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To weigh is to consider, with a view to the choice of rejection or preferment. To
estimate relative values. To balance in the scales. Job, in seeking to justify himself,
cried:
"If I have walked in ways of falsity, or if my foot has hasted to deceit; then let Him
weigh me in just balances, and let Eloah know my blamelessness" (Job 31: 5, 6, The
Companion Bible).
But later on Job repented of these arrogant words, and confessed:
"Lo! I am vile! What shall I answer Thee? Rather, I lay my hand upon my mouth . . .
I abhor myself. In dust and ashes I repent" (Job 40: 4 & 42: 6, The Companion Bible).
When Job finally came to know himself, and to acknowledge that all the ways of God
were just and true, he then received a double portion. Truly, by Him (the Lord) actions
are weighed.
In Dan. 5:, the mighty king Belshazzar gave a huge feast, and had brought into his
palace the sacred vessels of gold which Nebuchadnezzar, his grandfather, had plundered
from the Temple in Jerusalem. He wanted to use them as drinking vessels for himself
and his guests. Immediately after he had done so, the king saw the fingers of a hand
write on the wall, "Mene, Mene, Tekel, Upharsin", Chaldee words for "Numbered,
Weighed, Divided (or Split, or Broken)". Completely shattered and unnerved, Daniel
was sent for and asked to explain. God gave Daniel the key to this riddle, and he boldly
gave the interpretation: "God has numbered your kingdom and it is finished. You are
weighed in the balances and found wanting. Your kingdom will be given to the Medes
and Persians" (Dan. 5: 25-28). Just as when you or I go shopping and expect to receive
16 oz. to the pound (or grams to the kilo now), so does a righteous and just God expect
the same. From those to whom much has been given, more is expected than those who
have not received so much.
In Prov. 16: 2 we read: "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the
Lord weigheth the spirits (Hebrew ruach, mind)". He not only weighs our actions, but
also our thinking. In other words he weighs the thinking or reasoning behind those
actions.
We come now to verse 4 of I Sam. 2::
"The bows of the mighty men are broken, and they that stumbled are girded with strength."
Here we see that God reverses human conditions, bringing low the proud and wicked,
and raising up the righteous. One ancient writer quotes this verse as follows:
"Every power which will be something in itself is destroyed by the Lord. Every
weakness which despairs of itself is transformed into power."
The bow at this time was the symbol of human power. While therefore the power of
these mighty ones is shattered, the weak and puny ones are by Him made strong. Israel's
history was an abundant illustration of these words, both before and after they were
uttered. A typical David and Goliath saga. So the Psalmist sang at a later date: