Numbers 30 - Vows

Are you a person of your word? I know I try to be. When I make a commitment, I make every effort and then some to keep that commitment. But this chapter is about more than just a commitment, it is about vows...defined by the dictionary as:

1. An earnest promise to perform a specified act or behave in a certain manner, especially a solemn promise to live and act in accordance with the rules of a religious order

This is a step beyond a promise and in this chapter reefers  to a promise made to God. Here are a few verses from the chapter:

² A man who makes a vow to the Lord or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. He must do exactly what he said he would do.

 ¹⁴ But if he does not object on the day he hears of it, then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges. ¹⁵ If he waits more than a day and then tries to nullify a vow or pledge, he will be punished for her guilt.”

Vows are taken very seriously and for a man, once made, he is responsible. For a woman, she is also responsible once the vow is made with the exception if her husband/father objects immediately, she can be forgiven, but it he objects later, he bears the guilt.

I don't want to get into the gender issue of this but to point out that keeping a vow to God is imprtant and not keeping the vow has consequences.

When I consider vows to God, they involve a number of characteristics to make and keep:

• devotion/love
• commitment/persistence
• sacrifice
• and more...

It is these characteristics that God values over the substance of the vow, because these, more than the substance of the vow, show our commitment to God.

When a vow is not kept, it is these characteristics that have failed and the failure of these characteristics fall into other areas of our life and consequences start to abound. Our lack of commitment to God becomes a lack of commitment to others and relationships fail. Our lack of persistence to God becomes lack of persistence in projects we are working on and our work fails and our lack of sacrifice to God becomes an indulgent life and things just fall apart.

When you consider all this, it is important to be thoughtful in your promises and especially those made to the Lord. Have you made a vow to God in the past? How are you doing with that. Do you need to make a re-commitment to it? Are you considering a vow? Have you taken the time to be thoughtful and cover it in prayer?

A vow to God can be a great discipline, but don't make it lightly.