 Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight.
Integrity and honesty in business is something about which God is concerned. He does not take kindly to those who seek to cheat others in business. There were commands in the Law in Deuteronomy 25:13-14 and in Leviticus 19:35-36 about the very thing we read here in Proverbs 11:1. In fact, so essential was honesty to the proper functioning of society that God called fraud an abomination. The fact that archeologists have found stones marked with the word “shekel” with a wide variety of weights remind us that fraud and dishonest business dealings are not just something of the modern era. God instructed His people to have a fair weight in their bag. We read elsewhere in Proverbs 16:11, “A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; all the weights of the bag are His concern.” The way most commerce worked in those days was in a market setting where the seller would weigh out the amount of produce on a set of scales. On one side of the scales was a basket in which the produce would be placed. On the other side there was another basket into which stones would be placed indicating various weights. To make sure that honesty and integrity remained in place, all the weights were measured according to the “shekel of the sanctuary.” We read of this in Exodus 30:13 and Leviticus 27:25. The shekels used in these transactions would be weighed themselves according to the ones kept before the Lord so that there would be a common standard for business in Israel. This was not only there for the sake of honest business, but it was also there to remind Israel that God truly despised those who were dishonest in their dealings with others. One example of this is when God rebuked Israel through the prophet Amos. There was a horrible thing happening in the land. People would go to religious observances - but attending them would make no difference in their hearts. They would cheat the poor and the needy afterward. Listen to what God said through Amos to these dishonest business people. “Hear this, you who trample the needy, To do away with the humble of the land, saying, ‘When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, to make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, and to cheat with dishonest scales.’” - Amos 8:4-5 (NASB) Even while they were in the midst of their “religiousness” their thoughts were not guided by God's righteousness. As they walked through their religion, their thoughts were that once the new moon or the sabbath was over, they could cheat their customers as they normally did. Of course we would never act one way on a Sunday morning - and then act entirely different come the start of the business day on Monday. Sadly, we know this is the case with too many who have Sunday morning values that never see the light of day the rest of the week at work. God spoke some serious judgment upon those who did this. One would expect this from a God who says that He sees such things as an abomination. The second half of this proverb says that a “just weight” is God’s delight. The phrase is literally, “a complete or sound stone” which would refer to the true shekel of the sanctuary. The root word for this “complete or sound” stone is “shalem” which shares the same root as the word “shalom” which referred to being complete - but also meant peace. It was considered a way to bless someone as you greeted them. When the marketplace is set according to God’s standards (the shekel of the sanctuary), there is peace in the business world. But when one begins to weigh on false scales and use false weights - the business world becomes anything but peaceful. Instead it becomes a place of suspicion and distrust. No longer is the marketplace based on serving others, giving them quality, and offering them a fair price for what they purchase. Instead it becomes a den of thieves where one wonders with almost every purchase whether they are being cheated or not. And what is accepted as the norm in the business world - becomes the norm of the society. It is no wonder then why God takes the time to warn us against ungodly business practices. For an honest and upright marketplace makes for a peaceful world. Just a closing thought on this proverb. I grew up with a father who was well known for being true to his word. He grew up in a time and place where integrity and honesty in the workplace was paramount. It was also a world where the principles of God’s Word were honored and where business people were taught the value of honesty and biblical integrity. It is no surprise to me that his day was also one where people didn’t lock their cars or their homes. They did not fear someone breaking into their house and stealing from them. I find it very interesting that in a world where God was honored in the marketplace - you also found a world far more at peace with one another and with far less dishonesty. It was a world where in honoring and serving God, they learned to value honoring and serving one another. I think it is safe to say that it is a world worth envying and emulating.
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Proverbs 29:27 An unjust man is abominable to the righteous, And he who is upright in the way is abominable to the wicked.
