Vows and Oaths (Part 3)

Lessons Learned
In all three of these stories, the person who uttered the vow did so at the expense of another person. Jephthah offered his daughter as a burnt offering, King Saul was supposed to kill his son Jonathan for breaking his oath, and Hannah promised to give her son Samuel to God if God allowed her to have a son.

When we make vows, we ultimately affect those around us. It is very hard for our words to not affect the world. Even if our vow is between us and God, our actions to achieve that vow will influence those around us. For example, if we say we are happy and joyous to God and we will read the Bible every day for a year, our daily priorities will change. If we have had a busy day and have forgotten to read the Bible, if a child or grandchild come to you as he is getting ready for sleep and he wants you to read him his favorite bedtime story, you will have to decide if you are going to keep your vow to God and read the Bible or appease the child and read him his book. If you are going to be faithful to God, you will have to tell the child no and then you will need to read the Bible.

In two of the three stories, the person did not need to make the vow. Jephthah already had the Spirit of the LORD upon him when he decided to utter his oath. Additionally, King Saul was defeating the Philistines when he decided to make a rash vow. Both of these men were already on the road to victory when they decided they wanted an assurance of victory. Do we do the same thing? Are you on the path to having success in our lives, but then we want an insurance policy from God, and we make a plea deal with Him?

Perhaps a loved on is very sick. The loved one is starting to make an improvement and there seems to be hope. Do we then ask God for His help and make a rash vow in exchange for God’s healing?

In Hannah’s story, we see her vow is a little bit different. She was barren. She utters her vow before God in the presence of Eli the high priest. Eli the high priest gives her a blessing. Hannah then conceives. We do not know the details of God’s plans, but it is possible that Hannah needed the priest’s blessing to bear a child. Since Hannah was just a common person (whereas Jephthah was a God appointed Judge and King Saul was a God appointed king), Hannah may have needed a God appointed priest to intercede on her behalf.

Once Hannah received the blessing, she was now obligated to keep her oath to God. Hannah dedicates her son to God, and God rewards her for her obedience by blessing her with additional children.

This is also a lesson for us: if we make a vow and fulfill it, God may grant us a blessing as a reward for our obedience.

In King Saul’s oath, he causes the men of Israel to sin. When animals are slaughtered, the blood is to be poured out on the ground. However, since the men are starving, when they seize the spoil and are allowed to eat, they do not drain out the blood. The sin be eating the blood. The same thing can happen with us. We can make an oath to God and cause someone around us to sin or stumble in his walk with God. If we force a family member to be part of our oath, the person may resent God or may intentionally sin to get revenge on God.

An example: A mother is grateful to God that God allowed her son to live through a horrible car accident. She decides to make a vow: her whole family will attend church every Sunday for the next six months. In June, the son gets a scholarship to go to camp. The camp is several hours away. He needs to be at camp by noon on Sunday morning to check in. He needs to leave home at 8 a.m. to meet with other people to carpool to the event. If he leaves home at 8 a.m., he will miss church.

The mother knows the vow she made to God. She tells her son he cannot leave at 8 a.m. He will have to leave after church. Church ends at 11 a.m. He will not be able get to camp until 3 p.m. The son is furious. He will miss camp check in. He will not be able to pick his tent roommate. He will miss the opening ceremonies. Moreover, the husband is livid. He will now have to drive 7 hours to take his son to camp. He had other things planned for the day. Now, both the son and husband are angry at the mother and also mad at God. They do not pay attention at church, are disrespectful to fellow congregants before and after service and have bad attitudes which are noticed by fellow church goers. The mother’s oath has affected many, many people in a negative way. If we make a vow, we need to be very careful our words will not negatively impact those around us.


Taking An Oath. Profaning God’s Name
There are many Scriptures in our Bible which discuss taking an oath. We read repeatedly, if we make a vow, we need to pay it.

7
“Hear, My people, and I will speak;
Israel, I will testify against you;
I am God, your God.
8
I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices,
And your burnt offerings are continually before Me.
9
I will not take a bull from your house,
Nor male goats from your folds.
10
For every animal of the forest is Mine,
The cattle on a thousand hills.
11
I know every bird of the mountains,
And everything that moves in the field is Mine.
12
If I were hungry I would not tell you,
For the world is Mine, and everything it contains.
13
Shall I eat the flesh of bulls
Or drink the blood of male goats?
14
Offer God a sacrifice of thanksgiving
And pay your vows to the Most High;
15
Call upon Me on the day of trouble;
I will rescue you, and you will honor Me.” (Psalm 50:7-15)


8
You caused judgment to be heard from heaven;
The earth feared and was still
9
When God arose to judgment,
To save all the humble of the earth. Selah
10
For the wrath of mankind shall praise You;
You will encircle Yourself with a remnant of wrath.
11
Make vows to the Lord your God and fulfill them;
All who are around Him are to bring gifts to Him who is to be feared. (Psalm 76:8-11)


Taking a Vow and Not fulfilling it is lying and profaning God’s Name
As we continue through Scripture, we read that if we use God’s name (such as in uttering an oath), we profane (or make common) God’s name.

Side Note: In English, the word common has lost its meaning. In Hebrew, the idea is something is either set apart to God (holy) or it is not (common). A better translation of the Hebrew would be something is either set apart for God’s use or it is profane (i.e., it is not to be used in association with God or service to God).

When we utter a vow to God and then we do not fulfill it, we make strip God’s name of its holiness. We make God’s name common like our own names. This is known as taking God’s name in vain, or rather, making God’s name common and unholy.

7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain. (Exodus 20:7)

11 ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave unpunished the one who takes His name in vain. (Deuteronomy 5:11)


Moreover, we see in Scripture, if we swear by God’s name and do so falsely, it is akin to lying and stealing.

11 ‘You shall not steal, nor deal falsely, nor lie to one another. 12 And you shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord. (Leviticus 19:11-12)

Vows and Oaths (Part 2)

As we go from day to day, it is easy to let our lips profess words which we have no intention of keeping. If someone asks us to do something, we may carelessly say "yes". When we need to complete the task, it is easy to make up excuses and tell the person we are unable to keep our word. It is not difficult to break our bonds and to let our "yes" mean "no" and our "no" mean "yes". However, we should be diligent to let whatever flows from our mouths to be honest and trustworthy words. We should mean what we say. 

In this week's Bible story, we explore two people who took oaths. The first person is King Saul. The second person is Hannah. Each one makes a vow. And both try to keep his word despite the high cost it inflicts on his/her family.

 King Saul. 1 Samuel 14
After the time of the Judges, God allows Israel to have a king. The prophet Samuel anoints Saul, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, to be Israel’s first king. King Saul starts his rule being obedient to God. As time passes, King Saul becomes powerful, and he makes rash decisions.

In 1 Samuel 13, the Philistines come to attack Israel. King Saul feels handicapped. No one in Israel has weapons of war because the Philistines had forbidden blacksmiths in the land of Israel. Instead, the Israelites only had fair implements which they had to go to the Philistines to sharpen, and they had to pay outrageous prices to get their fame tools sharpened.

King Saul does not attack the Philistines. Instead, he sits under a pomegranate tree with his commanders and the priest.

In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan decides to go with his armor-bearer into the Philistine camp. Jonathan tells his armor-bearer, if God is with him, then God will deliver the Philistines into their hands.

Jonathan and his armor-bearer have a huge victory over the Philistines. As the Philistines are fleeing, King Saul realizes something is happening. He calls for roll call and discovers his son Jonathan is missing. King Saul and the men with him take courage and go to battle with the Philistines. They have a major victory.

King Saul decides to make a foolish oath in which he prohibits his people from eating until he avenges himself of his enemies.

24 Now the men of Israel were hard-pressed on that day, for Saul had put the people under oath, saying, “Cursed be the man who eats food before evening, and before I have avenged myself on my enemies.” So none of the people tasted food. (1 Samuel 14:24)

The men of Israel knew an oath was a binding word. Hence, they all obediently followed King Saul’s oath, and they did not eat any food.

25 All the people of the land entered the forest, and there was honey on the ground. 26 When the people entered the forest, behold, there was honey dripping; but no man put his hand to his mouth, because the people feared the oath. (1 Samuel 14:25-26)

King Saul makes this oath while Jonathan is still away. Jonathan does not know he is not supposed to eat food. When Jonathan sees honey, he eats it and is refreshed. Jonathan is informed of his father’s oath after he eats honey.

27 However, Jonathan had not heard it when his father put the people under oath; so he put out the end of the staff that was in his hand and dipped it in the honeycomb, and put his hand to his mouth, and his eyes brightened. 28 Then one of the people responded and said, “Your father strictly put the people under oath, saying, ‘Cursed be the man who eats food today.’” And the people were weary. (1 Samuel 14:27-28)

Jonathan realizes what a dumb vow his father had decreed. War is tiring and expends a lot of energy. The troops need to eat to keep up their strength. Jonathan utters his disapproval of the oath to the men of Israel.

29 Then Jonathan said, “My father has troubled the land. See now that my eyes have brightened because I tasted a little of this honey. 30 How much more, if only the people had freely eaten today of the spoils of their enemies which they found! For now the defeat among the Philistines has not been great.” (1 Samuel 14:29-30)

After the men of Israel defeat the Philistines, they rush upon the spoils of war to eat. They slaughter the animals and do not let the blood drain out. Instead, they eat the blood.

31 They attacked the Philistines that day from Michmash to Aijalon. But the people were very tired. 32 So the people loudly rushed upon the spoils, and took sheep, oxen, and calves, and slaughtered them on the ground; and the people ate them with the blood. 33 Then observers informed Saul, saying, “Look, the people are sinning against the Lord by eating meat with the blood.” And he said, “You have acted treacherously; roll a large rock to me today.” 34 Then Saul said, “Disperse yourselves among the people and say to them, ‘Each one of you bring me his ox or his sheep, and slaughter it here and eat; and do not sin against the Lord by eating it with the blood.’” So all the people brought them that night, each one his ox [h]with him, and they slaughtered them there. (1 Samuel 14:31-34)

We read in the text, when the men of Israel eat the meat with the blood still in it, they are sinning. The men are violating God’s commands.

In Genesis 9, Noah and his family survived the flood. God commands Noah that he may eat the animals, but the blood must not be eaten.

Then God blessed Noah and his sons, and said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth. 2 The fear of you and the terror of you will be on every animal of the earth and on every bird of the sky; on everything that crawls on the ground, and on all the fish of the sea. They are handed over to you. 3 Every moving thing that is alive shall be food for you; I have given everything to you, as I gave the green plant. 4 But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood. 5 I certainly will require your lifeblood; from every animal I will require it. And from every person, from every man as his brother I will require the life of a person. (Genesis 9:1-5)

Next, King Saul decides to inquire of the LORD if he should continue pursuing the Philistines overnight. King Saul does not receive a word from the LORD.

36 Then Saul said, “Let’s go down after the Philistines by night and take plunder among them until the morning light, and let’s not leave a man among them alive.” And they said, “Do whatever seems good to you.” So the priest said, “Let’s approach God here.” 37 So Saul inquired of God: “Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You hand them over to Israel?” But He did not answer him on that day. (1 Samuel 14:36-37)

King Saul realizes someone must have violated the oath he made. King Saul decides to draw lots to find out who broke the oath. King Saul’s son Jonathan is selected.

38 Then Saul said, “Come here, all you leaders of the people, and investigate and see how this sin has happened today. 39 For as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, even if it is in my son Jonathan, he shall assuredly die!” But not one of all the people answered him. 40 Then he said to all Israel, “You shall be on one side, and I and my son Jonathan will be on the other side.” And the people said to Saul, “Do what seems good [l]to you.” 41 Therefore, Saul said to the Lord, the God of Israel, “Give a perfect lot.” And Jonathan and Saul were selected by lot, but the people were exonerated. 42 Then Saul said, “Cast lots between me and my son Jonathan.” And Jonathan was selected by lot. (1 Samuel 14:38-42)

When King Saul finds out it is Jonathan who broke the oath, King Saul wants to execute Jonathan. This is truly amazing. King Saul knew his word was a binding oath. Since Jonathan broke the oath, the penalty was death.

43 So Saul said to Jonathan, “Tell me what you have done.” And Jonathan told him, and said, “I did indeed taste a little honey with the end of the staff that was in my hand. Here I am, I must die!” 44 And Saul said, “May God do the same to me and more also, for you shall certainly die, Jonathan!” 45 But the people said to Saul, “Must Jonathan die, he who has brought about this great [p]victory in Israel? Far from it! As the Lord lives, not even a hair of his head shall fall to the ground, because he has worked with God this day.” So the people rescued Jonathan and he did not die. 46 Then Saul went up from pursuing the Philistines, and the Philistines went to their own place. (1 Samuel 14:43-46)

The men of Israel save Jonathan. They protest Jonathan’s death. King Saul decades not to kill Jonathan, but King Saul bears the punishment for not fulfilling his oath. King Saul discontinues his pursuit of the Philistines. He knows God is not with him because he broke his oath. The Philistines get away and will continue to torment Israel for many years to come.



Hannah’s Vow. 1 Samuel 1
In the first chapter of the Book of 1 Samuel, we are introduced to a family. There is the father Elkanah who has two wives Peninnah and Hannah. Peninnah has children; Hannah does not. The family goes to Shiloh every year to worship the LORD. Shiloh is the place where the tabernacle is.

While at Shiloh, Hannah pours out her heart before the LORD. She makes an oath, stating if God allows her to have a son, she will dedicate him to the LORD. In essence, the child will be a Nazarite all the days of his life.

9 Then Hannah got up after eating and drinking in Shiloh. Now Eli the priest was sitting on the seat by the doorpost of the [b]temple of the Lord. 10 She, [c]greatly distressed, prayed to the Lord and wept bitterly. 11 And she made a vow and said, “Lord of armies, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your bond-servant and remember me, and not forget Your bond-servant, but will give Your bond-servant a [d]son, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.” (1 Samuel 1:9-11)

As Hannah is praying, Eli the High Priest sees her. He assumes she is drunk.

12 Now it came about, as she continued praying before the Lord, that Eli was watching her mouth. 13 As for Hannah, she was speaking in her heart, only her lips were quivering, but her voice was not heard. So Eli thought that she was drunk. 14 Then Eli said to her, “How long will you behave like a drunk? Get rid of your wine!” (1 Samuel 1:12-14)

Hannah politely corrects the High Priest. Eli realizes his mistake and gives Hannah a blessing.

15 But Hannah answered and said, “No, my lord, I am a woman [f]despairing in spirit; I have drunk neither wine nor strong drink, but I have poured out my soul before the Lord. 16 Do not [g]consider your bond-servant a useless woman, for I have spoken until now out of my great concern and provocation.” 17 Then Eli answered and said, “Go in peace; and may the God of Israel grant your request that you have asked of Him.” 18 She said, “Let your bond-servant find favor in your sight.” So the woman went on her way and ate, and her face was no longer sad. (1 Samuel 1:15-18)

God remembers Hannah. Hannah conceives and gives birth to a son. She names him Samuel. When the child is weaned, Hannah returns to Shiloh and gives up her son to the Tabernacle service. Samuel is raised by Eli the High Priest.

19 Then they got up early in the morning and worshiped before the Lord, and returned again to their house in Ramah. And Elkanah had relations with Hannah his wife, and the Lord remembered her. 20 It came about in due time, after Hannah had conceived, that she gave birth to a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked for him of the Lord.”
21 Then the man Elkanah went up with all his household to offer to the Lord the yearly sacrifice and to pay his vow. 22 But Hannah did not go up, for she said to her husband, “I will not go until the child is weaned; then I will bring him, so that he may appear before the Lord and stay there for life.” 23 Elkanah her husband said to her, “Do what seems best to you. Stay until you have weaned him; only may the Lord confirm His word.” So the woman stayed and nursed her son until she weaned him. 24 Now when she had weaned him, she took him up with her, with a three-year-old bull, one ephah of flour, and a jug of wine, and brought him to the house of the Lord in Shiloh, although the child was young. 25 Then they slaughtered the bull, and brought the boy to Eli. 26 And she said, “Pardon me, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. 27 For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my request which I asked of Him. 28 So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord.” And he worshiped the Lord there. (1 Samuel 1:19-28)

For Hannah’s faithfulness to the LORD, God blesses Hannah with children.

21 The Lord indeed visited Hannah, and she conceived and gave birth to three sons and two daughters. And the boy Samuel grew up before the Lord. (1 Samuel 2:21)

Vows and Oaths

During Jesus’ ministry on Earth, one thing which He taught was the clarification of many subjects in the Torah. Torah scholars and rabbis had a long history of interpreting the Scripture and making their own claims as to what the text said.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Jesus gives a long commentary on many Torah instructions. Jesus states what the Torah instruction was followed by the current teaching of that instruction. Jesus then gives His interpretation of how the law should actually be fulfilled. Many believed Jesus did away with the Torah or made the Torah easier. If you read Jesus’ words, you will realize He actually made the Torah harder.

Let’s focus our study on oaths. In Matthew 5:33-37, Jesus gives the following commentary:

33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’ 34 But I say to you, take no oath at all, neither by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 Nor shall you take an oath by your head, for you cannot make a single hair white or black. 37 But make sure your statement is, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil origin. (Matthew 5:33-37)


In Matthew chapter 5 verse 33, Jesus gives us a Torah instruction: “You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.” In Numbers chapter 30, we have a long list of instructions regarding vows and oaths. For this study, let’s focus in on Numbers 30, verses 1 and 2.

