Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord,
and false scales are not good.
A man's steps are from the Lord;
how then can man understand his way?
It is a snare to say rashly, “It is holy”,
and to reflect only after making vows.
A wise king winnows the wicked
and drives the wheel over them.
The spirit[f] of man is the lamp of the Lord,
searching all his innermost parts.
Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,
and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.Proverbs 20:23-28
For 23, see the comment on 10. Jeremiah 10:23,24 emphasises the same truth as 24, and the thought is similar to that in 3:5,6 (see Note for Saturday, 1st September). Happy the man who really believes that 'my times are in His hand'. The AV of 25 is very obscure, and RSV gives a more probable, and much more intelligible rendering, in the words, 'It is a snare for a man to say rashly, 'It is holy', and to reflect only after making his vows.' The picture this gives is of an impulsive man, pledging more than he seriously intends (so Kidner). For a comment on the kind of situation envisaged, see Ecclesiastes 5:4-7 (cf Jesus words in Mark 7:11, 'It is Corban'). The emphasis in 26 is topical and relevant. There can be no peace and security in a nation when lawlessness and violence are rampant. It is a duty of government to punish lawbreaking and evil, and it is a duty that cannot be neglected without peril. The upholding of law and order need not, of course, be harsh and repressive: mercy, as well as truth (28) must temper the action and legislation of governments. Moral flabbiness, however, is neither merciful nor right, and is an attitude that no government can afford to indulge. In 27 the reference is to conscience, which is God's monitor in the soul. It is true that conscience is not an infallible guide, since the Fall has vitiated it; but under the control of the Spirit of God in a renewed life it is a redoubtable weapon in the divine armoury, searching out all man's inmost being.