Jacob made this vow, 'If God goes with me and keeps me safe on this journey I am making, if he gives me bread to eat and clothes to wear and I return home safely to my father, then Yahweh shall be my God. This stone I have set up as a monument shall be a house of God and I will surely pay you a tenth of all you give me.' - Gen. 28:20-22 -
I am the God of Bethel where you poured oil on a monument and where you made a vow to me. Now get ready to leave this country and return to the land of your birth. - Gen. 31:13 -
Other people who made a vow in the Old Testament are Jephthah - Judg. 11:30-31,39 - Hannah - 1Sam. 1:11 - king David - Ps. 132:2-5 - Absalom - 2Sam. 15:7-8 - Samson was an Old Testament hero who had taken the Nazirite vow. - Judg. 13:4-7; 16:17 -
All vows were made to God as a promise in expectation of His favour or in thanksgiving for His blessings. Vowing was voluntary. But after a vow was made it had to be performed. Vows, therefore, were to be made only after careful consideration and in keeping with what pleased God.
If you make a vow to Yahweh your God, you must not be lazy in keeping it; be sure that Yahweh your God requires it and to with hold it would be a sin. But if you had refrained from making a vow, there would be no sin for you. Whatever passes your lips you must keep to, and the vow that you have freely made with your own mouth to Yahweh your God must be fulfilled. - Deut. 23:21-23 -
If you make a vow to God, discharge it without delay, for God has no love for fools. Discharge your vow. Better a vow unmade and not discharged. Do not allow your own words to bring guilt on you, nor tell your angel afterwards it was unintentional. Why should a word of yours give God occasion to be angry and destroy what your hands have worked for? For every dream, a vanity to match; too many words, a chasing of the wind. Therefore, fear God. - Eccl. 5:3-6 -
A man is trapped when he shouts 'Dedicated!' and only begins to reflect after the vow. - Prov. 20:25 -
Unbelievers, wicked and sinful peoples does not know what will please God; he/she needs God direction in making vows. Vowing is joyful worship in faith and love often associated with the proclamation of God's salvation. - Ps. 61:4-8; 22:22-27; 66:13-20 - From farthest east to farthest west and farthest north and farthest south God name is honoured among the nations and everywhere. For this reason, deception in vowing is an affront to God and brings His curse.
But you, you profane it by thinking of the Lord's table as defiled and by holding in contempt the food placed on it. 'How tiresome it all is!' you say; and you sniff disdainfully at me, say Yahweh Sabaoth. You bring a stolen lame or diseased animal, you bring that as an offering! Am I to accept this from your hands? says Yahweh Sabaoth. Cursed be the rogue who owns a male which he has vowed to offered from his flock and instead sacrifices a blemished animal to me! For I am a great king, says Yahweh Sabaoth, and my name is feared throughout the nations. Mal. 1:12-14 -
And now, priests, this warning is for you. If you do not listen, if you do not find it in your heart to glorify my name, says Yahweh Sabaoth, I will send the curse on you and curse your very blessing. - Mal. 2:1-2 -
In the New Testament, the apostle Paul probably at the end of a 30 day period of abstinence from meat and wine, had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, 'for he had taken a vow'. The vow that apostle Paul had taken was probably the NAZIRITE vow. - Acts 18:18; Num. 6:1-27 -
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Sunday, May 24, 2009
I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!
I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.
HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -
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