July 29, 2019
Like My Mama Always Said, Think Before You Speak.
Numbers 30
Julie Herrington
Central Truth
As people of God, we are called to be people of our word. Making a vow is a big deal, and if made rashly, it usually leads to hurt.
Key Verse | Numbers 30:2
If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Numbers 30
Men and Vows
1 Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the LORD has commanded. 2 If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
Women and Vows
3 If a woman vows a vow to the LORD and binds herself by a pledge, while within her father's house in her youth, 4 and her father hears of her vow and of her pledge by which she has bound herself and says nothing to her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. 5 But if her father opposes her on the day that he hears of it, no vow of hers, no pledge by which she has bound herself shall stand. And the LORD will forgive her, because her father opposed her.
6 If she marries a husband, while under her vows or any thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she has bound herself, 7 and her husband hears of it and says nothing to her on the day that he hears, then her vows shall stand, and her pledges by which she has bound herself shall stand. 8 But if, on the day that her husband comes to hear of it, he opposes her, then he makes void her vow that was on her, and the thoughtless utterance of her lips by which she bound herself. And the LORD will forgive her. 9 (But any vow of a widow or of a divorced woman, anything by which she has bound herself, shall stand against her.) 10 And if she vowed in her husband's house or bound herself by a pledge with an oath, 11 and her husband heard of it and said nothing to her and did not oppose her, then all her vows shall stand, and every pledge by which she bound herself shall stand. 12 But if her husband makes them null and void on the day that he hears them, then whatever proceeds out of her lips concerning her vows or concerning her pledge of herself shall not stand. Her husband has made them void, and the LORD will forgive her. 13 Any vow and any binding oath to afflict herself, 1 30:13 Or to fast her husband may establish, 2 30:13 Or may allow to stand or her husband may make void. 14 But if her husband says nothing to her from day to day, then he establishes all her vows or all her pledges that are upon her. He has established them, because he said nothing to her on the day that he heard of them. 15 But if he makes them null and void after he has heard of them, then he shall bear her iniquity.”
16 These are the statutes that the LORD commanded Moses about a man and his wife and about a father and his daughter while she is in her youth within her father's house.
Dive Deeper | Numbers 30
I’ll never forget my father-in-law's words when he asked whether my fiancé and I would be writing our own vows, or if we would be reciting the traditional vows. He reminded us that vows are a BIG DEAL. We'd be making promises to one another in front of God, and He warned us not to make vows that we could not keep. Sadly enough, just like the Israelites, I needed that reminder and wake-up call.
During the Old Testament, vows were made either to get something from God or because God had done something for them. Vows were voluntary; yet if they were made carelessly, they could cause a lot of heartache. For example, in Judges 11:30-31, Jephthah says “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatever comes out from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites shall be the LORD's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." Later, we find out it was his own daughter who he had to sacrifice.
In Numbers 30, God is very clear about how we should view and treat vows. Another Scripture that supports this is Deuteronomy 23:21-23. We also see in Ecclesiastes 5:1-7 and Proverbs 20:25 the importance of not making rash vows. Essentially, God is emphasizing that a vow is not to be made rashly, and a vow to the Lord must be kept.
Reflecting over my own marriage vows, I can see the hurt it causes when I don't keep my commitment. The times that cause the most conflict and hurt between my husband and me are when selfishness occurs, and I have broken my vow of sacrificing my comfort and placing his needs above my own. It's in these moments I am reminded of how much I need Christ daily. If left to my own desires, I'd be on the fast track to breaking each one of my marriage vows. But the beautiful thing about marriage is that it is a reflection of God's relationship with the Church. And He will never break His vow to her.
Discussion Questions
1. When have you made a vow to someone and broken it? What caused the vow to be broken? What was the outcome?
2. Think about the reasons why you make a vow to God. Are you wanting something from Him for your own satisfaction?
3. God has made a commitment to His people. Look up some verses that demonstrate His faithfulness to His people and spend some time reflecting on those verses. How does that change your view of God?
4. If you are married, look over your wedding vows. Have you broken any of those vows? What is one thing you could do today to seek reconciliation with your spouse?