Bible Study on Hatred

1. Hatred is Condemned

Hatred, in the biblical context, is not simply a strong negative feeling; it is a destructive attitude that harms both the one who hates and those around them. The Bible repeatedly condemns hatred, urging believers to love one another instead.

• Leviticus 19:17: “Do not hate your brother in your heart. Rebuke your neighbor frankly so you will not share in their guilt.”

◦ This command emphasizes that hatred is a sin that leads to further wrongdoings. It warns that harboring hatred in our hearts is as serious as committing actual sin.

• Proverbs 10:12: “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.”

◦ Hatred leads to division and conflict, whereas love has the power to resolve issues and bring peace. Hatred serves as a destructive force, while love is healing.

• Proverbs 15:17: “Better a small serving of vegetables with love than a fattened calf with hatred.”

◦ This verse underscores that peace and love are more valuable than material abundance. It speaks against the bitterness that hatred brings.

• 1 John 2:9: “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister is still in the darkness.”

◦ John warns that hatred in the heart blinds one to God’s truth, causing a person to walk in spiritual darkness.

• 1 John 3:15: “Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.”

◦ Hatred is equated with murder, stressing the severity of harboring hate. It shows that hate can lead to spiritual death.

• 1 John 4:20: “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.”

◦ This verse reinforces the idea that love for God and love for others are inseparable. Hatred towards others is incompatible with genuine love for God.

2. Examples of Hatred in Scripture

The Bible provides several examples of individuals whose hatred led to destructive consequences:

• Esau (Genesis 27:41): “Esau held a grudge against Jacob because of the blessing his father had given him, and he said to himself, ‘The days of mourning for my father are near; then I will kill my brother Jacob.’”

◦ Esau’s hatred for Jacob grew after he lost his father’s blessing, which led to thoughts of murder. His hatred separated him from his family and caused deep turmoil.

• Joseph's Brothers (Genesis 37:4): “When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated him and could not speak a kind word to him.”

◦ The jealousy and hatred of Joseph’s brothers led them to plot against him, selling him into slavery. Their hatred tore their family apart for years.

• Ahab (1 Kings 22:8): “The king of Israel answered, ‘There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah.’”

◦ King Ahab’s hatred for the prophet Micaiah stemmed from the prophet’s unwavering dedication to speaking God’s truth, even though it was not what Ahab wanted to hear.

• Haman (Esther 3:5-6, 9:1): “When Haman saw that Mordecai would not kneel down or pay him honor, he was enraged. Yet having learned who Mordecai's people were, he scorned the idea of killing only Mordecai; instead Haman looked for a way to destroy all Mordecai's people, the Jews, throughout the whole kingdom of Xerxes.”

◦ Haman's hatred for Mordecai, a Jew who refused to bow to him, turned into a genocidal plot to annihilate all Jews in the Persian Empire.

• Herodias (Mark 6:18-19): “For John had been saying to Herod, ‘It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.’ So Herodias nursed a grudge against John and wanted to kill him.”

◦ Herodias’ hatred for John the Baptist, due to his condemnation of her marriage to Herod, led her to plot his death, culminating in his beheading.

• The Jews (Acts 23:12, Titus 3:3): “The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.”

◦ The Jewish leaders’ hatred for Paul led them to a deadly conspiracy, showing how hatred can lead to extreme measures.

3. Hatred Against Christ

Christ Himself was the target of hatred throughout His life and ministry. His righteousness and truth provoked strong opposition from various groups:

• Luke 6:11: “But they were furious and began to discuss with one another what they might do to Jesus.”

◦ Jesus’ acts of healing and teaching on the Sabbath provoked the religious leaders’ hatred, leading them to plot His demise.

• Luke 19:14: “But his subjects hated him and sent a delegation after him to say, ‘We don’t want this man to be our king.’”

◦ Jesus, in a parable, highlights how people’s rejection of God’s rule over them is rooted in hatred.

• John 7:7: “The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil.”

◦ Jesus’ proclamation of the truth about sin and judgment caused the world to hate Him.

• John 15:18: “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.”

◦ Jesus assures His disciples that their persecution is a reflection of the hatred that He Himself experienced.

• John 15:25: “But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”

◦ Jesus points out that the hatred directed toward Him was baseless, a pure rejection of the truth He came to bring.

• John 19:6: “As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, ‘Crucify! Crucify!’”

◦ The religious leaders’ hatred for Jesus led to His unjust crucifixion.

4. Hatred Against the Saints

Just as Christ was hated, so too are His followers. Persecution and hatred for believers have been present throughout history:

• Isaiah 66:5: “Hear the word of the Lord, you who tremble at his word: ‘Your own people who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the Lord be glorified, that we may see your joy!’ Yet they will be put to shame.’”

◦ Isaiah prophesies about the hatred that the righteous will face from their own people due to their allegiance to God.

• Matthew 24:9: “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.”

◦ Jesus warns His disciples that following Him will bring hatred and persecution from the world.

• Luke 6:22: “Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.”

◦ Jesus assures His followers that the hatred they face because of Him is a sign of their faithfulness.

• Luke 21:17: “Everyone will hate you because of me.”

◦ This verse speaks to the inevitable reality that true followers of Christ will face hatred because of their identification with Him.

• John 15:19: “If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you.”

◦ Christ explains that the world’s hatred of believers is a consequence of their identification with Him.

• John 17:14: “I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world.”

◦ Jesus notes that the world will hate His followers because they live by His word, which stands in contrast to the values of the world.

• 1 John 3:13: “Do not be surprised, my brothers and sisters, if the world hates you.”

◦ John encourages believers not to be discouraged by the world’s hatred, for it is a natural response to the righteous living of God’s people.

Conclusion

Hatred is a destructive force condemned throughout the Bible. It divides people, fuels conflict, and leads to spiritual death. However, believers are called to overcome hatred by embodying love, the love that comes from God, who is love Himself. While the world may hate believers for their faith, Jesus assures His followers that this is not a sign of failure but a sign of faithfulness to Him. Let us strive to love even those who hate us, just as Christ loved us.

Bible Study on Hatred