Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

The Lord detests dishonest scales,
    but accurate weights find favor with him.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
    but with humility comes wisdom.
The integrity of the upright guides them,
    but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.
Wealth is worthless in the day of wrath,
    but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless makes their paths straight,
    but the wicked are brought down by their own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
    but the unfaithful are trapped by evil desires.
Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
    all the promise of their power comes to nothing.
The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
    and it falls on the wicked instead.

• Proverbs 11:1-8

“Proverbs 11:1 Dishonest scales ”Cf. 16:11; 20:10, 23. As indicated in Leviticus 19:35, 36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Ezekiel 45:10; Amos 8:5; Micah 6:10, God detests dishonesty.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

A classic “joke” is the weight of the butcher’s thumb.  It was almost expected.  Ha, ha!  I paid for a pound that I did not get.  But God detests that.

I was accused by a checkout person.  She told a checkout clerk that was not busy to check my cart because these cheats quickly empty the cart but they hide something on the shelf underneath.  I had nothing there, but when the one accusing me of shoplifting got to my apples, one of the apples rolled off the scales.  She could have left the apples in the bag, but no, she pushed the apples into a pile, about two pounds according to the scale, but then she pushed down to keep the apples from rolling, and I paid for five pounds of apples: two pounds of apples and three pounds of her beefy hands, but I was the criminal trying to cheat the grocery store.  I do not go to that store unless I absolutely need something that the surrounding stores do not have.  But shoplifting can go both ways.

Why is the statue in the photo above so horribly wrong? Neither scale is compared to a standard, thus justice cannot be served. Justice is blind, but we must have a standard in which to compare. And this statue is in a courthouse in New York City from what I hear.

In the earlier chapters we have heard that God also detests pride and the proud.  I was taught in the military to seek your place at the commander’s table in the least honored seat and then work your way up.  This is right out of the Bible (Luke 14:10).  If you start at the top, you will be humbled to find that your seat is more lowly, but in starting at the bottom, you are then honored when someone helps you to a more highly honored seat.

Integrity is an important trait.  People learn that they can trust you.

The righteous are saved in the day of wrath.  Money cannot buy that.  Four of the last five proverbs in this grouping address righteousness from different angles.

The next to last proverb in this grouping talks about our hopes in humans dies with us.  Yes, while we are dying, the human we relied upon is in the death bed next to us.  Only God is eternal.  Only God can save us.

Too much emphasis is placed on political campaigns these days as one candidate coming to the rescue to save the people.  We need to turn to God.  Maybe that candidate is a Godly man or woman, prepared to lead us from the brink, but politicians lie.  How can you tell if they are lying?  Are their lips moving?  There you go.

And now let us sing.

The following song is I Trust Jesus.  It is sung by the composer, Matthew West.  It even uses a refrain from My hope is built on nothing less by Edward Mote.

“Who else could stand beside me in the fire?
Who else could part the waters at my feet?
Who else could move the mountains I am facing?
Who else already holds my victory?

I trust Jesus, I trust Jesus
In the storm, in the fight
All my days, all my life
I trust Jesus, always Jesus
Come what will, come what may
Still my heart will choose to say
I trust Jesus

Who else would pay the price for my redemption?
Who else would bear a cross that’s meant for me?
Who else laid down their life for my salvation?
Who else has conquered death and holds the key?

I trust Jesus, I trust Jesus
In the storm, In the fight
All my days, all my life
I trust Jesus, always Jesus
Come what will, come what may
Still my heart will choose to say
I trust Jesus, ohh, ohh, I trust

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
I trust in Jesus name

My hope is built (my hope is built)
On nothing less (on nothing less)
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
I trust in Jesus name

I trust Jesus, I trust Jesus
In the storm, in the fight
All my days, all my life
I trust Jesus, always Jesus
Come what will, come what may
Still my heart will choose to say
Come what will, come what may
Still my heart will choose to say
I trust Jesus

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness
I dare not trust the sweetest frame
I trust in Jesus name”

• Matthew West, I Trust Jesus

Closing Prayer

Dear Lord,
We need Your wisdom.  Lord, we may be tempted to be dishonest, but we know when we are dishonest.  We must be honest.  We must live with integrity and be humble.  And Lord, we must seek righteousness.  But we have a short attention span.  Lord, please redirect us.  Help us look toward Jesus.  Help us to trust no one except You.
In thy Name we pray.
Amen

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.