Deuteronomy 25:13-19: a reflection

13You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light. 14You shall not have in your house diverse measures, one large and one small. 15You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which the LORD your God gives you. 16For all who do such things, all who do unrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God. 17Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt, 18how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear God. 19Therefore it shall be, when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which the LORD your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under the sky. You shall not forget.

Among the laws God gives is a plain command about honesty in our dealings: to keep just weights and measures, not one set for buying and another for selling. You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light, God says; you shall have a perfect and just weight and measure. The command forbids the dishonest practice of using different weights to cheat others, and calls for honest, just dealing. And it adds that those who deal unrighteously are an abomination to the LORD. God cares about honesty in the ordinary transactions of life, about just weights and measures, about integrity in our dealings. God commands honest weights; integrity in dealings matters to him. Just weights and measures, honesty in dealing, please God. God cares about integrity in our ordinary transactions. Honest dealing is required; cheating is an abomination to God.

Notice that God concerns himself with something as ordinary as weights and measures. The command is about honesty in everyday transactions: not keeping one weight to cheat when selling and another when buying, but using just, accurate weights and measures, dealing honestly. God calls this important enough to command, and says that dishonest dealing is an abomination to him. This tells us that God cares about our integrity in the ordinary business of life, in how we deal with others in buying, selling, and everyday transactions. Honesty is not a small or merely worldly matter; it matters to God. We can think of holiness in terms of religious practices, and overlook the plain integrity of honest dealing; but God requires just weights and measures, honest dealing in the ordinary transactions of life. To deal honestly, with integrity, in our everyday business, is part of walking rightly before God. God cares about honesty in our everyday dealings. Integrity in ordinary transactions matters to God. Honest dealing is part of walking rightly before God. God requires just weights: integrity in the ordinary business of life.

That is worth taking to heart, for God cares about honesty and integrity in the ordinary dealings of life, commanding just weights and measures and calling dishonest dealing an abomination. We can think of holiness mainly in terms of religious practice and overlook the plain honesty of our everyday transactions; but God commanded just weights and measures, honest dealing, and said dishonesty was an abomination to him. Integrity in ordinary business matters to God. Deal honestly and with integrity in your everyday transactions, keeping just weights, for this too is part of walking rightly before God. Deal honestly and with integrity in the ordinary transactions of life, keeping just weights and measures, as God commanded his people not to have diverse weights, one heavy and one light, or diverse measures, but a perfect and just weight and measure, and said that all who deal unrighteously are an abomination to him; for we can think of holiness mainly in terms of religious practices and overlook the plain integrity of honest dealing in buying, selling, and everyday business, but God cares about our honesty in these ordinary matters, calling it important enough to command and dishonesty an abomination, so that honest dealing is not a small or merely worldly concern but part of walking rightly before God, and we do well to keep just weights and deal with integrity in the ordinary business of life.

Lord, among the laws you give is a plain command about honesty in our dealings: to keep just weights and measures, not one set for buying and another for selling. You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light, you say; you shall have a perfect and just weight and measure. The command forbids the dishonest practice of using different weights to cheat others, and calls for honest, just dealing. And it adds that those who deal unrighteously are an abomination to you. You care about honesty in the ordinary transactions of life, about just weights and measures, about integrity in our dealings. Show me that you concern yourself with something as ordinary as weights and measures. The command is about honesty in everyday transactions: not keeping one weight to cheat when selling and another when buying, but dealing honestly. You call this important enough to command, and say that dishonest dealing is an abomination to you. This tells me that you care about my integrity in the ordinary business of life, in how I deal with others in buying, selling, and everyday transactions. Honesty is not a small or merely worldly matter; it matters to you. I can think of holiness in terms of religious practices, and overlook the plain integrity of honest dealing; but you require just weights and measures, honest dealing in the ordinary transactions of life. Take that to my heart, for you care about honesty and integrity in the ordinary dealings of life. Help me deal honestly and with integrity in my everyday transactions, Lord, keeping just weights and measures, seeing that this too is part of walking rightly before you, and not treating honesty in ordinary business as a small or merely worldly concern.