Deu 25:13 “You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the LORD your God.
Proverbs 11:1 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
Proverbs 16:11 A just balance and scales are the LORD’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.
Proverbs 20:10 Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the LORD.
Micah 6:11-12 Shall I acquit the man with wicked scales and with a bag of deceitful weights? Your rich men are full of violence; your inhabitants speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.
Deuteronomy 6:18 And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, that it may go well with you
Deuteronomy 5:33 You shall walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, that you may live, and that it may go well with you
Deuteronomy 4:40 Therefore you shall keep his statutes and his commandments, which I command you today, that it may go well with you and with your children after you, and that you may prolong your days
Ephah was the common measure among the Israelites, by which all the others were made and adjusted. They are not only forbidden to use divers weights and measures, one large or heavy to buy with, and another small and light to sell with, but they were not even allowed to keep such in the house. It is observable also, that these too common but dishonest actions are branded as “an abomination to the Lord,” equally with idolatry, and other scandalous crimes.
Dishonest gain always brings a curse on men’s property, families, and souls. Happy those who judge themselves, repent of and forsake their sins, and put away evil things, that they may not be condemned of the Lord. (Henry)
Integrity, doing right, is something that seems to have lost much of its meaning in our societies. I was talking with a guy who was telling me about how proud he and his son were of the fact that a cashier at a tile store did not charge the correct amount. Instead of charging for 14 cases of tile, she charged for 14 individual tiles. The difference was over $1,000. He was very proud of this accomplishment. Integrity has nothing to do with getting away with something no one can know but you. It has everything to do with doing what is right in the eyes of God, who sees all. Now before you jump on the bandwagon to condemn the actions of this man and his son, which was clearly wrong, how many times do we do what is right in our own eyes and not give thought to what is right in the eyes of God? We might not brag doubt it to others but it is being done either on purpose or out of ignorance.
The devil is always there tempting us to discount things of God. He will give us justification to neglect the Word of God. He will tempt us with the busyness of life as a true and just reason for it. Don’t buy into this. Recognize it as what it is – a temptation to limit the Holy Spirit speaking into your life, and making you ineffective in your witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
One sure way to be a tool for Satan is to neglect the Word of God. We may not see this as very important because we have not determined within our hearts and minds to honor and glorify Jesus Christ in our thoughts, words, and actions all of the time. When we don’t see the importance we don’t see the need to repent of it. If we don’t repent of it we are blind and deaf and do not hear the Holy Spirit speaking into our lives. Certainly, we do not honor and glorify Jesus Christ. Where is the integrity of our hearts, minds, and souls when we neglect God’s Word? Are we not using a small measure to weigh our standing before God?
Use the full measure of God’s Word. Grow in it. Cherish it. Feed on it. Rely on it. Trust in it. Hold fast to it. Claim it. Believe it. Never let it be said that a day goes by when your thoughts are not feeding on it.