the dishonesty and negligence of employees, the contracting of debts without the prospect of payment---in short, every transaction between man and man, contrary to that golden rule of action, "Whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them."{Matthew 7:12}

Lying is a sin of dreadful magnitude. Woe be to the man that does not fear an oath, or dare appeal to God for a lie; and all slander, malice, and willful injury of the character of others, is an abomination in his view.

Covetousness he deems idolatry; for the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil; and as it is a secret sin, a sin of the heart, to which God alone may be witness---it is an evil which, above all others, reveals the true nature of sin. The apostle Paul says of himself, "he would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, You shall not covet."{Romans 7:7}

Thus have we seen, by a glance at the Ten Commandments, that sin is an abominable thing: the law proves it to be such, and his holy word calls it by names intended to express his abhorrence of it; and to excite ours---it is "uncleanness," "poison," and "dog's vomit."

It is almost needless to prove, as we proposed, in the second place, that

God hates sin. "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate;" for, had he not hated it, he would not have prohibited it in his law, upon pain of death.

It must necessarily be hateful to him, for it has spoiled his work, especially the masterpiece of his work on earth, his creature man, originally formed in his own holy image. And how has that image bee defaced! How is that glorious creature degraded! Where now is his image? It is lost, it is gone; and the sinner, given up to the base lusts of his mind and his body, bears the horrible likeness of the devil and the brute combined; his wicked tempers resembling the former; his sordid appetites resembling the latter.

God's holy word is full of expressions of his just resentment---"God is angry with the wicked every day"{Psalm 7:11 NKJV}---"The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men"{Romans 1:18}---"You hate all evildoers."{Psalm 5:5}

Hence also the dreadful threatenings which we find in his word: "The wages of sin is death"{Romans 6:23}---"The wicked shall be turned into hell"{Psalm 9:17 NKJV}---"Woe to the wicked! It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have dealt out shall be done to him"{Isaiah 3:11}---"The one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption."{Galatians 6:8}

And as the threatenings of God, in his word, denote his anger, so his works of providence in the world reveal it also. What induced him to hurl from their high dwelling places in bliss, the myriads of angelic spirits, now enchained in darkness? Doubtless, it was their hateful sin against him. And what led him to expel from the Garden of Eden the man whom he placed there to care for it? We know that it was his sinful disobedience. For the same cause, he who made the earth, cursed it for man's sake;{Genesis 3:17} doomed him to severe toil; and the woman to painful travail.

Hatred to sin caused "all the fountains of the great deep to burst forth, and the windows (or floodgates) of the heavens to be opened;"{Genesis 7:11} to deluge the whole face of the earth, and drown the human race. It was God's just hatred to sin that led him to rain upon Sodom, and upon Gomorrah, sulfur and fire from the Lord out of Heaven: to the same cause we owe all the dire diseases that invade the human body, and render the earth one huge hospital: "for we are dust, and to dust we shall return."{Genesis 3:19}

Nor is this all; there is a second death---there is a dreadful hell for the reception and punishment of the wicked, where "their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched."{Mark 9:48} To this horrible place he who hates sin will consign all finally impenitent and unbelieving sinners; saying, "Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels."{Matthew 25:41}

And, now, is anything else needed to prove that God hates sin? One greater proof yet remains; it is this, the great, holy, and just Jehovah saw fit, in the exercise of his mercy towards men, to punish sin in the person of his innocent Son; "for what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do," God has been pleased to perform in a different manner: "By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh,"{Romans 8:3} even in the human nature of Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son; and this for his gracious purpose, "in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in (or rather for) us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."{Romans 8:4}

We have shown, first, that sin is an abominable thing: and, second, that God hates it: We now move on to the last part of the subject, which is,

Thirdly, God calls upon us to avoid sin. "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate."

This, you see, was the substance of all his messages to Israel by the prophets:---"rising up early and sending them,"{Jeremiah 7:25 NKJV} alluding to the practice of men, who having important business to transact, rise early to set about it, that no time may be lost; so God, earnest to prevent the destruction of men by their sins, sent his servants to give them timely warning.

This is the language of the Ten Commandments; most of which, it is observable, are in the negative form; as do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness; and they are put in this form, because fallen man is disposed by nature to do that which is evil; he must, therefore, be warned against that evil to which he is prone. "Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate." Let us remember and treasure up in our minds the word of God for this very purpose: thus David did. "I (says he) have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you:"{Psalm 119:11} and again, "How can a young man keep his way pure?"---the answer is, "By guarding it according to your word:"{Psalm 119:9} and this proved successful; for he says again, "By the word of your lips I have avoided the ways of the violent."{Psalm 17:4}

Observe also the heavenly words of our Savior on the mount! What divine morality is expressed in that unparalleled sermon! What a spiritual exposition does the King of Zion give of his holy law, to deter men from sin, and cause them to resemble their Father who is in heaven! In like manner the holy apostles, in their epistles, discourage every vice, and insist upon the sanctity of character which becomes Christians; saying, "Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity."{2 Timothy 2:19}

