WEIGHTS AND SCALES

Proverbs 11.1
WEIGHTS AND SCALES
"The LORD abhors dishonest scales, but accurate weights are his delight." (11.1)

HOW OFTEN WE OVERLOOK LITTLE things. We short-change our clients in business dealings and think nothing of it. Since everybody seems to be doing it, we consider such malpractices too common or insignificant to be of interest to anyone. Surely, God would close one eye too.

Nothing could be further from the truth! God's eyes are wide open to dishonesty of any variety. In ancient times, cheating was prevalent with the weighing scales. Even today, unscrupulous hawkers have tricks up their sleeves against unwary customers. Using the Chinese daching, it is possible to make something weigh heavier than it really is simply by pressing a finger against the end where the weighing pan is. Alternatively, vendors are known to sprinkle water excessively on fruits and vegetables, or soak them in water, to add weight to them.

At one market, in response to complaints by residents about such underhand practices, the authorities installed an official weighing machine on the spot. Housewives were then able to check the weight of what they had bought to see if they had been duped. If human authorities could be concerned about "dishonest scales," how much more would the LORD! He abhors deceit (see similar strong denunciations in Deut 25.13-16; Lev 19.35-36; Micah 6.11).

We need to ask ourselves whether we are guilty of overcharging or underpaying, however small the amount may be. Of course, the amount itself is not as important as the heart attitude the act betrays. Do we tear our parking coupons to show 8pm when the actual time then is only 7.45pm? Do we use foreign coins of less value for vending machines? The LORD abhors dishonest acts, however prevalent or acceptable they may be to man. He is LORD over every part of life; in fact, it is often in so-called "small matters" that our lack of integrity is betrayed.

But where integrity prevails and care is exercised to deal fairly, the LORD takes notice and finds delight. William Barclay observes, "It may seem a quite extraordinary thing that the Bible should take up so much space to speak about weights and measures, and accuracy of scales and containers and units of measurement. It is intensely significant that the assumption is that God is interested in these things, and careful justice and meticulous honesty in these things is the natural and essential expression of true religion" (The Ten Commandments for Today, p. 183).

Am I honest in little things?