It is of great interest to go through the Bible and take note of what God hates. One things that I believe we can put our finger on is the fact God hates separation in most cases. God has gone to great lengths to bring about reconciliation. Notice some things that causes separation that is against the will of God.  

(i)Physical death. Physical death came into the world has a result of man being cast out of the Garden of Eden (Gen.3). Physical death is a by-product of spiritual death. Physical death is when the spirit of man leaves the body. James writes in James 2:26 “For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.” Death is called the last enemy. Paul writes in I Cor.15:26 that “The last enemy that will be destroyed is death…” Thus, God hates the fact that sin removed man from the Garden He made and thus eliminated access to the tree of life. Physical death is separation of body and spirit and was a result of sin.  

(ii)Spiritual death. Spiritual death is the separation of man away from God. This is the warning God gave Adam in Gen.2:16-17 “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” They were separated from fellowship with God because they disobeyed God and rebelled against His will. God in this case is not talking about physical death, He was informing Adam that if they chose to sin, to go against His Divine Word that their relationship would be severed. The day Adam and Eve sinned they did not die physically, but spiritually they were dead (separated) from God. All who are accountable have sinned (Rom.3:23). Man who is in sin is spiritually dead. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:1 “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins” So man needs to be reconciled to God that he may be in fellowship with God. Romans 5:10-11 “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation” Like the son in Luke 15:24 “for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found” we are now “alive” in the presence of God. Ephesians 2:4-6 “But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus” Therefore, notice how we should present ourselves to God. “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” Romans 6:13 Look at the cross and see the cost Christ paid to reconcile you to God and bring forth life for you. God hate

Job 8:13-15 we read the words of Bildad. “So are the paths of all who forget God; And the hope of the hypocrite shall perish, Whose confidence shall be cut off, And whose trust is a spider’s web. He leans on his house, but it does not stand. He holds it fast, but it does not endure.” Bildad made some mistakes when he addressed Job in regard to the reasons Job was suffering. He was wrong in assuming Job was being punished for sin and accusing Job of godless living. However, Bildad also spoke words of truth in his discourse on this occasion when he says the godless man is as frail and weak as a spider’s web. It is true that these words did not apply to Job, but it is tri that a godless man has no solid ground of confidence or hope on which to rely in time of need. And whatever may be the confidence or trust of the godless man it is easily and quickly cut off, broken, and torn asunder because it is as frail as a spider’s web. With the sweep of one calamity everything he trusts in is wiped out. He builds as it were a mansion without a foundation and it crumbles easily.

Notice several contrasts between a spider web and false, vain religion and false hope.

(i)Spider webs are quickly made. Watch a spider weave and spin her web. She works at a quick pace and is soon finished with her web. Likewise, false religion and false hope are quickly made. There is no root in God’s Word, but rather they spring up quickly. Look at how many religious groups have started in this city in recent years. Yet, a lot of what they teach is foreign to the Word of God. Many groups are based on “feelings” and “experiences”, but not truth of God’s revealed Word.

(ii)Spider webs are skillfully made. A spider designs and works by a plan to make her web. Notice how skillful a web is woven. The spider plans to entrap insects in its web so they find a place that they know a skillfully made web will do its job. The same is true of false religion and false hope, they are skillfully made. They are ingeniously woven to entrap man. Look at creeds and man-made worship, they are skillfully laid out. They are attractive, however they are frail! Anything that does not have God as a foundation is foolish (Read Matt. 7:24-28).

(iii)Spider webs are beautiful. Now spiders to most of us are no much to look at, (ask my wife her view of spiders) but the webs they weave are amazing to look at. The design of the webs are intricately woven and indeed are splendid creations. They are beautiful in the morning sun with glistens of dew dripping from their threads. However, this beauty is deceptive. The purpose is to trap unsuspecting insects into the gummy substance. Likewise, false religion and false hope can appear beautiful, but indeed its beauty is deceptive. Religious groups can have elaborate buildings, beautiful music, wonderful preaching, and motivating classes. However, if it is not done by the pattern of God it is a vain beauty. Many have been led astray by the beauty of man-made religion. There is nothing wrong with a nice building, beautiful singing, wonderful preaching, and motivating classes, IF the Biblical pattern is being followed, However, often man seeks to improve upon what God has stated in His word by adding what tickles his fancy and not what God has declared. I realize many who start these religious groups are sincere, but the real beauty of religion is when we follow the pattern of God to please Him. We need to ask ourselves here at this congregation are we motivated to worship in a way that glorifies God and is acceptable to God, or shall worship in a way we find beautiful even if we cannot find authority for it in Scripture.

(iv)Spider webs are spun from within. The spider carries the material to weave her web inside her. A number if

spinnerets make a gummy substance. The spider pulls at these and gets her ropes. Same is true from man-made religion. It comes from within man and not from God. The foundation is man’s wisdom. It’s self-made therefore it is excessively frail (Gal.1:11-12).

(v)Spider webs are excessively frail and easily destroyed. A spider web cannot hold much weight. They are delicate and cannot take much resistance. One mighty wind, one sweep of the broom and it’s gone. The spider web can be wiped away in an instant. Likewise, false religion and false hope are excessively frail. Isa.59:5-6 “They hatch vipers’ eggs and weave the spider’s web; He who eats of their eggs dies, And from that which is crushed a viper breaks out. Their webs will not become garments, Nor will they cover themselves with their works; Their works are works of iniquity, And the act of violence is in their hands.” Webs have limited service and are of no value because they are unsubstantial. False hopes and false religion are delicate and frail because they are held together by error. Such will be destroyed. Anything that is not built upon the foundation of God’s Word will ultimately be swept away. We are to build on the sure foundation of Christ that will never be destroyed.