Breaking a vow

March 7, 2008

Numbers 30:1-2 GNB
(1) Moses gave the following instructions to the leaders of the tribes of Israel.
(2) When a man makes a vow to give something to the LORD or takes an oath to abstain from something, he must not break his promise, but must do everything that he said he would.


We live in a society today when it is very easy to take a vow and then break it. We do it all the time. It used to be a handshake was enough to close any deal. Now it has to be in writing, and sometimes that is not enough. It is too easy to break any agreement or vow that we make.

I will give you an example. You go to the store and you buy a TV with your credit card. A few year later, you get into some financial trouble. It might be that you have overspent, or that you lost a job, it does not matter. So what do you do? Many would try to work it out and pay it out over time. That is the honorable thing to do. Many will declare bankruptcy and not pay it at all, even while still enjoying the TV. The thing is, you made a vow to pay it and it should be paid on time. People plan on that money coming in and paying their employees with it. They made a vow to them to get paid for work done. I am not saying that you and the company cannot be flexible. I am saying, in place of taking that vow in the first place, how about saving for it. We are too quick to take a vow and we do not know if we will keep it.

The thing is, once we learn how to break one vow, it becomes easy to break others. Once I learn I can get rid of my debt by declaring bankruptcy , how about dissolving the problem with my spouse by getting a divorce. When we learn to break one vow, others become easier to break as well.

God makes it clear in His word that a vow is an important thing. Do not make it if you can not keep it, especially if it is to Him.


Read through the Bible in one year in Historical order
Today
Numbers 28:1-30:16
Tomorrow
Numbers 31:1-32:42
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