The godly and the ungodly take very divergent paths. This is fairly elementary to anyone to see. But what we often do not see is that not only are these paths different - they are also disgusting to each other. The word that is used in today's proverb to describe the view that they have of each other is "abominable." The word used here is the Hebrew word "ebah" which means anything that is offensive or what is an abomination to someone else. In Scripture God uses this word to describe those who depart from His Law. Often the word is used for more grievous sins - like idolatry, child sacrifice, and homosexual behavior. What God is saying to us is that there is a radical and serious difference between those who desire to live godly and those who do not. Let's look at little further into this as we seek to understand God's wisdom for us today. The "unjust" man ("awel" in the Hebrew) is one who deviates from God's way. This kind of behavior and choice is usually set in contrast to words like righteous, upright, and justice. There is a basic injustice in the one who deviates from God's way - and God, being just, will have to bring judgment and punishment to the one who does so. This is why the unjust man is abominable to the righteous. The godly man sees that the unjust man is unjust first and foremost to God Himself - then from that infinite injustice flows all other lesser injustices to others. Since we know that the righteous man is not so because of his own works but due to God's grace, the righteous man knows the cost of this ungodly behavior. That cost is God's Son, crucified on the cross (to the Old Testament saint it was the promise of this in the sacrifices of the Law). To embrace such behavior is to treat God's gift - the sacrifice made to forgive us and remove us from under God's wrath - as worthless and empty. This is an abomination to the righteous man. The same is true of the ungodly man toward the upright. What the ungodly see is a man who is "upright in the way." This phrase communicates the path of the godly man. What the ungodly sees is a guy who is seeking to walk according to a set of rules that are different than his. He is seeking to be upright - which means to do what is good and what is right. That alone is offensive to the ungodly man. His worldview involves him deciding what is right and good. It even involves him changing his views to match his lifestyle if he desires. To have what he considers an arbitrary set of morals set by God - which is then viewed as ultimate truth is untenable to him. That would mean his own views of right and wrong are in error if they are different than those God has given. His value system cannot tolerate this - because his value system is that of the book of Judges. He does whatever is "right in his own eyes." He is a law unto himself. He does not judge anyone else (unless they judge him or get in the way of him doing what he wants to do) and he expects the same from everyone else (of course always giving way to what he wants if there is any contradiction). Thus the "way" or lifestyle of this guy who is so arrogant as to call his way "right" is an abomination to him. It offends him to the core of his being! Paul told young Timothy the following in his second letter to him, "Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance, persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me! Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted." (2 Timothy 3:11-13) Often we focus only on the last of these three verses - that all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. This was only a conclusion for what Paul had already said in verses 11-12. In those verses he spoke of his teaching, conduct, purpose, and faith. Paul was persecuted because he chose to live in "the upright way." That way consisted of two things - both of which are vital to understanding Christianity. First is the 'way of salvation.' The upright way will never be lived out by effort and striving. Righteousness and upright living is attained by grace, not by our works. God MAKES us upright by an act of His mercy and grace. That comes through the gospel - and only through the gospel. The world finds this incredibly offensive and very narrow minded. But that is the truth. That is how God has addressed sin - and that is, according to Jesus Himself, the only way, truth, and life - the only way to the Father. The second truth of the upright way is that we live and walk it out in a paradox - we work as God works within us. We are called to obedience - and we seek God's power by which we can then walk in that obedience. We are to make choices - strong and bold choices - even as it is God who works in us to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Living a godly life involves a glorious tension in our lives. We are to do it - and He is to do it within us. We cannot think we do it on our own - and we cannot think that He will do it for us without our cooperation. The wicked find this whole scenario ridiculous and an abomination. To them it is ridiculous because there is no God - or if there is, their god agrees with them. They have a god of their own making - who looks and acts just like they do. Any other God is unacceptable. The word "wicked" here is telling. The word is "rasa" and it means to be guilty - a wrong-doer, criminal, or a transgressor. It means someone who is wrong! The reason the wicked hate the upright, and find their way abominable is because as they watch them - they know they are wrong. They do not want anyone telling them they are wrong. Their reaction to this is to fume within and rage about how judgmental the Christian is - even if the Christian is not