How much gas did you just buy? (The Bible’s Answer for Justice, Part 4)
By Ben Quine
**This article is part of a series helping us navigate this issue of justice in our world from a Biblical perspective. To read all of Ben’s articles on this subject - click on his name above by the date published and it will sort all of his articles in one place.
These days going to the gas station can be a scary experience. There’s a certain amount of fear – just how much is it going to cost to fill up? But there’s another question we don’t consider as often – how do we know how much gas we just bought? What if the pump charged you for 15 gallons, when it only gave you 10?
This is actually a question of justice, so we’re going to consider it briefly before we get into how Biblical justice applies to government and society. In fact, it is a cornerstone issue on which God was careful to instruct His people.
“You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin: I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:35-37)
“You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small. You shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, a large and a small. A full and fair weight you shall have, a full and fair measure you shall have, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. For all who do such things, all who act dishonestly, are an abomination to the Lord your God. (Deuteronomy 25:13-16)
In these crucial but seldom-read Scripture passages, God commanded His people to be upright in their business practices. Much like today, in ancient times business transactions were often carried out by use of a scale. The seller would place a weight on one side – such as a gerah (0.57g), a shekel (0.402oz), a mina (1.26lb), etc. – and then measure out the produce into the other side until they were balanced. At that point, the customer would pay and receive their product (such as grain). An ephah measures 22 liters, and an hin measures 0.98 gallons. What would happen if the weight was too light or too heavy? How should a “just shekel” weight compare to a true shekel? Or a “just gerah” to a true gerah?
God condemns the dishonesty of unequal weights in the strongest possible terms, calling those who practice this type of cheating “an abomination.” According to God’s law, weights must be just, or equal to the real unit they are representing. This is also the definition of Truth: “fidelity to the original.”
God’s Word teaches that a scale, a gas pump, or any measure used for a business transaction must be correct, so that the transactions are fair. The reason God is so serious about weights and measures is because He is a God of justice!
The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he. (Deuteronomy 32:4)
Just weights will be equal to the true value. This foundational concept is going to be very important as we continue looking at how justice applies to government in our next few articles.
Check out our Christians Engaged Store to purchase all 4 of the books - Answers for Difficult Days. (4-Book Bundle $40 , shipping not included).
ABOUT BEN
Connect with him at Cornerstone Curriculum
Ben Quine, the second son of David and Shirley Quine, was blessed to grow up with a Charlotte Mason/Dr. Schaeffer/Biblical Worldview education -- a tremendous gift! Through the years, Ben has served as a Cornerstone consultant, assistant, and co-author. He has written several Bible studies for the Answers for Difficult Days series, which equips churches to address the issues our culture is wrestling with today, from the foundation of Scripture. Ben is also the editor of The Worldview Library, editions of classical literature with student helps that afford the reader a deeper understanding of the concepts presented in each work.
Trained as a classical pianist and instructor, Ben is committed to inspiring his students with the love of great music and equipping them with the tools to perform at the highest level. This training has resulted in his students' successful performances from local festivals and competitions to Carnegie Hall.
Ben loves Shakespeare, Dickens, photography, listening to recordings of "the great pianists", running, biking, and spending time with his wife Julie and their three sons.