Sunday, October 29, 2023

Abominations

In this study of Sin & the Law, it is important to look at the language the Lord uses to describe sin. Other words used in scripture to describe sin are: Abomination, wickedness, and iniquity.

Do these terms have specific meanings that further help us understand what sin is and how it affects our relationship to God? In this post we will begin to examine these ideas by looking at the word: Abomination. Here I will site an article from a blog: Be Stirred, Not Shaken. The author of the article: What Are Abominations Before the Lord? Does a very good job analyzing the use of the word in scripture and defining the basic ideas that define the word in this way:

The words “abomination” and “abominable” are used over 170 times in the KJV. The most prominent word translated “abomination” is to ebah to ebah, and signifies that which is disgusting morally, an abhorrence. Three are from the same root word (shequets, shaqats, shiqquts) and mean roughly the same thing— filth, figuratively or literally an idolatrous object, detestable thing. Two other words (ba ash and piggul piggul) are only translated abomination once or twice, but more often words like stank, loathsome, and abhor are used when translating them.

Abomination is used to speak to behaviors God finds detestable. Things he says he “hates,” and thus they are particular sins that we should hate.

This list can be grouped into these major ideas:
  1. Worshiping other gods
  2. Polluting God’s ordinances, sacraments, and worship practices.
  3. Sexual sins
  4. Taking advantage of people, particularly children, the poor, elderly, or others over whom you have power
  5. Wickedness—that is, actively turning from God’s way
Abominations are often associated with what the Lord calls wickedness. Wickedness seems to imply not just wandering away from the Lord’s path on accident, but being intent on continuing in wrongdoing—having a hostility toward God and actively turning from His way. This is the unrepentant sinner. It’s no wonder that God calls this attitude an abomination, as it mirrors the rebellious attitude of Satan.


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