 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 31:10-12 An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life.
For the next week or so, we will look at the "excellent wife" as she is represented in Scripture. This portrayal is given by Solomon's mother, who sought to point him toward the right kind of godly woman to be his wife. Rather than try to give direct parallels to everything that is written in this chapter, I'm going to look at this excellent wife more by categories. That is because, due to culture and the times in which we live, we don't do some of these things any longer. I also do not believe that godliness in a woman is measured by whether she spins her own yarn or makes her own bread. Godliness is determined by issues of the heart - not by works that a woman does or does not do. So with that in mind - and with that as our backdrop - let us dive in and take a look at what God calls an excellent wife in His Word. Solomon's mom begins by asking a question, "An excellent wife, who can find?" Good question. She is not the kind of mother who just wants her son to get married - no matter to whom. She wants her son to focus on excellence in a wife. She does that by presenting to him a number of character traits that are present in a wife who is excellent. He reminds her son that when he does find one - her worth is far above jewels. There is a hint here of just how difficult a task this may be. Jewels are not found lying around on the ground. You have to search for them. There are few precious jewels - but a lot of rocks. So also may be the search for an excellent wife. There also may be just a little more than a tinge of pain here for Bathsheba as she writes this to her son. She was not an excellent wife to either Uriah or David. Unfortunately her wisdom was learned in the school of sinful, hard knocks. She betrayed her first husband by committing adultery - and eventually cost him his life in doing this with a very powerful man. Then she agreed to a sham marriage for the sake of covering up her indiscretions - that cost her the first-born child of that union. She was a woman who was very beautiful outwardly - but that outward beauty was not indicative of the inward state of her heart. Now, her goal was to do all she could to keep her son from making a mistake like that his father made. She did this not out of bitterness or resentment - but as a recipient of grace. (see the post for Proverbs 31:1-2) Even as she wrote the words in verse 11 there had to be pain in the penmanship. The heart of her husband trusts in her. He knows she will be faithful to him - and that truth resides in the core of his heart. The issue of faithfulness and trustworthy character is first on her list. An excellent wife is faithful and true to one man all her days. There are no thoughts lurking within him of her seeking out another man - no thoughts of adultery. Oh the peace that resides in a man's heart when this is true - and oh the torture that hunts a man's spirit when it is not. I've seen men destroyed by jealousy - even the point of doing the unthinkable - killing their wives and then themselves. Let me say that this faithfulness is a two way street and the man is held to no less standard as well. He will have no lack of gain. Does this mean that if you get the right excellent wife you'll be rich? That is not what Bathsheba is saying to her son. She is saying to him that due to her influence and the spirit she brings to the home, he will know no lack of blessing. Go to a home of an excellent wife and what you will see if a woman who cheers on her husband if he is a CEO or a ditch-digger. He will feel as if he is a king in the way that appreciation and love flows to him. If there are good times in their lives - they will enjoy them together. If difficult times ensue - those will be embraced as well. In good times and bad - she will be there to let him know that all things will work together for them as they seek The Lord and follow Christ Jesus. As a result this man - whether he has a large bank account or just two pennies who keep each other company - knows that which this woman he has no lack of gain! She does him good and not evil all the days of his life. Her heart is set on bringing good to him. In this it is first set on walking with God and knowing Him. Then it is set on whatever God's good, acceptable, and perfect will is for her, her husband, and their entire household. She uses her words to encourage and built him up according to the need of that hour - giving grace to him as he hears her. She looks to him to be a man - to reject passivity - accept responsibility - to lead her courageously, and to look to God for his ultimate reward. And in any moment he shows an inkling of doing this - she cheers him on - letting him know it is a good work he does. She looks to good as God ultimately defines it; and she applies herself to seeing that good given to her husband. What kind of lady is an excellent wife? She is the lady who is faithful and true to her husband. She is the lady who puts his heart at ease for her eyes and heart are fully his. She is a lady who accepts God's direction and will walked out as wonderful gain - regardless of the financial bottom line it brings. She is a lady who seeks the face of God, knows the Word of God, and according to the will of God - brings good to her husband, shunning any and every evil impulse of her fallen heart. This is quite a wonderful woman. A diamond, a jewel, a rare gem whose worth is not measured by her wealth or her looks - the real gem here is a heart redeemed and remade by God. Find one of these - and you have become rich indeed.  Proverbs 29:24 He who is a partner with a thief hates his own life; He hears the oath but tells nothing.
