VOWS
WHAT DOES GOD SAY ABOUT OUR PROMISES?
BIBLE READING: Leviticus 5:4-6
KEY BIBLE VERSE: If they make a rash vow of any kind, whether its purpose is for good or bad, they will be considered guilty even if they were not fully aware of what they were doing at the time. (Leviticus 5:4)
GOD EXPECTS US TO TAKE OUR PROMISES VERY SERIOUSLY.
Have you ever sworn to do or not do something and then realized how foolish your promise was? God’s people are called to keep their word, even if they make promises that are tough to keep. Jesus was warning against swearing (in the sense of making vows or oaths) when he said, “Just say a simple ’Yes, I will’ or ’No, I won’t’” (Matthew 5:37). Our word should be enough. If we feel we have to strengthen it with an oath, something is wrong. The only promises we ought not to keep are promises that lead to sin. A wise and self-controlled person avoids making rash promises.
BIBLE READING: Proverbs 20:25
KEY BIBLE VERSE: It is dangerous to make a rash promise to God before counting the cost. (Proverbs 20:25)
GOD TAKES OUR PROMISES SERIOUSLY AND WILL HOLD US TO THEM.
This proverb points out the evil of making a vow rashly and then reconsidering it. God takes vows seriously and requires that they be carried out (Deuteronomy 23:21-23). We often have good intentions when making a vow-we want to show God that we are determined to please him. Jesus, however, says it is better not to make promises to God because he knows how difficult they are to keep (Matthew 5:33-37). If you still feel it is important to make a vow, make sure that you weigh the consequences of breaking that vow. (In Judges 11, Jephthah made a rash promise to sacrifice the first thing he saw on his return home. As it happened, he saw his daughter first.) It is better not to make promises than to make them and then later want to change them. It is better still to count the cost beforehand and then to fulfill them.
BIBLE READING: Matthew 5:33-37
KEY BIBLE VERSE: Just say a simple, “Yes, I will,” or “No, I won’t.” Your word is enough. To strengthen your promise with a vow shows that something is wrong. (Matthew 5:37)
JESUS EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING OUR WORD.
People were breaking promises and using sacred language casually and carelessly. Keeping oaths and promises is important; it builds trust and makes committed human relationships possible. The Bible condemns making vows or taking oaths casually, giving your word while knowing that you won’t keep it, or swearing falsely in God’s name (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Numbers 30:1-2; Deuteronomy 19:16-20). Oaths are needed in certain situations only because we live in a sinful society that breeds distrust.
GOD EXPECTS US TO BE KNOWN AS PEOPLE WHO KEEP OUR WORD.
Oaths, or vows, were common, but Jesus told his followers not to use them-their word alone should be enough (see James 5:12). Are you known as a person of your word? Truthfulness seems so rare that we feel we must end our statements with “I promise.” If we tell the truth all the time, we will have less pressure to back up our words with an oath or promise.