The histories contained in the word of God have the same holy tendency. Do we read the histories of good men? Let us be "imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."{Hebrews 6:12} Do we peruse the histories of bad men, and of their painful punishment?---"these things took place as examples for us"---"these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come."{1 Corinthians 10:6, 11}

The threatening which we find in the word of God have the same benevolent intention. "Son of man (said God to the prophet Ezekiel) I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand."{Ezekiel 3:17} The language of all the threatenings is---"do not do this abomination." "turn back, turn back from your evil ways, for why will you die, O house of Israel?"{Ezekiel 33:11}

And do not all the various blessings we receive from the hand of God come to us with the same message? Does he not do us good, giving us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness? Does he not visit the earth, and water it? Clothe the pastures with flocks? Cover the valleys with corn, and crown the year with his goodness? And does not this goodness cry with a gentle yet powerful voice---"Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate?" And surely, if we will not hear that admonition, we will hear him justly complain, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth; for the Lord has spoken: Children have I reared and brought up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master's crib, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand!"{Isaiah 1:2}

And further, what is the language of affliction? What is the meaning of the numerous trials and troubles of life? Are they not all the fruits of sin? Do they not painfully convince us that sin is an evil and a bitter thing? And are they not intended for our profit, to introduce "the peaceful fruit of righteousness, and that we may share his holiness?"{Hebrews 12:11, 10} Yes, every pain of body, and every pang of mind, says---"Do not do this abomination that I hate!"

In a word, such is the uniform language of the whole gospel of Christ. Is this not the doctrine of the Cross? Why did the innocent Son of God suffer, and bleed, and die? He did not sin, "neither was deceit found in his mouth;"{1 Peter 2:22} "yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; but he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."{Isaiah 53:10, 5,6} In this way the all-wise God was pleased to exhibit to the whole world his abhorrence of sin, by punishing it in the person of his Son, while he displays the riches of his grace in freely pardoning all who believe in him. Thus also he would furnish his people with the strongest possible motives to holiness, that they might hate the sin which murdered their Lord; and be constrained, by the force of love to him, to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, and to live to him in holiness and righteousness of life all their days.

CONCLUSION.

And is sin such an abominable thing?---then what of "one who is abominable and corrupt, a man who drinks injustice like water?"{Job 15:16}---who longs for it as the parched traveler for the refreshing stream, and to whom it is as delightful as cold water to a thirsty soul; for there are those (are we of that number?) who are "greedy to practice every kind of impurity;"{Ephesians 4:19} who "enjoy evil";{2 Thessalonians 2:12} and whose "desire for sin is never satisfied."{2 Peter 2:14} Ah! how unlike are such men to God! And if only "the pure in heart shall see God,"{Matthew 5:8} where will these lovers and workers of iniquity appear? To such we address the solemn words of Christ---"You must be born again. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God."{John 3:7, 3}

This also shows how great and dangerous a mistake it is, to think lightly of sin, or to esteem it a trifle; or to do as (the Scripture says) "fools" do,---and "mock at sin."{Proverbs 14:9} Ah! it is no trifle, unless the anger of an offended and Almighty God is a trifle, and unless everlasting punishment is a trifle. O let us learn to think and speak of sin as He does who cannot be deceived, and will not be mocked.

It will follow, then, that if sin is so abominable in the sight of God, and if he so hates it, that we also should hate it. So did Job, when his particular afflictions and instructions had accomplished their designed purpose; then he exclaimed---"I despise myself, and repent in dust and ashes;"{Job 42:6} and thus will it ever be found that penitent and pardoned sinners will "remember their evil ways, and their deeds that were not good, and they will loathe themselves for their iniquities and their abominations."{Ezekiel 36:31}

And this should lead us to greatly admire the love of God to such unlovely creatures as sinners are. His love must, indeed, be free, perfectly free, for there could be nothing in us to excite it: there was enough to earn his anger, and cause him to forsake us forever; but while he saw us in this low and loathsome state, he passed by and beheld us, and said to us live! Amazing love it was that said, "Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool."{Isaiah 1:18}

Here, too, let us admire the efficacy of the blood of Christ. Let us, with the apostle Peter, call it "precious blood,"{1 Peter 1:19} for precious indeed that blood must be which can perfectly cleanse from such horrid pollution, and make the believing sinner, plunged in that fountain, "whiter than snow."{Psalm 51:7} Nor less admirable is the efficacious grace of the Holy Spirit, through whose renewing power we become new creatures; no longer "the slaves to impurity," but rendered "the slaves of righteousness;"{Romans 6:19} being "set free from sin and having become slaves of God, the fruit we get leads to sanctification and (expecting the blessed) end, eternal life."{Romans 6:22}

How strong, then, are the obligations under which we are held to "Abhor what is evil;" and "hold fast to what is good!"{Romans 12:9} to hate every false way, "even the garment stained by the flesh;"{Jude 1:23} to avoid even the appearance of evil, and to abound in every good work, continually walking as under the eye of God, and as hearing him say to us---"Oh, do not do this abomination that I hate."