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"WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT
HONESTY"
In Leviticus 19:35-36, the Bible says, "You shall do
no injustice in
judgment, in measurement of length, weight, or volume. " (36) "You shall
have honest scales, honest weights, an honest ephah, and an honest hin:
I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. "
Similarly,
in Ezekiel 45:9-10, the Bible says, "Thus says
the Lord GOD: "Enough,
0 princes of lsrael! Remove violence and plundering, execute justice and
righteousness, and stop dispossessing My people, " says the Lord GOD. "
(10) "You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah, and an honest bath.
"
Likewise,
in Proverbs 11:1, the Bible says,
"Dishonest scales are an
abomination to the LORD, But a just weight is His delight. " Other
expressions of God's will in business dealing are mentioned throughout
the Bible (Proverbs 13:11; 20:23; Ezekiel 22:13,27; Titus 1:11; 1 Peter
5:2).
The Bible
says that God requires honesty among His people. In the preceding verses
this is especially true with Israel regarding the way they conducted
business. Today, as suspicion and distrust seem to be the "standard
operating procedure" in business and in all human relations how crucial
is the lesson of honesty.
In Luke
16:10 (NIV), the Bible says,
"Whoever can be trusted with
very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with
very little will also be dishonest with much. " Dishonesty shows through
whether we are dealing with someone for five cents or five million
dollars. The amount involved is irrelevant.
Perhaps
the most graphic demonstration of God's displeasure with dishonesty is
found in Acts 5:1-11. The Bible says that the dishonesty of Ananias and
Sapphira cost them their lives. The fact that they were immediately
struck dead by God shows that their dishonesty was felt all the way to
heaven.
The Bible
says that truth and honesty are virtues that should be practiced in all
areas of life (Psalm 51:6; Ecclesiastes 12:2; Ephesians 4:25; Leviticus
19:11).
David
Decker |