Deuteronomy 25:13-15 "Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small. (14) Thou shalt not have in thine house divers measures, a great and a small. (15) But thou shalt have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure shalt thou have: that thy days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee."
As I look at these verses, my first thoughts go to a merchant in the
marketplace who uses scales to measure whatever he is selling. The
merchant was not to have two sets of scales, one for buying and another for
selling. God speaks to the merchant to use a "just measure" in
dealing with others. By that, it is meant that the weight bought is to be the
same as the weight sold, not a small weight to buy and a larger weight to
sell. In our day, it would be called "truth in advertising."
That is my first thought concerning these verses, but then I think why would
God place in His law these passages concerning divers weights and measures? He
has been speaking concerning the manner in which the people were to deal with
transgressors of the law. He had just mentioned about a wife intervening
on her husband's behalf when he would be striving with another. The wife
was not to act in an unseemly manner in trying to help her husband in the
fight. If she did, then her hand was to be cut off. "Then thou shalt cut
off her hand, thine eye shall not pity her." (Deuteronomy 25:12)
Notice the last words of that verse, "Thine eye shall not pity her."
Then immediately, He speaks of using just weights and measures.
Could it be that God was saying to the people, "Do not show partiality in
administering the penalty of the law"? Human nature is such that
partial judgment could be administered if the individual was well liked in the
community. It was not a matter that the people could say, "Well,
they didn't really mean to do that and therefore, we will go easy on them this
time." Here is one example that reminds us God is no respecter of
persons. He is not impressed by position in society nor any other means whereby
a lighter sentence might be imposed on some and a heavier weight of the law be
applied to another.
It did not require less grace for Peter than it did for Paul. It is
possible for an individual to try to compare oneself with another to the degree
of saying, "Well, I didn't do anything as bad as such and so."
Jesus did not tell us to do the best we can and He would take care of the
rest. The Word of God tells us there are none good, no, not one. There
are none righteous. There are none that seek after God. We did not seek Him;
rather, He came to seek and to save that which was lost.
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who
are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may
become guilty before God. (20) Therefore by the deeds of the law
there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge
of sin." (Romans 3:19-20) Here is the just measure of God's
law: All stand guilty before God. Here is the just measure of
God's grace: "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of
God; (24) Being justified freely by his grace through the
redemption that is in Christ Jesus: (25) Whom God hath set forth to
be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for
the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God."
(Romans 3:23-25) Jesus boldly declared, "I am the way, the truth,
and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." (John 14:6)
That is the just measure of God: He is both Just and the
Justifier! Praise be to God for His just measure.