saying anything to them. Their very lifestyle is a rebuke to them. If the Christian speaks out - then they explode - because their guilt rages within them. There will always be a radical distinction between the righteous and the wicked. There will also be a hostility to the way each other chooses to live. That is the wisdom that God is seeking to impart to us through today's proverb. Therefore the constant effort among Christians to make the gospel inoffensive is silliness. We can be gracious and kind in how we communicate the gospel - but to make it inoffensive to the wicked is impossible. There will always be the offense of the cross of Christ. There will always be the offense of God asserting that He is God and He is absolutely right on moral matters (and all others he touches upon as well). Thus the constant effort to make Christianity inoffensive in its essence is a fool's pursuit. It would be wise for us to abandon it and return to living it simply before the lost, loving them from the heart, and doing all that we can to share the message of the gospel with them. We do so not because we think we are superior. Perish that thought. We do it because we've received grace and desire for them to receive it as well. We want them to be saved - made righteous by grace - and abandon their abominable way to embrace a life lived by the grace of God unto the glory of God. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, How much more when he brings it with evil intent! Proverbs 21:27
When I first read this passage I thought to myself, "Why would the wicked even want to sacrifice?" Then as I meditated on the passage and read through John Gill's commentary on it I began to see the reasons why this would happen. This will be a very eye-opening proverb if you had the same question as I did - because at the core of the wicked man's sacrifice is his own self-deception in regard to God and the true purpose of religion and religious observances. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to God becasue the wicked think they can do an end run around God's law by offering it. They walk through religious actions thinking that it pacifies God - yet allows them to continue to walk in a way that ignores His glory and disobeys His law. One of the ways that this was done in the former (and in some places it continues to this day) days of the church was through the practice of confession and penance. The religious person would go to a priest and confess their sins to him. Then the priest would give them some kind of religious punishment - to recite some religious writing or saying so many times. This would be their penance - or payment for their sinful actions. The religious person would then recite the required things - pay the required price - do the required works - and then go on their way. The problem was that often the religious person had no intention of stopping the actions they confessed as sin - they were just paying up to the point of the past week - so that they could soothe their guilty conscience before going out to another week of sinful choices and behaviors. Two problems exist with this view. First, is there is no REpentance going on in their life. God requires repentance for His people. They are to come sorrowing for their sins - but also with a desire to turn from them and do them no more. The second problem is even greater - becasue no amount of human effort will ever pay for sin. Only the blood of Jesus can do that. Even having repentance won't work - without faith in Jesus Christ and what He did to pay for our sins by the blood He shed on the cross. We do not need some kind of continuous religious rite to come to God at the start of each week - we need the full on gospel! We need to turn from sin in repentance and turn to Jesus Christ as the ONLY way that our sin can be forgiven. Then we go away from our time with God with a new heart and a new spirit - one that is not going back to its old ways like a dog to its vomit, but rather one that embraces God's ways - as they are now written on his heart. This new man in Christ is different - and walks in the power of God and the regeneration of God to change and walk in godly paths. The second half of this passage goes even further in what the first half says. The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to God. But there is even a greater wickedness, which is when they bring it with an evil intent as well. What this speaks of is the deceived one who brings his sacrifice - but does so thinking he is deceiving even God - and can trick God into doing evil for him because of it. We have a biblical example of this very thing in the Old Testament. In the book of Numbers we run into two characters that baffle many of us. The first is a man called Balaam, who was a seer - a sooth-sayer of sorts. There was also a king named Balak who desired to hire Balaam to get God to curse Israel so that he could defeat them in battle and keep them from taking his kingdom from him. Balak sent important people to Balaam - and eventually got him to come to him. Balaam was a wicked man who thought God's Ok to go (after God said He would NOT curse Israel) was also an OK to make a lot of money from Balak by using a sacrifice to God to get God to do evil to His people. After a rebuke from a donkey who acted to save his life - Balaam listened to God a little closer - and was warned to only say what God said - or what God put into Balaam's mouth to speak. Three times Balaam offered the sacrifice of the wicked to God - hoping against hope that he would be able to do what Balak wanted - and make a fortune in the process. Three times the sacrifice of the wicked - offered with