In our law courts we have something called, "being an accessory to a crime." This particular aspect of our law (as many of them do) has its roots in biblical law. The whole idea of being an accessory to a crime has to do with knowing or seeing that someone has committed a crime - and saying nothing about it when called to testify against them. For our courts the one who is with someone while they commit a crime - even if they are not involved - can be brought up on charges of being an accessory to the crime. Charges like this are dropped when the one who has seen the crime testifies against the one who committed it. Some call this ratting someone out or being a snitch. Reality is that they are speaking the truth about someone who has a complete disregard of the law, public safety, and the cohesiveness of the fabric of our society. To be a partner with a thief here means to be one who divides or shares in his actions. Proverbs 1 speaks of ignoring someone when they make an offer like this. The thief says that they will all share in one purse as they steal and kill to take what is not theirs. The same word is used in that passage as it used here. We are warned that someone who will do this with a thief (who will be their watchman to warn them if someone is coming - who is the get-away driver - who turns the other way when they break into someone's home or business) is someone who "hates" their own life. Hate is the Hebrew word "sane" and it means to be hostile to, loathe, or dislike intensely. When we ignore the warnings of God - His commandments - and indeed even those of our society - we do damage to our souls. To be an accessory to a crime means we need to hurt our souls. We begin with our minds. We need to convince ourselves that God's laws and those of our society do not apply to us. We need to ignore the Word of God and its calls to us - as we ignore the Holy Spirit and our conscience. We then move to our emotions. Due to the Work of the Spirit in our consciences, we will begin to have adverse emotions. We will feel guilty (because we are guilty). We will also have to put to death things like mercy, compassion, and kindness in order to act in those ways toward whoever is being robbed. Finally, our will is affected. We set our course direction with our will and our choices. We intentionally chose against God's way - and in agreement with our flesh and the devil (who by the way loves it when we sin). Now we see the damage to our soul - or the way that we disdain the work of God within it. The Bible speaks of hearing an admonition or oath - but saying nothing. This speaks of the Law in Leviticus 5:1 which says, "Now if a person sins after he hears a public adjuration to testify when he is a witness, whether he has seen or otherwise known, if he does not tell it, then he will bear his guilt." There it is plain and simple - the law against withholding information and in so doing helping a thief, murderer, or any kind of criminal who is acting outside of the law. Wisdom tells us that we should speak up on these matters - not to be a snitch or someone who is telling on everyone about everything possible - but rather as someone who desires for a society to hold together on the basis of law. This passage is speaking of clear cut crimes being committed. It also speaks of us being made aware of those crimes - being called to testify - and then choosing to withhold our testimony so as to be in league with the crime and the one who committed it. That is never wise. God's desire - and indeed the healthiest thing we can do for our souls - is to be a friend and ally of the truth. That is the position of wisdom - and of loving our souls, not hating them. Do not be a witness against your neighbor without cause, And do not deceive with your lips. Do not say, "Thus I shall do to him as he has done to me; I will render to the man according to his work." Proverbs 24:28-29
How important is it for a soceity to value telling the truth? One might argue that without this the ability of that soceity to function with any sort of justice is completely comprommised. There has to be a basic level of trustworthiness and honesty for a soceity to function. That is why our proverb for today is so important. It urges us to tell the truth - and not to be a witness against our neighbor without cause. Don't lie about your neighbor is what we are being told. This is especially the case when any kind of bitterness of thought of revenge comes into our minds. There is a basic level of honesty that must be prevelent for a soceity to function. Think for a moment about the number of transactions that take place every day that are based on the premise that we are being told the truth. Now consider the number of ponzie schemes that have been exposed recently in our financial system. This undermines everyone's confidence in the system itself. It is only when honesty and truth prevail that one can feel even remotely safe in a society. When that breaks down, the soceity itself breaks down. Unless there is the rule of law - and the most basic levels of truth in what we do - our society will wind up looking like a banana republic where almost everything you do will have to be accompanied by a bribe to be done. There will be no justice - and security will have to be maintained by how well you are armed. All this starts with the breakdown of honesty and truth between neighbors. This is why God tells us NEVER to be a false witness against our neighbor. We are not to