Making a vow

“When a man voweth a vow unto Jehovah, or sweareth an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.” - Numbers 30:2

We live in a day when keeping vows and promises has gone out of vogue. There always seems to be a reason why we can’t keep a vow or promise. Wedding vows, for example, seem to have become meaningless. In this passage in Numbers God intends that promises both to Him and others are to be kept.

This is more than just a part of the Old Testament Law. This is one of the principles that Jesus repeated. The Jews had taken vow making seriously, but had set up a complicated system of taking an oath on all kinds of things. Jesus’ teaching was clear, don’t make any kind oaths, just let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.

The principle is clear. Christ wants us to be people whose actions back up our words. When we make a promise, we simply must keep it. This applies to both God and man. This is part of what truly saddens me today.

The matter is simple. Do what you say you will do. Keep you r promises. They is no excuse for doing otherwise.