Text: Numbers 30: 1-16, Ecclesiastes 5:1-7
Vow to God is a solemn promise made before God or to God. It is an
earnest promise or pledge or personal commitment to perform a specified act or
behave in a certain manner especially a solemn promise to live and act in
accordance with the rules. It is the ultimate commitment to God. It is to make
a determined decision or promise to do something. Vow is an oath and God
expects us to fulfill any vow made to him. Num 30:2, "When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate
himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said."
Matt 5:33 & 37, "Again, you have
heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but keep
the oaths you have made to the Lord. Simply
let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' be 'No,' ;anything beyond this comes
from the evil one." To fulfill is to bring to realization. That is, that which you have
promised, you make to happen.
You are admonished to be a man of integrity. God does not forget vows
made to him, watch what comes out of your mouth. It is better not to vow
anything than to vow and not fulfill it. Breaking vow made to God is a sin and it has consequences.so never make
a hasty vow. A vow to God is extremely binding and you have to keep it. However
a broken vow should be taken to God in true confession so that God can forgive.
Apart from making vows to God, vows can also be made to man. For example, marriage
vows between husband and wife, to a friend, to a relation, to parents, to an
employer or as a form of membership in to an Organisation. These vows are in
form of pledges, promises or oaths. Your integrity is at stake when making
vows, so before making any at all, you must understand what it is and what it
involves. Never rush to make a vow. Be a man of integrity.
Num 30:2, “When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to
obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything
he said”.
Deut 23:21 & 23, “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be
slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you
will be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you
made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.
Ps 50:14, “Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the
Most High.
Ps 66:13-14, I will come to your temple with burnt offerings and fulfill
my vows to you- vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
Ps 116:14, I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his
people.
Eccl 5:4, When you make a vow to God, do not delay
to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools fulfill your vow. It is better not
to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.
Jnh 2:9, But I, with shouts of grateful praise, will sacrifice to you. What
I have vowed I will make good. I will say, Salvation comes from the LORD.
Matt 5:33, Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long
ago, Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.
Brethren, you are admonished to redeem whatever vows you make and that
you should not make a hasty vow. Let us consider the following characters in
the Bible as to vows made and fulfillment of such.
Hannah in 1 Sam 1:11-28
Hannah was Elkanah's wife but had no child until later. She went to
Shiloh to pray to God. In her deep anguish she prayed to the LORD and wept
bitterly and made a vow saying in 1 Sam 1:11, "LORD Almighty, if you will
only look on your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant
but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life,
and no razor will ever be used on his head." The LORD remembered her and
in the course of time she became pregnant and gave birth to a son whom she
named Samuel, saying "Because I asked the LORD for him." She nursed
Samuel until she had weaned him and went back to where she prayed unto God and
said I prayed for this child, and the LORD has granted me what I asked of him. So
I now give him to the LORD. And Samuel worshiped the LORD there. Hannah happily
fulfilled her vow unto the Lord.
Jacob in Gen 28-1-22
Jacob's father Isaac
instructed him to go to Paddam Aram, to the house of his mother's father
Bethuel to take a wife. Jacob was prepared to go and God revealed himself to
Jacob in a dream and promised to be with him, watch over him wherever he goes
and bring him back to his father's land he was leaving, and will not leave him
until God has done what he has promised him, Then Jacob made a vow in Gen 28:20,
"If God will be with me and will watch over me on this journey I am taking
and will give me food to eat and clothes to wear, so that I return safely to my
father's household, then the LORD will be my God, and this stone that I have
set up as a pillar will be God's house." God fulfilled the promise to
Jacob. He went to Paddam Aram, He was blessed and God increased and enlarged
him. He had wives, children, male and female servants, cattle, donkeys, sheep
and goats. He accumulated a lot and he came back safely to Bethel with all the
people with him. In fulfillment of his vow he built an altar in the place where
God revealed himself to him when leaving Bethel and called the place El Bethel.
Also, he bought a plot of land at Shechem in Canaan and set up an altar and
called it El Elohe Israel. Jacob did as he vowed and the stone he set up as a
pillar became God's house.
Jephthah in Judges11:1-39.
Jephthah the Gileadite was a mighty warrior. The elders of Gilead
appealed to him to come and lead war for them against the Ammonites and
promised to make him head and commander over them and they did to him as
promised. He led the war for Israel against the Ammonites. v29-31, “Then the
spirit of the LORD came on him and he made a vow to the LORD. If you give the
Ammonites into my hands, whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me
when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD's, and I will
sacrifice it as a burnt offering." Then he went over to fight and the LORD
gave him victory and Israel subdued Ammon. As he returned to his home in Mizpah, his daughter, the only child
danced to the sound of timbrels to meet him at the door. On sighting her, he
tore his clothes and cried and was so devastated. But he said in v35b, "I
have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break." And Jephthah did to her
daughter as he vowed to God."
Going through the examples given above we see the faithfulness of God in
all the cases. Our God is ever faithful. Thank God, Hannah, Jacob and Jephthah
had the grace to fulfill their vows. We make vows to God when we are in
distress, in anguish and afflicted. When we are desperate for attention and
want God to intervene and do something concerning our case. Really, making vows
help one to focus on God and help one to place God in the forefront of one's
mind all the time.
Consequences of breaking vows made to God.
Breaking vows attracts condemnation and judgement. James 5:12.
One will be guilty of sin. Deut 23:21.
One will be accused of wrong doing. Num 30:15.
The advantage of fulfilling vows is that you receive more blessings from
God and you become more honorable. 1 Sam 2:21.
Brethren, you are admonished to be honest and be truthful when you are
making vows and also about financial matters especially in the house hold of
God.
2 Cor 8:12. Never make a hasty vow. Seek the face of the Lord before you
make a vow.
Prayer.
Lord, you are ever faithful to your promises. As humans we do rush to
you in times of anguish, despair and distress and make vows to you.
Grant us the grace to be able to fulfill such vows and if there are
outstanding ones yet to fulfill have mercy on us and grant us the grace to fulfill
them in Jesus' name. Amen.
