“The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. The way of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, but He loves him who follows righteousness…The thoughts of the wicked are an abomination to the Lord, but the words of the pure are pleasant” (Proverbs 15:8-9, 26).
Jehovah is not a crank who is impossible to please. Not only does He abominate evil, He delights in the prayer of the upright, loves those who follow righteousness, and finds the words of the pure to be pleasant.
When the righteous prophet Daniel (Ez. 14:14, 20) set his face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplication (Dan. 9:3), Jehovah’s response came: “Now while I was speaking, praying…presenting my supplication before the Lord my God…the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, reached me…And he informed me, and talked with me, and said, ‘O Daniel, I have now come forth to give you skill to understand. At the beginning of your supplications the command went out, and I have come to tell you, for you are greatly beloved’” (Dan. 9:20-23). Jehovah delights in the prayer of the upright.
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus describes the importance of righteousness in His disciples by stating: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled…But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Mat. 5:6; 6:33). Jehovah loves those who follow righteousness.
In Nathanael’s first encounter with the One who Philip described as written of by Moses and the prophets, Jesus valued the fact that he was “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no deceit” (John 1:47). Jehovah is pleased with the pure in heart and speech.
Behold, God’s goodness and severity. His goodness upon the upright and pure; His severity upon the wicked. Jehovah loves righteousness and hates wickedness (Ps. 45:7).
