Love and Hate

 Jeremiah 12:7–8 (ESV)

7“I have forsaken my house; I have abandoned my heritage; I have given the beloved of my soul into the hands of her enemies.
8My heritage has become to me like a lion in the forest; she has lifted up her voice against me; therefore I hate her.

We are able to see two aspects of God's character as he describes his relationship with Israel and Judah. God chose this nation from among all the nations on the earth to enter into a special relationship with him. They were the beloved of God; he chose them because he loved them and they were his heritage which would endure forever. They belonged to him, yet they did not want to be in relationship with him and turned away to worship the false gods. As a result, God's anger was stirred against them, and he hated them for what they had done. Seldom do people want to acknowledge that God' character includes anger and hatred. We often hear God loves the sinner but hates the sin. Yet these verses do not say this but rather that God hates those who have violated his covenant and turned to follow false gods forsaking the relationship he wants with each person. When the judgment day comes God punishes the person who has never submitted to his Lordship and rejected Jesus as the Savior of the world. He does not send sin to the eternal hell but sends the person. The love of God is demonstrated while we were sinners, he sent Jesus to the world to be the sacrifice he demanded as the penalty and payment for sin. God has made a way for all sinners to be made righteous through Jesus but if the sinners do not accept what he has done they will experience his wrath and be condemned to hell.