Calling evil good

On first reading, these verses are very directly focussed on fairness in business dealings – only accurate standardised measures are to be used so that the true proportions or weight of products are presented to the seller, no false representations that are hidden from sight.

We have all been exposed to familiar products suddenly appearing in containers that are slightly smaller, priced in such a way that we are misled to believe that we are buying a bargain when in actual fact the product works out to be much more expensive this way! Other products come in such overwhelming big packaging that we think that we are justified in paying a hefty price for something much bigger than what is revealed once the packaging is removed. Advertising is specifically aimed at tricking us into buying certain products, often through misrepresentation of the truth. And so we can go on naming the dishonest business practices routinely used in our society today.

Not only does the Lord our God find these practices offensive, but He actually forbids them in Lev 19:25 “’Do not use dishonest standards when measuring length, weight or quantity.”

But there is a deeper spiritual connotation here. When a civilization redefines its values, ignoring God, moving away from His created order – this is also using faulty scales and balances. When man’s idea of justice begins to take precedence over God’s absolute truth and righteousness, such a civilization starts measuring its values and norms against false scales. Man begins to conform what is right and wrong to fit his idea of morality, to fit his own sinful desires. And the result is corruption and decay on all levels of society.

What would some of these altered weights, false measures or changed values be? We could name legalised abortion; altered male/female identities; same-sex relationships; fornication; cursing Israel; accepting bribes; among others.

It is a sobering thought to know that God will deal very severely with those guilty of using man’s corrupt scales of measurement over and above God’s absolute measuring rod of truth and righteousness – Isaiah 5:20 Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.

Points to ponder:

Meditate on whether you are conforming your life and life decisions to the truth that is found in the Word of God, or to principles as upheld by the society around you. Clarify for yourself what God’s standard is by searching the Word, not by listening to corrupting debates based on philosophies of man.