Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the LORD.
The speaker is Jesus Christ Himself speaking from the cloudy pillar, and His teaching in this Old Testament command carries the same high standard as His New Testament teaching. The verse requires observing and carrying out all of God's statutes and judgments because He is the LORD, and holiness means such obedience. The whole chapter was given as a lesson for the benefit of future generations.
The command rests on the Lord's authority and on His having brought Israel out of Egypt. In its immediate setting it closes the law of honest measure. It requires doing no unrighteousness in judgment, in length, in weight, or in measure, with complete fairness and no cheating, using only accurate scales and just balances, just weights, just ephah, and just hin.
In its wider setting those statutes and judgments include honoring God's Sabbaths and sanctuary, turning from idols, respecting the elderly, loving the stranger as oneself, loving one's neighbor as oneself and treating him justly, and fearing God. They include relieving the poor brother, stranger, and sojourner so he may live, giving food and raiment, leaving the gleanings of harvest-field, orchard, and vineyard as the Lord's portion to relieve the poor and stranger, taking no usury or increase, not ruling with rigor, paying what is due without fraud, partiality, or oppression, dealing honestly with fair wages and measures, and practicing impartial judgment, justice, and equity. Obedience to these directions is part of representing God's character in relations with others, sharing God's gifts, not oppressing brethren in any way, and, for those who have received God's great gift, loving one another as Christ has loved them.
Applied to business, especially buying and selling property, the verse requires complete honesty with fair standards and truthful representation. It forbids stealing, dealing falsely, lying to one another, defrauding a neighbor, and using unjust gain, including concealing defects, exaggerating value or benefits to make a sale, predicting rises in value to secure profit, taking advantage of occasions and circumstances to make money, and any deceit in setting forth what is sold. Oppression of the poor is actual robbery that God marks, condemns, and will in no case tolerate. Ministers and church members are therefore to be strictly honest and unimpeachable in character in every transaction.
The speaker is Jesus Christ Himself speaking from the cloudy pillar, and His teaching in this Old Testament command carries the same high standard as His New Testament teaching. The verse requires observing and carrying out all of God's statutes and judgments because He is the LORD, and holiness means such obedience. The whole chapter was given as a lesson for the benefit of future generations.
The command rests on the Lord's authority and on His having brought Israel out of Egypt. In its immediate setting it closes the law of honest measure. It requires doing no unrighteousness in judgment, in length, in weight, or in measure, with complete fairness and no cheating, using only accurate scales and just balances, just weights, just ephah, and just hin.
In its wider setting those statutes and judgments include honoring God's Sabbaths and sanctuary, turning from idols, respecting the elderly, loving the stranger as oneself, loving one's neighbor as oneself and treating him justly, and fearing God. They include relieving the poor brother, stranger, and sojourner so he may live, giving food and raiment, leaving the gleanings of harvest-field, orchard, and vineyard as the Lord's portion to relieve the poor and stranger, taking no usury or increase, not ruling with rigor, paying what is due without fraud, partiality, or oppression, dealing honestly with fair wages and measures, and practicing impartial judgment, justice, and equity. Obedience to these directions is part of representing God's character in relations with others, sharing God's gifts, not oppressing brethren in any way, and, for those who have received God's great gift, loving one another as Christ has loved them.
Applied to business, especially buying and selling property, the verse requires complete honesty with fair standards and truthful representation. It forbids stealing, dealing falsely, lying to one another, defrauding a neighbor, and using unjust gain, including concealing defects, exaggerating value or benefits to make a sale, predicting rises in value to secure profit, taking advantage of occasions and circumstances to make money, and any deceit in setting forth what is sold. Oppression of the poor is actual robbery that God marks, condemns, and will in no case tolerate. Ministers and church members are therefore to be strictly honest and unimpeachable in character in every transaction.