A False Balance and Election Integrity: A Christian Perspective
A false balance is an abomination to the Lord: but a just weight is his delight. (Proverbs 11:1)
With all the “big” sin issues in play in our culture and around the world, does cheating the scales rate that high on the scale of divine importance? According to Proverbs 11:1, it does.
3000 years have not changed this problem very much. Whether it is a finger on the scale or an inaccurate scale altogether, the problem that existed in Solomon’s day also exists in ours. Stones were used as weights on the scales in ancient times. Unscrupulous merchants would use heavier weights when purchasing, and lighter weights when selling, to skim deceitful profits from unsuspecting customers. Even today this is an issue. This is why every state has a department of weights and measures that ensures fair trade in their state. In Arizona, the DWM is part of the Department of Agriculture licenses and tests everything from gas pumps to truck scales. This type of accountability is essential for a fair and orderly society.
God calls a false balance an abomination. He hates it. The word abomination is used here is also used to describe God’s attitude toward idolatry, false sacrifices, and all kinds of moral sin. In human terms, it describes a sort of physical repulsion. We classify sins in different ways than God does. Cheating on your wife is horrible, but cheating on your customers is just business. Well, not according to God. He puts those sins in the same category here.
The most politically sensitive application of this principle is the integrity of elections. Since the 2016 election, both Democrats and Republicans have taken turns crying “cheater” over national and local elections. It is hard to imagine that in a country this size, with as many votes cast, and with how we conduct elections, there has not been some cheating going on. So how are Christians supposed to think about this?
“Oh well, it doesn’t matter, there is nothing we can do.”
Because elections seem like such a massive process, and the results so far out of our control, many believers just choose to check out of the process assuming that they cannot make a difference anyway. That is not an acceptable biblical response. As citizens, we have not only the opportunity but the responsibility to demand governmental accountability. We do this by voting first, even if we believe there might be foul play in the process. One way to make sure you have no voice at all is to not vote at all. That is an unbiblical response. It is similar to the steward who buried his talent in the ground. We cannot change the past, but we can change the future. Vote for initiatives that make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. According to Proverbs 11:1, that is pleasing to the Lord.
You can also participate in the process. Local governments are looking for volunteers to serve as poll watchers and election officials. Take a day off of work and be part of the solution. Give your employees time off so they can serve in accountability roles.
“We lost. Someone must have cheated!”
This is also not a biblical response. To claim a conspiracy and delegitimize a duly elected official is also a way of putting your finger on the scale. To make such a claim, you should have ample evidence that there was voter fraud AND that it rose to the level of significance in an election. All cheats should be prosecuted, but just because there was some cheating does not mean an entire election should be nullified. Integrity in elections should be more important to us than winning. When we adopt a “win by any means necessary” mentality we are abhorrent to God even if our positions line up with biblical values. I am not saying that every candidate should be morally perfect. This article is about election integrity, not about who we should vote for.
Christians can easily be sucked into all kinds of conspiracy theories because we know that there is a Satanic conspiracy at work throughout all of human history. But we also must trust God and believe that He is still truly on the throne. Proverbs also says,
The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts. To do righteousness and justice, Is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. (Proverbs 21:1-3)
There is a sweet balance in these verses between acting (proactively even) in righteousness and justice, and trusting God to control sovereignly—especially in the areas where we know have no control.
Work hard. Do what you can. Make a difference. Trust God who not only makes our labor useful (or useless) but also intervenes in ways that we cannot imagine.
Listen to the audio version here: A False Balance and Election Integrity: A Christian Perspective (substack.com)
You can also find us on Apple, Spotifiy, or other podcast providers.