Then Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the sons of Israel, saying, “This is the word which the Lord has commanded: 2 If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to put himself under a binding obligation, he shall not break his word; he shall act in accordance with everything that comes out of his mouth. (Numbers 30:1-2)

Examining Numbers 30:1-2, we see the instructions about vows includes the following: if a man makes an oath, it is a binding obligation. He needs to complete his vow and shall do everything which comes out of his mouth.

We have many examples in Scripture of where this Torah principle was applied.

Jephthah. Judges Chapter 11
In Judges chapter 11, we are introduced to one of the Judges God raises up to save Israel from the hands of its enemies. A brief background, remember during the time of the Judges there was no centralized government in Israel. The time of the Judges is the period between Joshua and the era of the kings. Remember, Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt from the oppressive rule of Pharaoh. They passed through the Red Sea, and due to a bad report given by 10 Israelites who toured the land of Israel, the Israelites were punished by wandering around the desert for 40 years until all the men who were age 20 or older perished in the wilderness.

Moses leads the Israelites to the banks of the Jordan River. Moses then dies and the leadership is passed to Joshua. Joshua crossed the Jordan and begins the conquest of the Promised Land. Joshua and the Israelites are quite successful; however, many of Israel’s enemies are not completely eradicated. Joshua dies and Israel becomes complacent with total elimination of its enemies. The various tribes allow their enemies to remain in the land.

After Joshua and the leadership who aligned itself with Joshua died, Israel is left without a leader. The priesthood is mostly abandoned, and Israel goes into idolatry. Israel learns the wicked ways of its enemies and forget God.

In the Book of Judges, God becomes angry with Israel for their apostasy, and He punishes them by sending enemies who oppress Israel. After a while, Israel remembers God and cries out to Him. God hears their pleas for help and sends a savior to rescue His people.

In Judges chapter 11, God sends the sons of Ammon to fight against Israel. The men of Gilead ask Jephthah to be their leader and save them from the hand of the Ammonites. Jephthah agrees. Jephthah is endowed with the Spirit of the LORD. Jephthah then makes a vow that whatever comes out of the doors of his home will be sacrificed to God in exchange for victory over the Ammonites.

29 Now the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he passed through Gilead and Manasseh; then he passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from Mizpah of Gilead he went on to the sons of Ammon. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord and said, “If You will indeed hand over to me the sons of Ammon, 31 then whatever comes out the doors of my house to meet me when I return safely from the sons of Ammon, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.” (Judges 11:29-31)

Jephthah defeats the Ammonites. When he returns home, Jephthah’s daughter runs out to meet her father. Jephthah is devastated. His daughter is his only heir. He sacrifices his daughter to fulfill his vow.

34 But Jephthah came to his house at Mizpah, and behold, his daughter was coming out to meet him with tambourines and with dancing. And she was his one and only child; besides her he had no son or daughter. 35 So when he saw her, he tore his clothes and said, “Oh, my daughter! You have brought me disaster, and you are among those who trouble me; for I have given my word to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.” 36 So she said to him, “My father, you have given your word to the Lord; do to me just as you have said, since the Lord has brought you vengeance on your enemies, the sons of Ammon.” 37 And she said to her father, “Let this thing be done for me; allow me two months, so that I may go to the mountains and weep because of my virginity, I and my friends.” 38 Then he said, “Go.” So he let her go for two months; and she left with her friends, and wept on the mountains because of her virginity. 39 And at the end of two months she returned to her father, who did to her what he had vowed; and she had no relations with a man. And it became a custom in Israel, 40 that the [s]daughters of Israel went annually to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite for four days in the year. (Judges 11:34-40)

In my previous Bible study on the Book of Judges, I went in to a long discussion about the various views on this passage. In summary, all commentaries from the ancient scholars through Christian scholars up to the 19th Century, all viewed Jephthah as doing exactly what the text says: Jephthah killed his daughter to fulfill his vow to God to offer her up as a burnt offering. Only recent commentaries have found this favor unpalatable and have changed it that Jephthah’s daughter was not scarified, but she worked the rest of her days as a servant in the tabernacle.

Whatever transpired is not the emphasis of this study. Instead, we need to look at Jephthah and his vow. Although Israel was far from God, and observed idol worship, they maintained many of God’s commandments, one of which was keeping vows. Jephthah made a rash vow with his mouth, but in the end, he kept his word. He was obedient to Numbers 30:2.

