Rev. Don Campbell
Numbers 28-30
THOUGHT FOR TODAY, March 7, 2019
“ONE’S WORD MUST BE ONE’S BOND”
Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes saying, “This is what the Lord commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:1-2). If an unmarried woman made a vow, her father could nullify the vow. If he did, the Lord would forgive her (v.5). If a married woman made a vow, her husband could invalidate her vow. God would forgive her. However, if he did, he then would “bear her iniquity” (v.15). Twice Moses uses the expression “thoughtless utterance” referring to the woman’s vows or pledges (v.6, 8).
This entire regulation seemed designed to check thoughtless vows and pledges. The wise man wrote, “It is a snare to say rashly, ‘It is holy,’ and to reflect only after making vows” (Proverbs 20:25). Solomon warns: “Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth.
Therefore let your words be few. For a dream comes with much business, and a fool’s voice with many words. When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God is the one you must fear” (Ecclesiastes 5:1-7).
The bottom line was DON’T MAKE VOWS, BUT IF YOU DO, KEEP THEM.
However, some people seem to believe that lying is acceptable unless one is under oath. Politicians can lie to the people who elected them, but if one of the electors lies to Congress under oath, it can go to jail.
Jesus will have none of this skullduggery: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil” (Matthew 5:33-37).