give deceitful testimony - but rather to speak the truth. The breakdown of decency is not the fault of Washington. Decency broke down because we abandoned it toward our neighbors. What we have in Washington is what happens when a society in general leaves honesty and accepts growing levels of dishonesty in itself and in its leaders. We would not have the pack of dishonest, money-hungry, power-hungry fools leading us in our capitol accept for the fact that we ourselves did not DEMAND that our leaders be better than that. When faced with dishonesty in office, we should have DEMANDED RESIGNATIONS - and if that did not happen - they should have been told plainly that this is the last term they would ever serve as our representatives in government. Instead we traded truth for government hand-outs in the form of projects, grants, and every other way one can say government bribery without using the word bribe. Without honesty, truth, and integrity - we are doomed as a nation. Our proverb warns us in verse 29 that the worst way that dishonesty raises its ugly head is as a means of revenge. We are presented with a situation in which someone has been a false witness. We are warned not to decide that we will do to them what they have done to us. When we choose to fight fire with fire - everything and everyone gets burned. Scripture teaches us to turn the other cheek. We are informed to allow the proper government authorities to deal with these matters. We are also told that we are to treat others as we would have wanted to be treated ourselves. Know this . . . God is keeping track of all wrongs and His justice will prevail in the end. In the meantime - use every opportunity to show forth grace and mercy - so that you will also have opportunity to share the gospel - even with your enemies. Avoid revenge. It may give you a brief moment of pleasure at their pain - but in the end it will rot your soul. Give your offendedness to God for Him to heal - then embrace the very Spirit of Christ - Who will enable you to be gracioius to those who mistreat you, and will strengthen you to pray for those who abuse you. Then all will see that you are a son of your Father in heaven. Speak truth - be an honest witness - and leave judgment to God. The way of a guilty man is crooked, But as for the pure, his conduct is upright. Proverbs 21:8
How do you know whther you are dealing with someone who is criminal and crooked in his ways - or whether you are dealing with a man who is pure in his motives and ways? Here is an excellent question. I am sure that many a man who has been conned would love to know the answer to this question. That is what we will learn today as we open the book of Proverbs to verse 8 of chapter 21. First we see the "guilty man." What Solomon is describing to us though is the way of this man - the roads he takes and the lifestyle that is developed as a result. This man is described to us as the guilty man. The word used here for this designation is the Hebrew word, "vazar." This word means a man who lacks innocence. He is guilty because his behavior and choices reject God's law and ways. In this regard he is a criminal - because his consistent choice is to break the law. Solomon tells us that such a man is "crooked." Crooked here is "haphak" which refers to someone who is very perverse and devious. This guy is constantly perverting this - being devious - and lacking in honesty. He is filled with a dishonesty that makes you wonder about his integrity. Note this when trying to determine whether someone is godly or ungodly in their dealings. If you catch them making statements that are being twisted and fundamentally dishonest - most likely you are dealing with someone who is crooked and should be avoided at all costs. You are going to pay dearly if you continue to do business and allow this man into your life. The best thing you could do is cut and run. The other man - the godly one - is pure. The word here means someone who is clean - like pure water or pure oil. This man is a godly man - and his godliness is verified by the honestly and integrity with which he speaks and acts. This man's conduct is described as "upright." This is the word "yashar" which means something that is straight, just, and right. This word usually refers to things in an ethical and emotional sense. These are men who are very concerned with being right in the eyes of the Lord. They want a godly integrity in their dealings with others. They do not want to deceive or to mislead. Wisdom tells us to be mindful of the character of those with whom we deal in life. It is not enough that a good offer is on the table - or that someone is offering the best price. We need to know that a man is also placing good character on the table as well. Then we know whether we are dealing with a thief or not. See behind the offers and see into their lives or the "way" that they live. Do this and you will be much less likely to be caught in the schemes and the deception of the ungodly. A just balance and scales belong to the LORD; All the weights of the bag are His concern. Proverbs 16:11