evil intent - was turned against Balak and Balaam in order to bless Israel. In the end, Balaam tried to destroy Israel with his wicked counsel - by getting the women in Balak's kingdom to go and commit adultery and fornication with the men of Israel. Fortunately the godly son of Aaron, Phinehas, brought God's judgment to an ungodly Israeli man who was about to have an adulterous relationship with one of the daughters of Moab - and delivered Israel from their insanity. There are still those like Balaam and Balak who think that they can pay God off to do what they want Him to do. They will try every kind of religious game and exercise possible to do this. But the end will always be the same - that God - who hates their sacrifices - will not be bought off or deceived to do things after their will. He will instead look at their offerings as abominations - and will curse rather than bless them. The fact is this - God is ultimate and supreme - He is sovereign and the One Whose will will be done. It is wisdom to shun the sacrifices of the wicked - to shun the idea that we can pay God off by some religious offering. The wisdom of God is this - to come to God as He has designated. We are to come through the gospel of Jesus Christ. We come not to get our own way - but rather to be transformed by an intimate relationship with God and do His will for His glory. Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, and a false scale is not good. Proverbs 20:23
It is interesting to see how seriously God takes the business dealings of His people. God desires for His people to be an example of His grace - and a testimony to things like honesty and integrity. There is no better place to see this than in the business dealings of a wise and godly man. Too often I run into the attitude that a man's business life is separate from his religious one. The fact of Scripture is that Jesus is Lord - not just of our "church-time," but of every moment we are alive. This means that the way that we act in business should also reflect God's glory to others. In the society of Solomon's time everything was measured with weights and scales. Since it was primarily an agrarian society farmers and those who raised livestock would bring their goods to market where the crops and the animals would be weighed and valued. Once the price was established - even the money they were paid would then be weighed out so that they could be paid. When you realize this you can see why God speaks of differing weights and false scales. This was what unscrupulous businessmen would do to cheat the system. Their scales would have weights that were supposed to weight a certain amount, yet they would have two sets of weights - one accurate and another that would cheat their customers by being lighter than they should be. Others would have false scales that would underweigh whatever was put on them. There are ways that men cheat today in business - and they are as varied as the ungodly men and women who use them. Some use kickbacks to get business - while others "cook the books" to embezzle money from their bosses. Some just steal from their business and hope no one catches them. But God is not just interested in the big-time offenders, He hates even the little embezzlements that happen and are overlooked. In fact God uses the word "abomination" to describe how He views dishonesty and a lack of integrity. This word means something utterly loathesome and hated. How does God feel about dishonesty and a lack of business integrity? He despises it - hates it - and considers it loathesome. Really can't be much more clear about something than that now can we? God's character is impeccable. He is faithful and true. He has never failed to fulfill any of His promises or judgments for that matter. When He says something He means it - and you can bet your very life on it. He is infinitely honest and throughout all eternity He has a perfect record of integrity. Remember dear saints of God that God desires for us to reflect His glory to this world. It was why we were created - to know Him and to reveal His character and love to the world that is all around us. This is why the business world is a key place for a godly witness of integrity and honesty for Him. Rather than think that God separates this part of our lives from our relationship with Him - we should see that this is a perfect place to know Him - and make Him known. When I say this I am not referring to leading a Bible study or sitting down to share the gospel with co-workers - although these things are important in time. But before you do these things it is so important to be a godly example in front of all your colleagues. They need to see your faith as well as hear it. And being a man of integrity and honesty - a man whose word is his bond - a man who can be trusted to care not just for his own interests, but also for those of his customers - being that kind of man is how to truly glorify God in the workplace. Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord, But pleasant words are pure. - Proverbs 15:26
Thoughts and words actually come from the same place, from the heart. So as we look at today's proverb, we can see that out of the hearts of men come evil thoughts and plans. Knowing that the Bible teaches that the heart is deceitful above all things and is desperately wicked, we can know that such thoughts and plans reside in the breast of every man alive. The thoughts of man's heart were at one point so wicked that God decided to destroy the earth in the days of Noah. That is how much of an abomination these things are to Him. We read next that pleasant words are pure. This might be a little hard to understand unless once again we take a biblical viewpoint. Words that come out of the mouth originate in the heart first. Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Thus when someone has pleasant words - they come from a pure heart. There are thoughts behind them that are equally pleasant as well. Thoughts and words are very important to the Lord - and should be to us as well. Jesus made it clear in the Sermon on the Mount that there was far more to a man than just his actions. There were the things he thought and did in his heart. A man might state emphatically that he has never committed adultery, but if he looks at a woman with lust in his heart, Jesus says, he has already committed adultery with her in his heart. These things are vital for us to grasp because they take religion out of merely acting good - and puts it where it should be - that our hearts are transformed to be good at their core. This is wisdom that cannot be refuted. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight. Proverbs 12:22
God does not like lips that lie. That might be because the ultimate adversary He has is called a liar and the father of lies. It also might be because God speaks truth without any mixture of error any time He speaks. God is absolutely opposed to lying, liars, and any form of deception. He says in this proverb that he sees lying as an abominable act. The devil believed and held to, and eventually stated a lie when he fell from heaven. Since that time the adversary of God and our souls has attempted to build his own kingdom, one based upon lies and deceit. These lies oppose God and all that He is. That is why God finds ALL lying abominable. Every lie is a damning thing, for it was the lie that brought our condemnation, and it is a lie that condemns anew every moment of every day. Embrace a lie and you are embracing the devil and his program to bring you into the judgment of God. God delights in the faithful. It is because of God's faithfulness that we are saved. It is because of how God held to the truth, even when it meant having to condemn His own Son for becoming the sin-bearer for mankind. Being a faithful one means holding fast to God's truth, which is THE truth. God delights in those who deal faithfully, because they are embracing His own character. Think about it for a moment. The devil lies to us wanting to get us to believe his lies so that we turn from God and His Word. We trust the devil because he promises us happiness and pleasure. The problem is that in the end his promises don't include the "fine print" of the judgment that awaits - along with the heartbreak and death that always come with sin. Godly, wise men deal faithfully because they know God's truth and they carry within them God's character in the person of the Holy Spirit. Therefore they live for the truth as well as live it out daily. Wisdom is living out the truth. It is being faithful to God. It is speaking faithful promises. And ultimately it is sharing the ultimate faithfulness of God shown to us in the gospel. This is the life in which God delights. Wisdom is loving that life, living that life, and being an example of His faithfulness. The perverse in heart are an abomination to the LORD, But the blameless in their walk are His delight. Proverbs 11:20
When God uses the word "abomination" it is only when it is about things that are very serious - and very wrong. Today's proverb uses that word as well as later using the word "delight." We have before us a proverb that tells us what God hates, as well as what He loves. What God considers to be an abomination is someone who is perverse in heart. The word for "perverse" is the Hebrew "iqqesh" which speaks of something or someone who is crooked and perverse. This word is used to describe those who have moral, religious, or social perversions - and was used corporately of Israel to describe their crookedness. This one is twisted in their thinking, and therefore tends to twist what God says so that in the end God says what he wants to say. The perversity is said to be in the heart of this individual. Since we know that Scripture says that our hearts are the watercourse of our lives - this is a very serious problem. The fundamental center of this person's decision-making process is crooked and twisted. God considers such a man an abomination. In case we need any reminder what the word abomination means, we can know that it means to abhort or to detest. The word loathe is also associated with this concept. Before we jump to a conclusion and state that God shouldn't feel this way about someone, we need to remind ourselves why Satan was cast our of heaven. It is because he had a perverse heart that lifted himself above God. The heart of the devil is a despicable thing - and God abhors it - and all those who seek to function with that same flawed, perverse thinking will fall under the wame ban But before we think this proverb is just about the evil, we have an equal and opposite action and attitude as well. The Lord delights in those who are blameless in their walk. They seek to honor and obey God in all things. This is not just in isolated incidents, but speaks of their entire way of life. We see the Hebrew word "derek" used here - which speaks of a lifestyle. It is their way of life - to seek to be blameless before God and man. The Lord loves such a person - and finds His delight in watching them honor Him throughout their day. In the end, this is due as well to the state of their heart as well. They delight in obeying Him - and He delights in their obedience. He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, Both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD. Proverbs 17:15
God is a God of justice - and with Him matters of justice take the forefront. That is why God refers to someone who completely skews the matters of justice and righteousness as a person who is an abomination to Him. Today's proverb tells us that a person who justifies the wicked and condemns the righteous are an abomination to the Lord. This should be something that causes those in the legal industry to fear God and tremble concerning their decisions of right and wrong within the justice system. Which brings me to a few comments about biblical justice. Several times in the Scriptures the history recorded for us involved the selection of judges. Each time this took place, God made several things very clear. First, He declared that matters of justice always involved His Word, which is the ultimate law-book when it comes to what justice is - and what it is not. This is something we should all heed. Our legal systems are to be nothing more than legal systems which do their best to mete out justice in the sight of God. We are not left to ourselves in determining what is legal and what is not. There is plenty in God's Word to describe any lawless person or delinquent. It is not necessary to consult with the legal opinions of men (even though we may be required to do so by their laws) if God has commented on the issue. He is the ultimate dispenser of justice (and will be at the end of the age). Therefore, if God has commented on the matter - His judgment is supreme. Second, that decisions of justice are to be free from favoritism. This refers to favoritism on the basis of someone being a family member of friend, but it also refers to more sinister favoritism such as a situation where a bribe has been offered to twist justice. God forbids the acceptance of a bribe to pervert justice - and warns that He will require it of the judge if it is done. This is why our proverb says that justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous are an abomination in His sight. Third, is a reminder that all human judges are to be those who dispense God's justice, not their own. They are never to be a law unto themselves - or take matters of justice into their own hands. For those who experience perverted justice, God warns not to take vengeance into their own hands. The promise of God is that He will take vengeance on those who disregard His laws and ways. There is a Psalm that should terrify judges as they ascend to the bench. I wish it was written on their desks for them to see daily. "Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; Take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the LORD with reverence And rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the Son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!" (Psalm 2:10-12, NASB) This Psalm reminds every one of us that even the judges and kings of earth are to worship and bow in reverence to God's King, Jesus Christ. All that they do - every judgment that they make - is made in His sight and under His ultimate jurisdiction. Therefore every decision that they make should be made under His lordship - and for His justice to be established on the earth. The wise man knows that justice has already been decreed - and that all he need do is follow the direction and leadership of the Scriptures on all matters concerning what is just and right. But before we leave this particular Proverb - we should mention one situation in which some consider that God Himself stepped over the line. Some think that God condemned the righteous and justified the wicked when Jesus died on the cross - and when sinful men were granted salvation. But contrary to that thought - God did everything according to His perfect righteousness and justice. Jesus did not die for His own sin - but when He chose to become sin God's justice had to be fulfilled - even on Jesus. When by faith we are credited with Christ's righteousness at salvation, God responds with His perfect justice in welcoming us and granting us His blessing and favor. He is both just and the justifier of the one who believes in Jesus. Rather than being an unjust situation - the cross is actually the ultimate moment of justice in the universe. For when Christ became sin - God had to respond with wrath and punishment upon His only Son - or else He would have been unjust. It is not only wisdom for us to grasp God's perfect justice and righteousness - it is glory itself! Knowing this, though, should make us tremble at His justice and be all the more committed to calling wicked what He calls wicked, and calling righteous what He calls righteous. Any other choice is an abomination to Him. Differing weights and differing measures, Both of them are abominable to the LORD. Proverbs 20:10
How do we wisely judge things in our lives? That is what today's proverb answers for us. This may seem strange to some who view all judging as wrong. Their favorite verse in the Scriptures is, "Judge not, lest you be judged." While they hold fast to this verse with all that is in them - they miss others like, "Judge all things, hold fast to that which is good." There is a balanced view of judging in the Scriptures - as well as different concepts as we judge things. But the one thing that holds consistent in all passages about judging is the statement that is made in the book of Proverbs here in chapter 20. To understand this proverb, we will have to take a moment and understand how the marketplace worked in the average city and town in Israel. They did not have packaged items like we do today. They put their wares out in a booth or a place in the market - and sold their items directly to the people. This involved a set of scales. The