May 6 The Death of Truth

May 6

The Death of Truth 

Pr 20:10 Divers weights, and divers measures,

both of them are alike abomination to the LORD

 

The lady shook her head as she said “No, we are having company and I need a larger chicken.” The butcher removed the 3 pound chicken from the scales, went to the cooler and discovered he was out of chickens. He just had that one 3 lb chicken.  So he slipped a 1 pound weight inside the chicken and returned to the scales.

“There you are Ma’am. A nice plump 4 pound chicken.” The lady smiled and said “Great, I’ll take both of them.”

 

Dishonesty is nothing new. The book of proverbs mentions it often. In our verse for today it talks about diverse weights. Even today in some market places goods are weighed on a simple hand held balance scale. A weight is placed on one side of a scale and the goods are placed on the other side. When the scales are level that means the goods weigh the same as the weight. Dishonest merchants would have different (diverse) weights. A weight that was labeled one pound but was actually heavier than a pound was used when buying and a lighter than one pound weight was used when selling. By using different weights he could cheat both his suppliers and his customers.

De 25:13  Thou shalt not have in thy bag

divers weights, a great and a small.

 

      Even though few of us use “diverse” weights today dishonesty is seemingly on the increase. How many times have you been told something was “free” on the Internet only to discover it was not.  

I was recently in a store where I saw a box that said MADE IN AMERICA, but when I looked closer the word “box” was in tiny print in front of MADE.  The box was made in America.

       Another time I was in a large dealership buying a used car. I asked what the $125 processing fee was. “Oh, that is a fee the state requires us to collect.” The truth is the state allows dealers to add on up to $250 processing fee, for extra profit. It is not required. I didn’t pay it.

       As Christians we live by a different standard. That standard was reflected in our culture years ago when a handshake meant something, and advertisers simply told you the advantages of their products without resorting to deception. But as our culture drifts away from Biblical Christianity, honesty has slowly declined.

     As Christians we are supposed to be lights in this darkening world.  During the Sermon on the Mount Christ said to let our light shine before men. 

Mt 5:16 Let your light so shine before men,

that they may see your good works,

and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

 

In Romans we are reminded;

Ro 12:17 … Provide things honest

in the sight of all men.

 

     There should be no question of ethical behavior and honest dealings with Christians. Even more important than how man sees us is how God views our thoughts and actions.

2Co 8:21 Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men.

      We should not let our minds even dwell on being dishonest, but rather on truth. Getting too much change or not being charged for something may seem small but there should be no thought of keeping the money, or not paying for something.

Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

 

     In our post-modern world where everything is relative and men do that which is right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25) it is increasingly difficult to not be conformed to this world. But that is our responsibility as CHRISTians. That does not mean we should use a horse and buggy and do without electricity. It does mean we should maintain the ethical standards of the Bible and not conform to the unethical methods many have adopted today.

     “Everyone else is doing it” is not justification for Christians to conform.

      May God bless us today as we daily cleanse the lens of our life to be sure our light shines brightly for Christ. That is the meditation for today. May we continually look for spots and smudges or anything that would diminish our light from shining brightly on a world that desperately needs all the light it can get.

The appropriate melody for us to sing to ourselves today is the old children”s chorus

      “This little light of mine, I’m going to let it shine…”

 

Ro 12:2 And be not conformed to this world…