DISHONEST SCALES
The Los Angeles Times ran an article about widespread petty theft. In it, an attorney admitted that he would wait for someone to purchase a newspaper from a vending machine and grab the door before it closed to get his paper without paying. He could afford the paper, so why would he do such a thing? He explained, “The newspaper makes so much money, taking one paper won’t matter.”
Solomon wrote, “Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,” Proverbs 11:1. “Dishonest scales” is literally “balances of deceit,” and the word “abomination” implies an extraordinary degree of hatred and detestation. Charles Spurgeon told his church, “It is never to do a little wrong, to obtain the greatest possible good. Your duty is to do the right: consequences are with God; and after all it never can be, in the long run, a good thing either for you or for others to do wrong.”
Here are some dishonest practices condemned by the Bible. Using short weights and measures - Deuteronomy 25:13 – 15; Leviticus 19:35, 36. Cheating a seller – Proverbs 20:14. Refusing to pay wages – Jeremiah 22:13; Leviticus 19:13. Shifting landmarks – Job 24:2. Defrauding –Leviticus 6:2; 19:13. Borrowing without repaying – Psalm 37:21. Keith Miller spoke a word of concern when he stated, “It has never ceased to amaze me that we Christians have developed a kind of selective vision which allows us to be deeply and sincerely involved in worship and church activities, and yet almost totally pagan in the day in, day out guts of our business lives and never realize it.”
In Proverbs 20:23, we read that God “loathes all cheating and dishonesty” (TLB), and Paul wrote to Timothy about living a life of “honesty,” 1 Timothy 2:2. Madison Sarratt taught mathematics at Vanderbilt University for many years. Before giving a test, he would admonish his students, “Today I am giving two examinations – one in trigonometry and the other in honesty. I hope you will pass them both. If you must fail one, fail trigonometry. There are many good people in the world who can’t pass trigonometry, but there are no good people in the world who cannot pass the examination of honesty.”
“No legacy is so rich as honesty” (William Shakespeare Emerson).
Dave Arnold, Pastor, Gulf Coast Worship Center, New Port Richey, Florida
www.davidarnoldonline.org
6 comments:
David,
Wonderful post and thoughts.
I enjoy reading your blog.
Keep up the great work and hope you have a blessed week!
Truth-be-told, I honestly think this is a very good post.
Thanks Dave
JD, Did you know if you go to the riverside website and look are the directional map under "SAT" you can view the church and parking lot very well? I could almost tell who's cars were in the back parking lot. Cool!
Yeah, that is really neat...
Amen, Even So.
Honesty begins with us and God and goes from there. Otherwise we're living a lie, or not in the truth in Jesus as we should. Grace needed, always!
As a turn on Hebrews 11:6, without grace it is impossible to please God becasue without grace we cannot have faith...think about it...
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