average scale would consist of two baskets set on a balance bar. The way the system worked was that the seller would place weights in one basket, while putting produce in the other. The weights would be marked according to their measurements (we would use pounds or grams) and then they would charge a price per pound of food that the person put into the other basket. The problem spoken of here is when the seller would have weights that were not accurate on purpose. He would use one set of weights with some customers - but would pull out a different set to cheat other customers when he could. These would be lighter in weight - while he would continue to charge the same amount as if they were accurate. Thus the buyer would get less food for more money. If an official came by the booth, he would quickly stash the innacurate, cheating weights, and would pull out the accurate ones for a few customers. When the heat was off from the officials, he would return to cheating those who came to his booth. There is a cheating in business where we use differing weights and measures. God says that such actions are an abomination to Him. He hates this kind (and actually any kind) of lying. But there are more places where we are guilty of using different weights and measures. One is in the kind of judging that God despises. We judge ourselves by one standard, and yet judge our neighbor's actions by a higher one. Jesus referred to this in the gospels when he spoke of the person who would look for a speck in his brother's eye, while ignoring the huge wooden beam in his own. This is when we tolerate sin in our own lives just fine - but the fine we use with others is a fine toothed comb. This is using different weights and measures. God considers such things an abomination to Him - and He hates when we do this! David fell into this trap with the prophet Nathan while in the midst of his sin with Bathsheba. When hearing of the man who took his neighbor's little lamb for a feast - instead of using sheep and lambs from his own flock - David responded in incensed anger - saying that the man should die who has done this. Little did he know that Nathan's next words would be, "You are the man!" David's different weights and measures involved his own sin with Bathsheba, which he had ignored - and yet with an imaginary man who had done less with a lamb, David demanded justice and judgment. God is a just and righteous God. He judges ALL things with perfect judgment. He does not have multiple standards which He uses in multiple situations. He always judges justly. To use separate ways of judging is an abomination to Him. And if we are quick to want to point out some supposed injustice in God - say - that Jesus did not have the adulterous woman stoned for her sin - we need to stop and put our hand over our mouth. All sin was justly judged and paid in full by the death of Jesus Christ on the cross. When it came to the one situation we would think would illicit God lessening a punishment and a demand, it would have been when His perfect, spotless Son became sin. But God did not lessen the punishment - and did not pervert justice. He poured out the fullness of His wrath and punishment upon His Son. He was judged to the uttermost when He became sin - crying out on the cross, "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me!" Yet He knew why that had to happen. That cry was not misunderstanding . . . it was pure pain and agony. Jesus was being judged for sin. So, before we decide God is unjust, we should take a trip to the cross. It was there where God could forever be not only just, but for all time the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Wisdom rejects multiple standards when it comes to sin. We judge with a righteous judgment - for that is how God judged and judges even today. But even as we reject the varying weights and measures of situational ethics - and multiple ways of looking at truth - we need to also embrace perfect justice and righteousness. That took place on the cross so that God could be both just and merciful. Just to His Son, and because of His blood shed at the cross, merciful to us. It is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts, For a throne is established on righteousness. Proverbs 16:12
God's Word has a great deal to say about the role and actions of those who are kings, presidents, and prime ministers of nations. Whereas the current crowd, who don't know the constitution or the words of our founders, say that there is a wall of separation between church and state - our constitution speaks of no such wall. But even if it did - the ultimate document by which we know true wisdom is not the United States Constitution - but the Word of God, the Bible. So let us take a few moments to see what the Scriptures have to say to us about the role of kings and presidents - and whether character (both private and public) matters. We read here that it is an abomination for kings to commit wicked acts. That should pretty much seal the issue for us on the character of those who lead us. The idea here is that of an individual act that is contrary to the justice and righteousness of God and His Word. Anything outside of what He says - is wrong - and wicked. That may not fit the post-modern mindset that everything is OK as long as it is OK with you - but then again the Word of God is not from the post-modern view - it is from the Ancient of Days. We are not our own moral free agents. God calls all of us to a standard in His Word - and that standard is not lowered for those in politics. If anything, it is raised because those who lead us are more in the spotlight of the nation. When they commit wickedness it not