When it comes to how we live - and how we do business - God is concerned with how we proceed in integrity. Thus we find today's proverb. It deals with the call for a just balance and scales. Since this was an agricultural society, most if not everything was sold by weight. Thus the scales that a person used was the most important part of the transaction, since a false weight and scales would be a deceptive business owner who was trying to cheat his customers. God desires a just balance and scales. The Lord wants us to be honest in business - to be fair and equitable. The "weights" mentioned later were actually rocks that were a standard of measure. These rocks needed to be a certain weight. The way that they maintained measurements was by having the temple regulating them. This is why the statement is made about all the weights of the bag being God's concern. There was the shekel of the sanctuary - as well as the various weights that were used there. These weights were considered the official weights of the society. If someone thought that a weight was being skewed in its true weight - the official sanctuary weights would be the place where they would be checked. If there was cheating going on, they would be punished for their unjust and ungodly standards. What we are told here though goes beyond that. We are told that all the weights of the bag are not just kept at the temple - they are kept in the thoughts of God Almighty. They are his concern. That takes the whole idea of integrity in the workplace to another level. The Lord is keeping track of our weights and measurements. He knows the work ethic that we seek to maintain - and He knows every time that we use an unjust weight or measure. Surely in our society as well as in theirs, there were men who sought to bend the rules to their adantage. And, like in our society, we cannot catch everyone who seeks to be unjust in their business dealings. But we do have a God who can see eery transaction - every time we weigh out our time, our efforts, and our produce. He sees and knows what we are doing - and He also realizes that in the end - the place of judgment will be His throne. Oh that we might learn this - and walk through this world with the appropriate fear of God - and respect for His commandments. Yes there will be those who think they can "get away" with it as they cheat others. But the reality is that those who do such things never get away with it. The Lord holds all the weights of the bag - and the judgment for not just religious works - but for how we operate in business as well - will be before Him. Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in speech and is a fool. Proverbs 19:1
There are those who are rich today in the entertainment industry because they employ perversity to make money. This will always have a short-lived, short-sighted profit margin because mankind is fallen. There is a certain joy that man has in embracing perverse speech and actions. Initially, there is the thought that this is wrong - that men shouldn't speak this way. But this is overcome as mankind begins the process of searing their conscience over the years of their existance. But, as Solomon says here, it is better to be a poor man who walks in integrity - than to be a rich, perverse-speaking fool. Let's take a few moments to look at the important concepts in this passage. The One Perverse in Their Speech . . . This is the Hebrew word "iqqesh" and it means to be crooked. It was used to describe those who were morally, religiously, and socially perverse. They lived out their perversions of the truth and of morality among men. We are told that this kind of perversity destroys a man in Proverbs 28:6 and that this kind of perversity has as its source - a perverse heart from which is flows. Then their perverse heart issues forth perverse speech - which God says "pours" forth from them like water. There are those who say that foul language is just a matter of semantics. They argue that we are the ones who have determined what is foul language - and if you removed the definers - then anything would be acceptable. This is an interesting, though fatally flawed reasoning. The truth is that so-called foul language is given that distinction because it speaks of things that are - well - foul. Common "curse words" involve references to defecation and crude sexual references. These are things God meant to either be hidden behind closed doors - or to be something holy to be protected from the perversity of fallen men. Yet the worldling loves to use such terms, finding them liberating and powerful as they use them to manifest their ignorance. As my mother told me - these words are used instead of adjectives usually - and they only reveal how utterly ignorant someone is. She had me consider exactly what the person would be trying to say - and after being amused at their comments - I agreed that they are frequented by the ignorant and those lacking any grace toward others. As Proverbs intimates - these people - reveal by their words that they are fools. The poor man, though, is the man who walks in integrity. He has a completeness and honor about him. God uses this word to speak of Abimelech, who acted with a clear conscience in initially taking Abraham's Sarah to be considered his wife. He acted with innocence - and his righteousness was revealed in how far he went to make things right and to testify to Sarah's integrity. We are told again and again in Scripture that walking and speaking in this way will guard us and protect us. Who cares if we do not get the riches the world offers to the perverse. We have something far more valueable. We have the favor of God. May God give us grace in the midst of a perverse generation to continue to embrace purity and integrity in life. |
 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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