The mother who ate her son because of famine

Women are naturally considered as possessing the following traits: sensitive, sweetness, nurturing, gentleness, supportive, calmness, expressive  affection, empathy  tenderness, being emotional, kind, kind, helpful, devoted among many others. These traits are mostly revealed in females and although we have individual differences, most women will likely possess two or more of these traits. The compassion of a mother towards their child is so much expressed in different cultures that in some cultures of the world, God is attributed with motherly qualities that show his deep love and care for His children.  The Bible also shares some of the attributes of God using feminine metaphors. For example, Isaiah 49: 15 compares God to a very committed nursing mother: “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!”
Isaiah 66:13 presents a metaphor of God comforting His people just as a mother comforts her child: “As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.”
These verses among many others show God’s love, care, compassion, comfort, protection etc. revealed in feminine metaphors. On a daily basis, we experience mothers who go all out to ensure the sustenance of their children. No wonder mother’s day is highly patronized and celebrated across the world. For most people who grew up in broken homes, their mothers were the pillars of their lives.

As the king of Israel was passing by on the wall, a woman cried to him, “Help me, my Lord the king!” (2 Kings 6:26)

Thus, it is highly unlikely that a mother would suddenly become so mean, cruel and wicked to her own children. But, it is possible and on daily basis, some mothers are charged with child abuse claims. The Bible records the story of famine in Israel and its consequences. The Aramean king  Ben-Hadad mobilized his entire army and marched up and laid siege to Samaria. Samaria was the capital of Israel (Northern Kingdom and Jerusalem was the capital of Judah ( Southern Kingdom). This siege brought a great famine in the city. The siege lasted so long that a donkey’s head sold for eighty shekels of silver, and a quarter of a cab of seed pods for five shekels (see 2 Kings 6:24‭-‬25). Thus, everyone was affected. In a similar incident of famine (commanded by Elijah) we saw the widow of Zarephath concerned about her life and that of her son. However, in this famine, we have different types of women. Two women planned to kill and eat their sons in order to survive the hunger. What! They went ahead and killed the first son and ate him. But, the second woman was unwilling to release her own son to be eaten. The king of Israel passed by the wall and the woman whose son was eaten cried to the king, “Help me, my Lord the king!” (2 Kings 6:26). The king replied, “If the Lord does not help you, where can I get help for you? From the threshing floor? From the winepress?” (2 Kings 6:27). The king thought the woman was looking for food. 

Then the king asked her, “What’s the matter?” The woman answered, “This woman said to me, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him today, and tomorrow we’ll eat my son.’ So we cooked my son and ate him. The next day I said to her, ‘Give up your son so we may eat him,’ but she had hidden him” (2 Kings 6:28-29). The king was appalled by these words, and he tore his robes. What type of a mother eats up her son? What sort of wickedness is this? When did this woman lose all her traits of feminine and human sense and turned to a cannibal? Was she the only mother going through the famine? What type of woman was she? What type of friend was she keeping? Was she mentally stable? We could go on asking different questions as to why a mother had the courage to do this barbaric and wicked act to her own son. This woman was living in a war zone like many others, her source of livelihood was taken and the city was shut. The armies of Aram made it impossible for anything to enter or leave Samaria. In this state of extreme lack and vulnerability, this woman and her friend planned and performed a barbaric act that could potentially lead them to be ostracized from the society. They lost every respect and their statuses as mothers were questioned.

What will cause people to be so helpless and vain to the extent of eating their own children? For the people of Israel, they had a covenant with God and breaking this covenant made them susceptible to commit some of the heinous sins of the neighboring nations. Leviticus 26:14-46 lists some punishments for the disobeying God. Leviticus 26:27-29 states this: “ If in spite of this you still do not listen to me but continue to be hostile toward me, then in my anger I will be hostile toward you, and I myself will punish you for your sins seven times over. You will eat the flesh of your sons and the flesh of your daughters.” Thus, the woman’s action reflected the evil of the wider society. 

But, we should take note, whenever you are at your lowest point, be careful of what you say, where you go, what you do and who you talk to. Don’t allow yourself to be at the mercy of the law because you failed to control your emotions. Hunger is real, but no hunger should necessitate that you kill to eat. Be open and ask for help when possible.  No murderer, thief or wicked person had a place in Heaven (Revelation 22:15). If your condition has caused you to become accustomed to sinful acts, a clarion call is being made to you today. 