only affects them, it affects the entire nation as it weakens our moral backbone. It is a horrific thing when leaders cast aside not just biblical morals - but all moral restraint - as they live as if they are above the Laws of God. This will eventually lead them to live as if they are above the laws of the land as well. Their actions will lead to ruin for the nation. Eventually we will experience "trickle-down" morals as the example set by leaders is followed by the people they lead. We read here that a throne is established on righteousness. A throne is weakened when its moral authority is weakened. If a man cannot be trusted on lesser issues - how can he be trusted on the major ones? Thus we learn that sin and wickedness cost us not just in family matters - not just on economic ones - but they weaken the very foundation upon which our republic rests. Our forefathers told us in their very own written documents that our nation is based on the 10 commandments. Washington told us that you cannot separate good political leadership from godly, moral principles. Every nation and every people establish a basic public morality. That basic knowledge and agreement as to the public morality is one of the chief pillars upon which a stable society rests. When that morality crumbles and immorality begins to be accepted - and even trumpeted as the new morality of the day - the foundations of that nation or people will begin to crumble. It should be no shock to us that the basic structures of our society are being destroyed all around us. In recent years we've watched as moral crisis after moral crisis has shaken the pillars of our society. Immorality rocked our trust in the government as we watched the Watergate scandal erupt and a president resign. We watched as another president had an affair with an intern in his office, committing adultery against his wife. Then we watched in horror as all was swept under the rug in the guise of private license and the lie that "everyone does it." Our economic structures collapsed under the weight of companies and banks that engaged in ponsi-schemes to make themselves rich at the expense of those who trusted them with their money. Our children's financial futures are daily being mortgaged on the backs of politicians who are spending their future wealth in a bid to be re-elected again and again. The new morality is basically the same old immorality God warned against throughout both the Old and New Testaments. But - before we lay all this at the feet of politicians, we need to remember the barrage of moral failures and scandals that have rocked the church at the same time. We need to realize that the church sold her birthright for a bowl of red soup. We decided that bigger budgets, buildings, and growth figures were the new signs of godliness. Forget that the fruit of the Spirit still remains to be the 9-fold fruit we read of in Galatians 5:22-23. The new fruit is power and the ability to name and claim whatever you want in the name of Jesus. How did we get here? It began as we decided that we no longer needed to be godly men who followed a biblical moral code and way of living. As we fell asleep and were not shocked that those who were leading us completely lacked honesty and integrity - these very sins began eating away at the very foundation pillars of our republic. The only way back is to see such things restored. We need men of God to return to the kind of leadership in our homes, in our churches, and eventually in our government. It is only then that we will once again be horrified at the abomination of leaders who commit wickedness - and return to a way of doing politics that laughs to scorn those who would dare to lead without strong moral principles upon which they walk daily and make their decisions. One may read this and think that the one writing it is living in a daydream. Maybe the days of our nation being one nation under God are over? The thought of a true, godly leader who honors God and any sort of biblical morality is a distant memory. But the truth is that we are the ones who got ourselves into this mess. We did not abandon ourselves to Christ - preach the gospel - and radically affect our nation by the salvation of those who were coming to Christ. We did not live as the salt that preserves a society and the light that illumines it to its sin and departure from God. The answer, dear saints, does not ultimately rest with what happens this November in an election - it has and always will rest with what we choose to do daily in our lives . Are we seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness - or - are we simply adjusting ourselves to the current moral and spiritual malaise that culture offers each morning as we awaken to a new day? It is one thing to know that wickedness in our leaders is an abomination - it is quite another to become content with only cursing the present darkness rather than shining a light that can transform it. Oh that we would daily respond to our true King, the Lord Jesus Christ, Who has never committed wickedness and Whose throne is established on justice and righteousness. For the Christian who daily seeks His kingdom and righteousness - the fall elections do not ultimately determine his or her king - for God has said long ago, "But I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain." (Psalm 2:6) That king is Jesus Christ - follow Him! |
 Proverb a DayEach day, we'll take a look at a verse from the chapter of Proverbs for the day. Our hope is to gain wisdom each day - and from that wisdom - to have understanding to make godly decisions in the throes of everyday life. 
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