Dishonest scales are an abomination to the LORD, but a just weight is his delight.
The LORD is the God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
Proverbs 11:1; 1 Samuel 2:3.
I am standing in the queue at the checkout, wondering whether the well-dressed woman in front of me has concealed some things in her shopping-bag. The cashier hasn’t noticed anything. For the business this sort of thing goes under the heading “unaccountable loss”.
If, however, it really was shoplifting, there was a witness who did not fail to notice this act of deception: God! He saw everything, and for Him it is theft, nothing less!
By law swindling of any kind is punishable. Nevertheless innumerable acts of cheating happen daily, while strict honesty towards other people is disparagingly regarded as naivety or weakness. In the final instance it would be beneficial for everyone only if correctness were observed in all things. But God takes note of everything from the slightest disregard of honesty to the greatest swindle, and His Word has always classified “dishonest scales” as “an abomination to the LORD”.
The lady involved would be astonished, if someone told her that the unpaid bill will be presented to her, not by the branch manager, but by God, who keeps His books in perfect order without needing to “cook” them in any way. It is foolish to believe that one can hide anything from Him. Quite apart from the question of the coming judgment, dishonest practices just do not work out, simply because a clear conscience is invaluable.