“While traveling in a foreign country, my husband noticed that the paved
roads had deep indentations. When he asked about them, our driver explained
that they were caused by the tires of trucks carrying illegal, overweight
loads. When stopped by police, the drivers paid bribes to avoid being fined.
The truckers and police officers came out ahead financially, but other drivers
and taxpayers were left with an unfair financial burden and the inconvenience
of poor roads”. ( J.A.L. – american writer)
Not all bribery is overt; some is more subtle. And not all bribes are financial.
Flattery is a type of bribe that uses words as currency. If we give people
preferential treatment for saying something nice about us, it’s similar to
taking a bribe. To God, any kind of partiality is an injustice. He even made
justice a condition of remaining in the Promised Land. The Israelites were not
to pervert justice or show partiality (Deut.
16:19-20).
Bribery deprives others of justice, which is an offense against the
character of God, who is “God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty
and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe” (10:17).
Thankfully, the Lord treats all of us alike, and He wants us to treat
each other the same way.
Bribery displays partiality; love displays justice. (RBC)