Jezebel: The fearless evil woman

There are people who are permanently bound on doing evil and even if everyone around them changes for the better, these people still continue their evil and wicked  ways of life. They are stiff-necked, unmoved and unchanged by times and seasons. In fact, if evil was a person, such people would have been known as Evil. The Bible perfectly depicts human nature. We see the good, better, best and the bad, worse, worst. Jezebel, as we saw in our previous post, was one person who promoted, supported and sponsored idolatry in Israel. Idolatry promotes evil and vile lifestyles. Jezebel was a full-blown depiction of idolatry. She did not just serve the gods, she pushed others to serve them and she lived such a heartless and evil lifestyle. No wonder Ahab, her husband, partnered with her in idolatry. Jezebel was a bad influence and she doesn’t stop until she gets whatever she wanted. Even after the miracle the prophet Elijah did by commanding fire from heaven, Jezebel still didn’t fear God but she desired to kill the prophet. Elijah fled for his life.

Jezebel his wife said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite.” (1 Kings 21:7)

One more time, Ahab desired to have the vineyard of his neighbour known as Naboth. The king of Israel said to Naboth, “Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth” (1 Kings 21:2). But Naboth refused to part away his ancestral inheritance (1 Kings 21:3). Ahab went home sad and refused to eat. Ahab was coveting another’s property and yet he went home like he was the one that had been cheated. If Ahab had read the Ten Commandments, he would have known that the tenth commandment was about his unholy crave for the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite. Exodus 20:17 states that, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” In other words, Ahab broke the law by his actions. Ahab went home sullen but Jezebel was not impressed. When she heard the reason for Ahab’s sadness, she said, “Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I’ll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite” (1 Kings 21:7).

Jezebel doesn’t take “No” for an answer. In the world of Jezebel,  the king must have everything he wanted. She therefore set up an evil agenda using Ahab’s name and authority. Jezebel wrote letters in Ahab’s name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth’s city with him. In those letters she wrote: “Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them bring charges that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death” (1 Kings 21:8‭-10). The elders did exactly as Jezebel’s letter had commanded and they killed Naboth. After this, the elders sent word to Jezebel: “Naboth has been stoned to death” (1 Kings 21:14). Without shame, fear or remorse,  Jezebel said to Ahab, “Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead” and Ahab “got up and went down to take possession of Naboth’s vineyard (1 Kings 21:15‭-‬16). See how Jezebel and Ahab partnered in evil. But, their actions did not go unnoticed. 

The word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth’s vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. Say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?’ Then say to him, ‘This is what the Lord says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth’s blood, dogs will lick up your blood—yes, yours!” (1 Kings 21:17‭-‬19). These were God’s words to Ahab and his family:
“I am going to bring disaster on you. I will wipe out your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel—slave or free. I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have aroused my anger and have caused Israel to sin.’ “And also concerning Jezebel the Lord says: ‘Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.’ “Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds will feed on those who die in the country” (1 Kings 21:21‭-‬24). Ahab was convicted and he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite: “Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son” (1 Kings 21:27‭-‬29). The just God is also merciful to the humble. 

Jezebel on the other hand did not repent. She outlived Ahab and was queen mother when Ahaziah and Joram became kings. When Jehu overthrew and killed Joram, he went to Jezreel to destroy the rest of the house of Ahab. When Jezebel heard about it, fearlessly put on eye makeup, arranged her hair and looked out of a window (2 Kings 9:30) as if she was not scared for her life. Jezebel asked Jehu, “Have you come in peace, you Zimri, you murderer of your master?” Jehu looked up at the window and called out, “Who is on my side? Who?” Two or three eunuchs looked down at him.  Jehu commanded that they throw Jezebel down. So they threw her down, and some of her blood spattered the wall and the horses as they trampled her underfoot. But when they went out to bury her, they found nothing except her skull, her feet and her hands. They went back and told Jehu, who said, “This is the word of the Lord that he spoke through his servant Elijah the Tishbite: On the plot of ground at Jezreel dogs will devour Jezebel’s flesh. Jezebel’s body will be like dung on the ground in the plot at Jezreel, so that no one will be able to say, ‘This is Jezebel” (2 Kings 9:31‭-‬33‭, ‬35‭-‬37)

Jezebel used her influence to do evil but she died like a mere animal. There are lots of Jezebels in our world today. Men and women who have no fear for God and neither have any form of regard for humanity. If they don’t change, their end would be like Jezebel. They would face the wrath of God. If the sinner repents like Ahab, God shows mercy. But, if the sinner does not repent, God’s judgement would befall the sinner. 

“Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood” (Revelation 22:14‭-‬15).

Tamar: Revenge and family feud

Our study on Tamar, David’s daughter, is not over. Amnon’s amorous desire and subsequent rape of Tamar didn’t go down well with his father David and his brother Absalom. According to 2 Samuel 13: 21-22, “when King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar.” Scripture does not mention the disciplinary measure David took to mitigate the harm done to Tamar. He was just furious but Amnon went free. On the other hand, Absalom, the brother of Tamar, didn’t even say a single word about the incident to Amnon. In his silence, Absalom nurtured hatred for his brother Amnon. Is there something David could have done to alleviate the hurt in this incident? Maybe, he could have had an open discussion with the affected parties to ensure that no one is bitter. Further, Amnon should have been disciplined for his uncouth behavior. David himself was recovering from his own amorous relationship and the consequences of his sins. He might have taken this incident lightly and his lack of proactive measures caused more harm than good. 

Her brother Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman. (2 Samuel 13:20)

Tamar was bruised emotionally and physically. She was dishonoured by someone she trusted. In her act of service to her own brother, her innocence was taken away. She was hurt, broken and driven away like an ordinary servant. Until you experience pain and rejection from the people you love, you might not fully understand the pain Tamar had to go through. Absalom said to her, “Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you? Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don’t take this thing to heart.” And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom’s house, a desolate woman.” (2 Samuel 13:20). Tamar was left broken and wounded, she became desolate in her own father’s house. Amnon’s wickedness didn’t go unnoticed. For two years, Absalom nursed a grudge with his brother and looked for the perfect opportunity to strike. Absalom had every right to be angry but to seek vengeance, was something he was not supposed to do no matter the pain. David might have left a loophole for further confrontation but Absalom should have sought a better redress other than a decision to kill. 

Amnon’s predicament came two years after he had raped his sister. I am sure Amnon would have thought that Absalom had forgotten about the incident. But, Absalom had an evil plan. He invited all his brothers to his sheep-shearing and he ordered his men, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.” So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king’s sons got up, mounted their mules and fled.”(2 Samuel 13:28‭-‬29). Absalom killed Amnon for raping his sister Tamar. Absalom had a feud with Amnon because of what he did to Tamar and he sought revenge the wrong way. While David mourned the possibility of the death of his sons, Amnon’s advisor, Jonadab, the same person who proposed the best way to get Tamar came to speak with David. He said, “My Lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom’s express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar.” (2 Samuel 13:32). Jonadab knew all this while that Absalom had such intentions and waited for the harm to be done. Friends like Jonadab should be avoided. They will lead you to evil and leave you in it while they escape from the consequences of their evil plans. 

The feud in king David’s palace was made worse. First, David’s own adultery and murder of Uriah;them Amnon raped Tamar and Absalom killed Amnon. In the midst of all these brouhaha, were women who were hurt, wounded and treated as second class to the men. Absalom fled for his life leaving his desolate sister behind. Indeed Absalom really loved his sister Tamar and even named his own daughter Tamar “and she became a beautiful woman” (2 Samuel 14:27). The story is far from over. The fire in David’s palace is yet to be quenched. 

One big lesson from this story is from Deuteronomy 32:35: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” Sometimes, seeking revenge escalates the situation out of proportion.

Bethsheba: God hates sin!

No matter how we garnish sin and give it a new name and new identity, it doesn’t change the state from sin to good. Sin is sin no matter how big or small. God hates sin no matter the magnitude of the sin. The ultimate goal of God sending His only begotten Son was to redeem mankind from the bondage of sin (John 3:16). Our relationship with God is affected by sin and the only way to be restored to Him is to be purged from sin. It cost God His only Son to pay the price for sin. If it is easy to do, it doesn’t mean the price to pay is easy. Be intentional and avoid sinful acts as much as possible. Our study of Bethsheba has revealed how a single act of walking on the roof led king David in a roller-coaster of sins. He saw Bethsheba, asked about her, requested for her, slept with her, got her pregnant, wanted to put the blame on her husband, killed her husband and ultimately married Bethsheba. 

Reading this from the viewpoint of a human being, the whole drama is naught. How can someone be this heartless to destroy another like that. If you felt this way, imagine God! All this while, Bethsheba was the one who had to endure the pain of cheating on her husband, the pain of losing her husband and becoming a widow. Her widowhood didn’t last for long because she moved to the palace as the wife of David. Though David might have felt a sigh of relief after all this, God wasn’t pleased at all. The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23) and David and Bethsheba’s secret sin would have to be paid for publicly. God sent prophet Nathan to rebuke David. The prophet gave a story of a poor man and a rich man and how the rich man left all he had to kill the only ewe of the poor man. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” (2 Samuel 12:5‭-‬6). David did not know that he was the culprit in this story. He was ready to kill the rich man for his greed.

But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” (2 Samuel 12:14)

When Nathan explained to David that the story refers to him, David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” (2 Samuel 12:13‭-‬14). The Lord hated the sin of David and Bethsheba such that the innocent child wasn’t going to live. After all the drama, David and Bethsheba would not enjoy the fruit of their sinful act. When Bethsheba delivered, the child was struck with an illness. David prayed, fasted, pleaded with God, laid on the floor and did everything possible but God was not pleased. Ultimately, the child died. Bethsheba had to deal again with another loss, this time the loss of a child. She lost Uriah and now she had lost the child she had with David. As difficult as her grief might be, God hates sin and that child was the representation of the sinful action that led to the death of Uriah. 

This story teaches us that God is just and He “will repay each person according to what they have done” (Romans 2:6). The story also teaches that God sees the secrets of each person. Nothing is hidden from Him. David and Bethsheba sinned in secret but God rebuked them openly. The verdict was brutal:  “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ” (2 Samuel 12:11‭-‬12).

God created sexual intimacy but whenever it is done outside marriage, the beautiful act is called sin. Revelation 21:8 designates the final destination of sinners including the sexually immoral; “they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death.” 

It is better we tame our emotions than allow our emotions to tame us. If it cannot be done with the knowledge of people, think twice before you do. Our feelings are not an excuse to sin. Control that feeling before it controls you. No sane person walks into fire because they feel cold. Similarly, we shouldn’t walk into sin because we feel like it. God hates sin!

Bethsheba: Widow of Uriah and wife of David

Whenever people use their position of influence to get things done their way even if it hurts others, we equate such people as evil, wicked and lacking empathy. If the only way to achieve your self interests is to hurt and step on the weak and the vulnerable, then you have no compassion. There are many people who rise to the top or achieve their goal on the backs of the weak and vulnerable. Such people go the extra mile to get what they want no matter the consequences on the people around them. David, Uriah and Bethsheba’s story in the Bible depicts such wickedness. Uriah left his wife home to fight for the nation and the king who was expected to lead the army to war idled at home and impregnated the wife of the committed soldier. When the king’s attempt to cover his sin failed, he devised a plan which led to the death of Uriah. Uriah’s death left his wife in a vulnerable state. Meanwhile, the king had another plan. 

After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. (2 Samuel 11:27)

Bethsheba’s life changed suddenly because she took a bath at the time the king was taking a walk on his roof. An activity of general body hygiene led to a series of other events that ultimately led her to lose her husband and marriage. We can’t blame Bethsheba since she was the vulnerable person in this incident. Uriah’s death was reported to Bethsheba when she heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband (2 Samuel 11:26). Right after the mourning was over, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. However, David’s actions displeased the Lord (Samuel 11:27). David’s insatiable desire did not just lead to adultery, he progressed to murder. If you think David was too sudden to marry Bethsheba, remember Abigail and how he quickly married her right after the death of Nabal.

