Commitment to God - caution and zeal

Text Numbers 30 Time 21/04/13 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church

One of the things that sometimes happens in this building is that people publicly express a commitment to God by making promises. That's what happens when a new minister is inducted. He promises to serve the congregation. It's what happens too when a person is baptised or joins the church, even though it is not always spelled out. That person is promising to follow Christ faithfully or to be a faithful member of the church. Of course, we also have weddings here where bride and groom make promises to each other of lifelong commitment.

Promises and vows go together well with making a commitment and can be a real help to that end. The 1689 Baptist Confession has a helpful chapter on vows and oaths. It begins

1. A lawful oath is a part of religious worship, wherein the person swearing in truth, righteousness and judgement, solemnly calleth God to witness what he sweareth; and to judge him according to the truth or falseness thereof.

2. The Name of God only is that by which men ought to swear; and therein it is to be used, with all holy fear and reverence, therefore to swear vainly or rashly by that glorious and dreadful name or to swear at all by any other thing is sinful and to be abhorred; yet as in matter of weight and moment for confirmation of truth and ending all strife, an oath is warranted by the Word of God. So a lawful oath being imposed by lawful authority in such matters ought to be taken.

Also

4. An Oath is to be taken in the plain, and common sense of the words; without equivocation, or mental reservation.

This is something that comes out well in Numbers 30, where Moses is instructed first to urge people to keep their oaths but then to point out that in certain situations a vow or oath is not binding, which is something the confession also goes on to deal with. Also note how the final verse of the chapter points out these regulations the Lord gave Moses concern relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house. This is not the only chapter about vows in the Bible (Leviticus 27 is another) but it follows on appropriately from chapters dealing with making sacrifices. A vow might often involve a vow to make a sacrifice.

There are three chief things to learn from this brief chapter then.

1. See the importance of heartfelt commitment in serving the Lord

Under the Old Testament Law vows and oaths were very much part of the way of life. They are less so now, although they play their part. The call to love God with all your heart and soul and mind continues, however, and so it is still basically true that when a man makes a vow to the Lord (a positive promise to do something) or takes an oath to bind himself by a pledge, (a negative promise not to do something) he must not break his word but must do everything he said. Have you said you will follow the Lord? Then follow the Lord. Have you said you will do some particular thing – such a serving as a pastor or a deacon, giving a certain amount of money or doing a certain thing – then do it.

One nineteenth century writer wrote like this

“If I had promised you an acorn next first of October, and all the oaks in England had been blighted, it would become my duty to send to Spain for one, but not for the value of the acorn. Did you ever hear of Ruy Diazel Campeador, who, in order to arm his men for a campaign against the Moors, had borrowed money upon some chests of stones, which the Jews of Burgos who lent it, imagined to be plate? He redeemed the pledge and when his generals, on seeing the chest opened wondered at his doing so, (honesty does not seem to have been the Spaniard forte in those days) he said “Do you not know that there was in those chests a treasure far more precious than anything you can see? They contained el oro de mi verdad the gold of my truth.” Far more than meets the eye is implied in the keeping or the not keeping of a trifling rubric it is not the thing itself but it is the compromise of principle - it is the difference between truth and falsehood - between honesty and dishonesty.”

People make and break promises lightly today. Commitment and loyalty are a rare thing. Marriage is an obvious example. I saw an article only the other day expressing amazement at how common adultery is in our society. This is not how it ought to be.

2. Recognise that rash vows or promises must be avoided

The bulk of the chapter is taken up with examples of where a vow is made but it should not be kept. No doubt this is because it was rash and should not have been made. It is not only women who make rash commitment, of course. Jephthah famously made a rash promise to sacrifice the first creature he saw on returning home from battle if he was successful and ended up killing his only daughter. Herod is another example with his rash promise to give his step daughter anything she should choose up to half the kingdom – never guessing she would say the head of John the Baptist.

The first example here is where a woman still living at home makes vow or takes an oath (3-5). In such a case when (4) her father hears about her vow or pledge if he says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she bound herself will stand. But (5) if her father forbids her when he hears about it, presumably because he sees it is a rash promise none of her vows or the pledges by which she bound herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.

The second example (6-8) is with regard to a woman who marries after making a rash promise, probably a betrothed woman. Here there is an explicit reference to a rash promise by which she binds herself. The principle is the same though – if

her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she bound herself will stand. But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that binds her or the rash promise by which she binds herself, and the Lord will release her.

