Weights and Measures by Brother Duke Hansen

         Good morning. We are going to begin in the book of Deuteronomy and we will be going to a couple of other places in the scripture this morning. So, if you would, turn to chapter 25 of Deuteronomy and we will start reading at verse 13.

        13 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.

        16 For all that do such things, and all that do unrighteously, are an abomination unto the Lord thy God.

        There is a significance to the concept of weights and measures in the scripture and it still applies today. In that time, weights and scales were used to measure things. We still use this system to this day in measuring out minerals and precious items. When you are using divers weights, it is because you are cheating someone. In the spiritual realm, what you give up in what you carry in the world is a gain in spiritual weight. Let's go over to the book of Proverbs. We are going to be at chapter 20 and start reading at verse 10.

        10 Divers weights, and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to the Lord.

        11 Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

        12 The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the Lord hath made even both of them.

        Solomon took the writings of Moses further and elaborated on them. God has placed systems and processes in the world that reflect on the spiritual side of things. So if you are willing to cheat in the physical world on something, you will be cheating in the spirit realm as well. We are going to turn to the book of Daniel chapter 5. We will start reading at verse 17.

        17 Then Daniel answered and said before the king, Let thy gifts be to thyself, and give thy rewards to another; yet I will read the writing unto the king and make known to him the interpretation.

        18 O thou king, the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, and glory, and honor:

        19 And for the majesty that he gave him, all people, nations, and languages, trembled and feared before him: whom he would he slew; and whom he would he kept alive; and whim he would he set up; and whom he would he put down.

        20 But when his heart was lifted up, and his mind hardened in pride he was deposed from his kingly throne, and they took his glory from him:

        21 And he was driven from the sons of men; and his heart was made like the beasts, and his dwelling was with the wild asses: they fed him with grass like oxen, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven; till he knew that the most high God ruled in the kingdom of men, and that he appointed over it whomsoever he will.

        22 And thou his son, O Belshazzar, hast not humbled thine heart, though thou knew all this;

        Belshazzar, king of Babylon, has had a dream in the opening of this chapter which troubles him. He calls up Daniel to tell him the dream. In this passage, Daniel tells the king that God had raised up kings like his father, nations like Babylon to mighty and to conquer Israel for a short while, and he would bring them back down. God even took the time to teach Nebuchadnezzar a lesson in humility. God wants you and I to enjoy the work of our hands, but we must be aware of our point of view. We must be aware of how we treat each day, but also the people we see. Let us not grow too haughty or arrogant to think that all we have in our self proclaimed kingdoms, no matter how tiny they are, are because of our work and not because God allowed it. The weights and measures in the scripture are there to keep us in line and honest. You cannot alter nor change these biblical principles.

        God does not want discord with and among his people. He doesn't want us to get into arguments nor debates over the content of his scripture. There are no winners when you debate someone. If you being right is greater than being in the truth, you are feeding your flesh and puffing up your arrogance.

        23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified.

        The king lifted up all the tings of the world. People inject power in these inanimate objects. The king had taken the sacred vessels from the temple in Jerusalem and used them to serve a party. When the inanimate and temporal things of this world change you and your view, you need to check yourself.

        24 Then was the part of the hand sent from him; and this writing was written.

        25 And this is the writing that was written, ME-NE, ME-NE, TE-KEL, U-PHAR-SIN.

        26 This is the interpretation of the thing; ME-NE; God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it.

        27 TE-KEL; Thou art weighed in the balances, and art found wanting.

        28 PE-RES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.

        When you become a parent, many of you will solemnly swear that you won't allow the negative things in your life or harsh sayings you heard affect how you raise your child. It's not hard to pass your negatives to your children when you don't recognize your deeds or your words. The weights and measures of your character will inform your children of the truth far quicker than your words. There are levels of authority based on your location. We don't want to weigh and balance our situations by God's standards. We choose our sliding scale which is rooted in our emotions. If you have a disagreement that are burdened with hard feelings, there still needs to be respect and regard among you and others. When truths come God watches our weights and balances to see our scale and see if it balances. Keep in mind that you may not know what God may be telling those who may be opposing you.

        29 Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.

        30 In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chal-de-ans slain.

        31 And Darius, the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

        As soon as God spoke that word through Daniel, the king was slain the same night. If you are wanting to gain righteousness in your life, toy have got to operate the scales, using the weights and balances. The church in the book of Galatians had an uneven scale and Paul brought that to their attention. When you are confronted with a choice in life, you need to use the weights and measures God has given you. Are you in balance? Or out of balance? Many of us don't value God because our flesh taints our view of God. You have to be able to weigh things out. If you can't, you better have someone who can point out your fault and you have the capability to listen. God help you if you cannot or you won't. You can't do this alone. Turn to the book of Galatians chapter 5. We will start reading in verse 18.

        18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.

        19 Now the world of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

        20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, violence, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,

        21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, reveling, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

        When Paul writes of the kingdom of God, he is speaking of the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost will not inhabit a vessel comfortable in the things listed in verses 19-21. The kingdom of God is not a reference to going to heaven.

        22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

        If you are led by the spirit, you are not under the law. You can let people off the hook with God. You can forgive people, change people's outcomes. The fruits Paul lists can change people's minds. They can change the world. We have options but they can not be seen when we are angry. When a person says to you don't judge me, that in itself is judgement.

        Go back and re-read the passage in Deuteronomy. Is judgement the only weight we carry? No, it is not. We carry many other things. The littlest things weigh us down. The word of God will judge, cut to the quick of your person if you allow it. The more you allow God to do to you, the more he reveals. If we are doing things unrighteously, it is like an abomination to God. God wants to have what we can give. That can be financial, it can be your time, your praise, a sacrifice of your flesh. Measure out what is in your mind this morning. God loves you and wants you to grow in the good things of life.