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)
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