GOD HATES DISHONESTY (11:1–3): “He delights in honesty.”

GOD HATES DISHONESTY (11:1–3): “He delights in honesty.”

 11 The Lord hates false scales, but he loves accurate weights.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers says “ (1) A false balance is abomination to the Lord.—A similar proverb is found in Proverbs 20:23, and praise of just weights, Proverbs 16:11; Proverbs 20:10. The repetition suggests that this form of cheating had become common in the time of Solomon, when the commerce of Israel began to develop. If so, there would be good reason for these frequent warnings, for it would have been useless to raise the superstructure of a religious life, as is the intention of this book, without first laying the foundation of common honesty between man and man.”

This false balance can also translate to our spiritual side, not just our everyday practices.  To be honest and to maintain the proper balances speaks to me in so many ways. 

·      Am I cheating God in my time?  Do I have an inaccurate weight on something that I shouldn’t be giving that much weight to?

·      Are my views of all people balanced through the eyes of grace?

·      Am I balanced in my relationship with God?

·      Am I balanced in my family relationships and things that take me away from my family?

·      Am I balanced in time spent on the computer and “real life”?

·      Are my tithes and expenses balanced?

·      Am I operating out of a place of balance, in general?

² Proud and boastful people will be shamed, but wisdom stays with those who are modest and humble.

Here we have a direct correlation between:

·      pride, insolence, presumptuousness, arrogance

·      shame, disgrace, dishonor

Wisdom stays with those that are:

·      humble, modest, lowly a modest or low view of one's own importance; humbleness.

If we hold our time, attention and importance wrapped up within ourselves, we don’t have much room to listen, follow and worship God.  We have staked a claim amongst His highest places as while we worship ourselves.

³ Good people are guided by their honesty, but crooks who lie and cheat will ruin themselves.

Honesty is the absence of lies. Have you ever seen how lies erupt and become bigger and bigger- more and more complicated? Veggie Tales did a whole episode on it!! White lies, little lies, any lies rob us of our integrity and cause others to not trust anything we say.

·      Sometimes it is easier to tell a little lie- truth with grace is what we are called to

·      Sometimes it is kinder to tell a white lie – perhaps the Holy Spirit could provide the proper words for the situation?

·      Sometimes we want to get out of something and the “only” way is through a white lie…remember that lies are always found out and each lie shatters your character and integrity.