ON THE VANGUARD

WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
“You are to have a correct and fair weight, and you are to have a correct and fair measure, so that you will prolong your days in the land Adonai your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who deal dishonestly, are detestable to Adonai your God.”
Deuteronomy 25:15-16 CJB

As a child of the 80’s, I remember the movies of the 80’s. I remember when Marty first took his travel back in time in Doc Brown’s DeLorean time machine. I recall when Maverick and Ice Man were at each other’s throats as they worked to prove to each other whom the better pilot at Top Gun was. And I still remember the first time I watched Daniel-son wax on and off, using the crane kick to defeat Johnny for the karate title. Marty would make two more journeys before the series was concluded. We never knew what happened to Maverick really. And Daniel-son would come close to death in Japan before reclaiming his title for a second year. But it is in the second segment of Daniel-son’s karate experience that a specific memory sticks out to me. While in Japan, Daniel exposed Sato’s son as a cheat when he saw dishonest weights being used for profit, robbing from the poor for his own benefit. The segment may be two minutes total in length, but it is an image that I remember almost as much as Peter Cetera singing the love song.
I was reminded of this movie clip last night as I was studying. Looking in Deuteronomy 25:15, I read, “You are to have a correct and fair weight, and you are to have a correct and fair measure, so that you will prolong your days in the land Adonai your God is giving you.” It was during the last words spoken by Moses to the Israelites, as he had been prompted by God to give, that Moses gave orders for a variety of things. Weights and measurements happened to be one of those things God wanted to address. In fact, even the dealings of weights and measurements fell within the blessings and curses of God. An honest weight and accurate measurement was required. If it was followed, the blessing of prolonged days in the Promise Land would be God’s gift to His people. In order for this to be the blessing, then we can easily deduce that the curse would be an early removal from the Promise Land. The people were being warned to choose correctly. In the verse following, God then clearly states that dishonest weights and measures are detestable in His sight.
While I know it is true today that we have a more accurate system in weighing and measuring, it does not mean that we are absent from the blessing and curse. In fact, if anything, we still have the ability to be dishonest in our accounts. Periodically I measure my children so they can see how much they have grown. I have caught them a time or two ever so slightly lifting their heels while I measure them. I have also been convicted myself when recording my weight, working hard to get a low number yet knowing full well it is not a true and accurate reading of myself. If we know that it is detestable in God’s eyes, why is it not in ours? Furthermore, when will it be?
I have come to a point where I am seeking God’s opinion more and more. Where once I used to allow myself off the hook for small sins, I now find myself unable to tolerate any sin I commit. Does that mean I am better than you? No way. There is plenty that I still want to be allowed to get away with, plenty of measurements I wish applied to others and not me. But I am not exempt from God’s ruler or scale. I will be judged according to the same measurements. So then, with this reality in mind, I have started to pray that I would love the things God loves and hate the things that He hates. I want to be in accordance with Him, no matter how hard it may be. Walking the straight line is not the easiest thing to do, especially when so many obstacles and deer paths flood the main route. However, if I want to walk in the ways of God in every area that I will be measured in, then I have to prevent myself from stepping in the pathway of sin. It is high time I measure myself not according to the world’s measurements, but rather God’s. His true measurements will not give reason for detestable deeds.