The third example is a married woman (10-12). Once again it is the same – if

her husband hears about it but says nothing to her and does not forbid her, then all her vows or the pledges by which she bound herself will stand. But if her husband nullifies them when he hears about them, then none of the vows or pledges that came from her lips will stand. Her husband has nullified them, and the Lord will release her.

One other thing is added in verses 13-15. It is a sort of statute of limitations, although no exact time scale is given. It says that

Her husband may confirm or nullify any vow she makes or any sworn pledge to deny herself. But if her husband says nothing to her about it from day to day, then he confirms all her vows or the pledges binding on her. He confirms them by saying nothing to her when he hears about them. If, however, he nullifies them some time after he hears about them, then he is responsible for her guilt.’

Verse 9 makes clear that

Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.

So if a woman wanted to make a promise – to make a sacrifice, to give money or make some other commitment – then she was free to do it if she was a widow or divorced but otherwise she was subject to the direction of her father or husband. The laws were in place in order to discourage people taking advantage of anyone tempted to make a rash promise.

Of course, it is not only women who make rash promises men can make them just as easily.

Here is a warning then, first of all, against rash promises. The 1689 Confession includes these words on the subject.

3. Whosoever taketh an oath warranted by the Word of God, ought duly to consider the weightiness of so solemn an act, and therein to avouch nothing but what he knoweth to be truth; for that by rash, false, and vain oaths, the Lord is provoked, and for them this land mourns. ...

5. A vow which is not to be made to any creature, but to God alone, is to be made and performed with all religious care and faithfulness; but popish monastical vows of perpetual single life, professed poverty and regular obedience, are so far from being degrees of higher perfection, that they are superstitious and sinful snares, in which no Christian may entangle himself.

At this time there was a particular concern about those who had made monastic vows and whether they could break them. They can be broken, the confession suggests, because they are rash and unbiblical. Of course, far better would have been not to have made them in the first place. The same can be said for some vows made today - not to marry or not to drink alcohol, for example. A wise person will be very careful before he makes a vow, making sure that it is in line with the Bible and allowing for change where necessary.

I remember reading a story from the days when Communism was till going strong in Eastern Europe and persecuting Christians there. People from western Europe would often take Bibles to the east even though they were officially banned. One man told how he and his friend were in the Czech Republic or somewhere when their car got stuck in the mud. They were in real trouble but some locals kindly helped them out by pushing the car. They were then ushered into a tavern of some sort and pints of beer were served. The one man had actually taken a vow not to drink alcohol and so he was in a spot. Should he keep his vow, which would involve trying to explain why he was not going to drink or should he forget the vow and drink up out of politeness. I think he made the right decision when he decided to drink up but he might have been wisest not to make a vow. You can avoid alcohol without taking a vow. Similarly you can remain single without vowing to remain so. Vows are best avoided but in certain situations they are okay as long as you remember to keep them.

3. Observe the patriarchal nature of biblical order

The other thing here is the emphasis on relationships between a man and his wife, and between a father and his young daughter still living in his house. There is clearly a patriarchal structure here in which fathers have a certain authority over their daughters and husbands over their wives. Some women object to such an order and say that it should not be like that. Clearly the system is open to abuse but that is no reason to abandon it. When a girl is growing up she may feel that she wants to vow to give money away or to live in a certain way but if her father objects then she will have to revise her plans. Something similar pertains where a woman is married and her husband is still living. This is the biblical order both in the Old Testament and the New Testament.

You see from this passage that the purpose of this is not to limit a woman but to protect her. Verse 15 speaks about the woman's husband being responsible for her guilt. Of course, these ideas are lost on many who want to destroy the whole biblical idea of a family completely. This is why we have people pushing things such as gay marriage, anti-smacking legislation and even the championing of women's rights to some extent. The biblical pattern of children obeying their parents, of women submitting to their husbands is the right way and the only safe way. The more we see it honoured the better.

Here is a reminder of the duty of parents to care fro their children and husbands to love their wives. Do not forget your responsibilities.

So make a heartfelt commitment to God. In some instances a vow is appropriate but take care what you promise to do. You must keep your promises. Women, you have some protection in the care of a father or husband but not in every case.