Just like Abigail, Bethsheba couldn’t have resisted the offer to marry the king. First, she was in a vulnerable position and if her one-night stand with the king was exposed, she would face the consequences of it. Second, being a woman without a husband and living alone could attract men of all sorts. She was not safe even while her husband was alive but away fighting for the nation. Thirdly, she was already pregnant for David and instead of living the life of a concubine, she couldn’t resist the offer to live the life of the king’s wife. Was Bethsheba aware that David had her husband killed? We don’t know that but what we know is that the widow of Uriah became the wife of the king right after her mourning period. Bethsheba might have had to keep a straight face among the other wives of David. She was the newbie who seemed to have the attention of the king. She lost Uriah but became the king’s favourite wife. The story is far from over. If you are reading this post and are unhappy with David’s actions, imagine the Lord. 

Bethsheba’s story is relevant in the 21st century. On a daily basis, we still hear similar stories of how the weak and vulnerable people are coerced to do things that satisfy the whims and caprices of the mighty and powerful. There are many people who have suffered the fate of Uriah. They went out to do a good cause but they were used as stepping stones to achieve the desires of their masters. In some cases, women do not even have the right to choose their own spouses. Others are married off to pay family debt. David’s marriage to Bethsheba was out of inconvenience. He did that to cover his vile actions. 

Finally, if you are a person of authority, do not take the weak, the poor and vulnerable people for granted. The God of the rich and famous people, is the same God of the poor and vulnerable. He will surely avenge every evil. 

Bethsheba: When plans go wrong

There are times that our bad actions trigger the ripple effects of other things. My father always says that if you tell one lie, you will probably need a thousand more lies to cover your tracks. This is so true. Whenever you do something wrong and you need to cover your tracks, you tend to do more wrong stuff to make sure that your first action is not seen. The only solution to this ripple effect of sin is to avoid the very first attempt to sin. If you overcome the first desire to do evil, there is no need to cover up your track. The temptation of Adam and Eve, and the temptation of Jesus were all based on similar levels. The devil was interested in the things that would make them desire other things other than God: the lust of the eye, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life. Eve succumbed to the sin, Adam followed suit and the result was a flawed humanity (Genesis 3). On the other hand, Jesus overcame his temptation and ultimately accomplished God’s purpose of salvation. 

Bethsheba had no intention to cheat on her husband until king David requested for her presence and ended up sleeping with her. The one night with the king began a cycle of sin. Bethsheba was pregnant for David while Uriah was still at war. David was informed about this and his first action was to send for Uriah. David sent word to Joab, the army commander: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.” (2 Samuel 11:6‭-‬8). David’s plan was for Uriah to go home and sleep with Bethsheba so the baby would be known as Uriah’s baby. Remember, there was no DNA test available then. However, Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house (2 Samuel 11:9). When David inquired of Uriah, this was Uriah’s response: “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my Lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (2 Samuel 11:11). Such a loyalty was missing in David’s own life. Even when David got Uriah so drunk the next day, Uriah still didn’t go to sleep with his wife. David’s plan failed. 

In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” (2 Samuel 11:15)

All this while, Bethsheba was home managing her predicament. She had no idea that the king was looking for ways to cover his sinful action. David initiated plan B. The second plan was barbaric. David sent a letter to Joab through Uriah. The letter was Uriah’s death sentence. The very loyal Uriah did not know that his own hands carried a decision to kill him. In the letter, David wrote this: “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” (2 Samuel 11:14‭-‬15). David succeeded in this plan and Uriah was killed by the enemies he had risked his life and pleasure to fight against. Uriah was actually pushed into his own death by the plan of his own king. What an evil plan! Bethsheba’s one night with the king caused her the life of a very loyal husband. I am sure David did not plan to kill Uriah before he slept with Bethsheba. His one sin, generated a cycle of other sins. 

Imagine Bethsheba waiting at home to know what to tell Uriah about the pregnancy. They had no mobile phones so Bethsheba was not in communication with Uriah. The beautiful wife of Uriah carried the child of a king. The king who didn’t want to be shamed killed the husband of Bethsheba to cover his sinful action. The story is far from over. God hates sin and what David did was obnoxious to Him. 

Before you press that sin button, know that you will need a lifetime of lies to cover that single act. Be sober minded and be ready to weigh your actions with the word of God. The only solution to this ripple effect of sin is to avoid the very first attempt to sin.
God hates sin.