Blanket Love

“Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” (Pr 10:12 AV)

The biblical understanding of hatred is a bit different from the use of the term in today’s English.  When we think of hatred, we mean an adversarial attitude bent on destruction.  When the Bible speaks of hatred, it may not be that adversarial.  When the Bible speaks of hatred, it simply means disassociation and separation with a passion.  My wife, Lisa, hates lima beans.  She will not eat them.  You could try to bribe her with millions of dollars.  She will not eat them.  She hates honey.  She got sick on honey decades ago.  When she sees it, she reacts in repulsion.  However, she does not go to the grocery store and attack the lima bean aisle.  She doesn’t go to the supermarket and smash all the bottles of honey.  Rather, she won’t have anything to do with either.  Solomon teaches us a great principle here.  Strife comes by way of hatred.  Not the other way around.  What is also very important is the phrase “all sins”.  This gives us a clue as to how the Preacher intends this truth to be applied.

When the Bible speaks of hatred, it does not always mean total hatred.  Rather, hatred is spoken of in degrees.  Sort of like our use of the word dislike.  I may be served a plate full of food.  There may be things on that plate that I don’t like.  I will eat what I like and avoid what I don’t like.  There are certain foods that taste just fine, but the texture is what turns me off.  I like peanut butter.  In certain ways.  My grandfather loved peanut butter and would have bathed in it if he could.  When I cook, I am very light on the seasonings.  My wife goes crazy with seasonings.  When the Bible above uses the word hatred, it is not speaking of total hatred to the point there is nothing neutral or admirable about that person or thing.  This is why the word ‘all’ is used.  Hatred does not need to be total.  Hatred can be incremental.  Otherwise, the word all would not have been used.  We are willing to cover some sins.  Others, not so much.  When we hate, we amplify those faults that we find impermissible.  We simply do not wish for them.  Other faults are just fine.  We may not like a person’s personality, but their intelligence is exemplary. 

Solomon says that love, versus hatred, will ignore or seek to look beyond faults.  He is also suggesting that hatred will make a point of a sin and cause strife because of it.  It is suggested that if I don’t like tapioca pudding (which I detest) I will point it out everywhere I go and make others who enjoy it feel uncomfortable.  Gummy bears are nothing more than stale jello!  They should be banned.  The Gummy Bear warehouse is not too far from where I live, and I don’t go and picket the building.  In fact, as much as I dislike gummy bears, I will still buy them for the grandkids.  The point here is simple.  When we elevate the faults of others to the point, we will disassociate ourselves because of them, then we are causing strife where strife did not exist.  If we love others, we will relate to them as we would hope they would do likewise.  People are people.  We all have horrible faults.  Love says that I am not perfect.  Love says my faults may be worse than those whom I avoid.  Love bridges the gap and understands we are all in this boat of existence together.  Love will seek to build a relationship, regardless.  That relationship should be founded on the love of Christ.  As the LORD came to this earth to die for us, we should be willing to do the same for others.