Thoughts for the Day

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord,
but an accurate weight is his delight.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace;
but wisdom is with the humble.
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless keeps their ways straight,
but the wicked fall by their own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright saves them,
but the treacherous are taken captive by their schemes.
When the wicked die, their hope perishes,
and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing.
The righteous are delivered from trouble,
and the wicked get into it instead.
With their mouths the godless would destroy their neighbours,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Whoever belittles another lacks sense,
but an intelligent person remains silent.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

For centuries all countries have had legal measurements and weights for goods sold and bought. It was not sufficient for Henry VIII (he of the six wives!) to say that a yard was the measurement from his nose to the tip of his thumb, when his arm was outstretched. After all it would be a different length for a smaller person! However, before metrication came along measurements were horribly difficult to memorise, as I remember from my school lessons. Here is an example of some British liquid measurements:

1 pin = 4 and a half gallons. (Note, it is "pin" not "pint")
2 pins = 1 firkin = 9 gallons.
4 pins = 2 firkins = 18 gallons = 1 kilderkin etc.

Over the centuries dishonest people often made sure that different weights and measurements were faked. Food sold as a certain weight would actually be less, or would be adulterated with other products, ensuring the seller would make more money. Various Acts of Parliament were eventually passed to ensure that measurements were a true standard.

In today's reading from Proverbs we are looking at the first two lines: 'A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but an accurate weight is his delight'. Just as we abhor cheats who weigh goods with a false set of scales, so God dislikes deceit. He weighs up our life in a true set of scales and finds us wanting. However, when we approach him admitting our failures and making amends for our mistakes, God delights in our honesty and our determination to change.

Lord God,
all too often we think we can avoid
being weighed by You.
We make excuses for our behaviour;
we pretend we are not proud;
we do not notice the times we are selfish;
and we ignore those who need our help.
Forgive us we pray for the times
we fail to measure up to Your ideals,
and give us a real desire to change.
Amen.