Appearances Deceive: Appearances vs Reality Part 3

It was the nineteenth century Jewish historian Heinrich Graetz who pointed out a fundamental difference between other ancient cultures and Judaism: “The pagan perceives the Divine in nature through the medium of the eye, and he becomes conscious of it as something to be looked at. On the other hand, to the Jew who conceives God as being outside of nature and prior to it, the Divine manifests itself through the will and through the medium of the ear . . . The pagan beholds his god, the Jew hears Him; that is, apprehends His will.”

In the twentieth century, literary theorist Erich Auerbach contrasted the literary style of Homer with that of the Hebrew Bible. In Homer’s prose, the Odyssey and Iliad are full of visual descriptions. By contrast, biblical narrative has very few such descriptions. We do not know how tall Abraham was, the color of Isaac’s hair, or what Moses looked like. Visual details are minimal, and are present only when necessary to understand what follows. We are told for example that Joseph was good-looking (Gen. 39: 6) only to explain why Potiphar’s wife conceived a desire for him.

The key to the five stories occurs later on in Old Testament, in the biblical account of Israel’s first two kings. Saul looked like royalty. 1 Samuel 9:1-2

1 Now there was a man of Benjamin whose name was Kish the son of Abiel, son of Zeror, son of Becorath, son of Aphiah, son of a Benjaminite, a valiant mighty man. 2 He had a son whose name was Saul, a young and handsome man, and there was not a more handsome man than he among the sons of Israel; from his shoulders and up he was taller than any of the people. (1 Samuel 9:1-2)

King Saul

He was tall. He had presence. He had the bearing of a king. But he lacked self confidence. He followed the people rather than leading them. Samuel had to rebuke him with the words, “You may be small in your own eyes but you are head of the tribes of Israel.” Appearance and reality were opposites. Saul had physical but not moral stature.

The contrast with David was total. When God told Samuel to go to the family of Jesse to find Israel’s next king, no one even thought of David, the youngest of the family. 1 Samuel 16:1-11

1 Now the LORD said to Samuel, “How long are you going to mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil and go; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, because I have chosen a king for Myself among his sons.” 2 But Samuel said, “How can I go? When Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” But the LORD said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the LORD.’ 3 And you shall invite Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will let you know what you shall do; and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I designate to you.” 4 So Samuel did what the LORD told him, and he came to Bethlehem. Then the elders of the city came trembling to meet him and said, “Do you come in peace?” 5 And he said, “In peace; I have come to sacrifice to the LORD. Consecrate yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.” He also consecrated Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice.

Eliab, the son of Jesse

6 When they entered, he looked at Eliab and thought, “Surely the LORD’S anointed is standing before Him.” 7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see as man sees, since man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” 8 Then Jesse called Abinadab and had him pass before Samuel. But he said, “The LORD has not chosen this one, either.” 9 Next Jesse had Shammah pass by. And he said, “The LORD has not chosen this one, either.” 10 So Jesse had seven of his sons pass before Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The LORD has not chosen these.” 11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are these all the boys?” And he said, “The youngest is still left, but behold, he is tending the sheep.” So Samuel said to Jesse, “Send word and bring him; for we will not take our places at the table until he comes here.” (1 Samuel 16:1-11)

Samuel’s first instinct was to choose Eliab who, like Saul, looked the part. But God told him, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16: 7).

Only when we have read all these stories are we able to return to the first story of all in which clothes play a part: the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, after eating which they see they are naked. They are ashamed, and they make clothes for themselves. That is a story for another occasion but its theme should now be clear. It is about eyes and ears, seeing and listening. Adam and Eve’s sin had little to do with fruit, or sex, and everything to do with the fact that they let what they saw override what they had heard.

“Joseph recognized his brothers, but they did not recognize him.” The reason they did not recognize him is that, from the start, they allowed their feelings to be guided by what they saw, the “coat of many colors” that inflamed their envy of their younger brother. Judge by appearances and you will miss the deeper truth about situations and people. You will even miss God Himself, for God cannot be seen, only heard. That is why the primary imperative in Judaism is Shema Yisrael, “Listen/hear/obey, O Israel,” and why, when the first line of the Shema is said, a hand is placed over the eyes so that one cannot see.


Appearances deceive. Clothes betray. Deep understanding, whether of God or of human beings, needs the ability to listen.