Deuteronomy 25: 13 – 19 “You shall not have two differing weights in your bag, one heavy and one light. You shall not have two differing measures in your house, one large and one small. You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For everyone who behaves dishonestly in regard to these things is detestable to the LORD your God.
Remember what the Amalekites did to you along your way from Egypt, how they met you on your journey when you were tired and weary, and they attacked all your stragglers; they had no fear of God.
When the LORD your God gives you rest from the enemies around you in the land that He is giving you to possess as an inheritance, you are to blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven. Do not forget!”
It’s been a common scene in street markets for thousands of years. There are the venders whom everyone knows to be honest, and then there are those who cheat on their measures and who put rotten vegetables at the bottom of a container in hopes that an unwary buyer will be tricked into paying for some worthless things. Well, God doesn’t like cheaters and He wants that to be perfectly clear! Notice there are no footnotes stating that it’s OK to cheat foreigners or to cheat someone who doesn’t pay good attention. God hates cheating, period. Cheaters are detestable to the Lord. In the beginning, the Israelites were careful to make sure that they dealt honestly; however, later on as things deteriorated morally, so did business practices.
Ezekiel 45:9-10 ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Enough, you princes of Israel; put away violence and destruction, and practice justice and righteousness. Stop your expropriations from My people,” declares the Lord God. “You shall have just balances, a just ephah and a just bath.“
Amos 8:4-6 “Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, saying, “When will the new moon be over, so that we may sell grain, and the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, to make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, and to cheat with dishonest scales, so as to buy the helpless for money and the needy for a pair of sandals, and that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”
Hosea 12:7-8 “A merchant, in whose hands are false balances, he loves to oppress. And Ephraim said, “Surely I have become rich, I have found wealth for myself; in all my labors they will find in me no iniquity, which would be sin.”
Micah 6:10-14 “Is there yet a man in the wicked house, along with treasures of wickedness and a short measure that is cursed? “Can I justify wicked scales and a bag of deceptive weights? “For the rich men of the city are full of violence. Her residents speak lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.”
Source: https://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Weights-And-Measures,-Laws
What was so important about the Amalekites? Amalek came to represent pure evil, those who had no fear of God. Eventually Israel did annihilate the Amalekites; however, it took a long time. It was King Saul’s failure to completely wipe out the Amalekites that lost him a kingdom. God rejected Saul because of Saul’s disobedience. (1 Samuel 15)
APPLICATION: The theme here is righteousness and justice. Those doing business must realize that God sees everything they are doing. In recent times, numerous companies have failed when Ponzi schemes and other forms of financial manipulation have come to light.
Notice what God says: “You must maintain accurate and honest weights and measures, so that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you. For everyone who behaves dishonestly in regard to these things is detestable to the LORD your God.” The unstated implication is that if you cheat in your business deals, you will NOT live long in the land the Lord God gives you.
At this point we might be scratching our heads. Many of us can name someone whose business practices are shady; yet, this person is still alive. What has made the difference? Calvary and Jesus’ sacrifice on Calvary. Between the time when these commands were given and the present day, Jesus made the ultimate blood sacrifice by freely giving up his life for the sins of the world. When Jesus was dying on that cross, he was dying for every sinner who would come to believe on his name. Many times God allows those who have indulged in shady business deals or have cheated in some form to live so that they have time to repent.
What of the Amalekites? Evidently this tribe was so evil that they dedicated their children to demons from the womb. God knew that if the Amalekites were not completely destroyed, they would continue to exert a terrible influence on the Israelites.
Many times, we may hear someone say that God sends people to hell. This statement is completely wrong! God does NOT send people to hell; people choose hell for themselves when they refuse to follow God and to accept the reality of the blood sacrifice that Jesus paid for all who would believe.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Thank You that Jesus Christ has made a way for all of us, even though we are sinners, if we will believe in what Jesus has done for us. We turn our lives over to You and ask that You lead us and guide us forever. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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