Numbers chapter 30. One of the benefits of going
through books, even though we haven't got really technical
and went verse by verse in the Old Testament, especially through
the book of Numbers, but we have been going through this book.
And one of the benefits of doing that, especially on a Wednesday
night, we have an opportunity to deal with every subject, so
many different subjects, various subjects. Sometimes, you know,
if we preach just topical or we just jump from different places
that we feel like the Lord would give us a text, we preach on
particular things and usually on the subject of salvation itself.
But when we go through these books like this, sometimes we'll
light upon a chapter, and I think sometimes we're tempted. We're
tempted as pastors. to say, well, that's not that
important. It's practical, and we see a
need in our day to every time we stand almost deal with salvation,
don't we? But tonight we want to look at
something that's practical. All the gospel is practical,
but we call things practical because it's not a doctrinal
thing, but it's something that the Scripture speaks a lot about.
And the 30th chapter of Numbers deals with this one subject,
the whole chapter deals with this one subject, and that's
the subject of vows, taking of vows and oaths. I want us to
look at it here in Numbers chapter 30, and let's just take it as
we go and look at some things concerning vows, a very practical
lesson but a very needful lesson. In verses 1 and 2, let's begin
there. And Moses spake unto the heads
of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This
is the thing which the Lord hath commanded. Now, this must be
important. The Lord commanded this, and
now Moses is giving it to the heads of the tribes, and now
the heads of the tribes are going to take it down and preach it
to the families. If a man vow a vow unto the Lord,
or swear an oath, to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not
break his word. He shall do according to all
that proceedeth out of his mouth." Now this word, vow, the definition
of it is a solemn promise made to God to do something or to
give something or to dedicate something to God. A solemn promise
to God that I will do something. I will dedicate something to
God. This word, to bind with an oath,
an oath to bind, that for the most part means abstaining from
doing something. Not every time, but for the most
part, that's what it means, to abstain from doing something.
One of the best examples I can give you for that is Acts chapter
23. You remember those 40 men? that
was seeking to kill the Apostle Paul. And the Bible says they
bound themselves with an oath that they would not eat or drink
until they had killed Paul. Now, we know they never accomplished
their task. I don't know how they got out
of that oath. And I imagine they probably got pretty hungry and
pretty thirsty. But they never accomplished that
which they bound themselves to do. We swear that we won't eat
and we won't drink. That's the oath that they bound
themselves to until we've killed that man. The first oath, I want
us to look at the first vow, the first vow that was ever taken
in the Word of God. I want you to look back over
in Genesis chapter 28. This is the first vow that we
ever have recorded in the Word of God. Sometimes we have recorded
that unbelievers take vows. We have in the Scripture many,
many believers that have made vows before the Lord. And this
is the first one here in chapter 28. And here in verse 19, you
remember the occasion of this. Genesis chapter 28, verse 19.
Jacob had came here to Bethel. And the place was named Luz at
this time, I think. But this is where he saw the
Lord. You know, up on top of the ladder, the angels ascended
and he dedicated this place to the Lord. But this is what he
said in verse 19. And he called the name of that
place Bethel. But the name of the place was
called as at the first. And Jacob vowed a vow of Satan.
He vowed a vow. He made a solemn promise to God.
If God will be with me, Some read, since God will be with
me, God had promised to be with me, and will keep me in this
way that I go, and will give me bread to eat and raiment to
put on, so that I come again to my Father's house in peace,
then shall the Lord be my God. And this stone which I have set
for a pillar shall be God's house, and all that thou shalt give
me I will surely give the tenth." Now, that's the vow that he made. Now, when you first look at this,
and I bet already there's been this little flash of thought,
you know, is this legalism? Self-righteousness? Is it trying
to buy a blessing? Or at least repay for a blessing? It seems you'd think that at
first. You know, since God is going to be with me, since God
has promised to bless me, Or, if you'll be with me, then this
is what I'll do. Now, we've seen lost people try
to deal with God that way. But this is not that attitude
at all. Jacob is not a legalist. He's
not self-righteous about this. He's basically saying, since
the Lord has promised to be with me, here's what I vow. I vow
to give Him ten percent of everything that I have or will ever have.
It's not a lost man trying to buy a blessing. It's a son speaking
to his father. It's a servant who loves his
master. That's the attitude in which
this vow is made. And that's the first time we
ever have it. Now, on through the Scriptures we find people
making vows. You remember Hannah in 1 Samuel
chapter 1? She vowed to the Lord, if you'll
give me a child. I'll give him back to you." And
that she did. She took him back up to Eli the
priest at Shiloh, and she gave him back to the Lord forever.
Remember Jonah? Remember the vow that he made
when he was down in the fish's belly? He made his vow unto the
Lord. Salvation is of the Lord. And
he made his vow to the Lord, and the Lord brought him up.
David was spoken different places in the Scripture. We'll see in
a minute. Vows to the Lord. So it's not forbidden of the
Lord to make vows. As a matter of fact, look here
in chapter 31 of Genesis. God doesn't forbid it. When the
Lord appeared to Jacob when he was ready to leave Laman his
father-in-law's house, here's what Jacob said the Lord said
to him in verse 11, chapter 31, verse 11. This shows us here
that the Lord approved of Jacob's vow. And the angel of God spake
unto me in a dream, saying, Jacob. And I said, Here am I. And he
said, Lift now thine eyes, and see all the realms which leap
upon the cattle are wringed straight, speckled, and grizzled. For I
have seen all that Laban doeth unto thee. I am the God of Bethel,
where thou knowest the pillar, and where thou vowest a vow unto
me." So the Lord wasn't displeased with him. The Lord seemed to
be pleased that Jacob had made this vow unto him. So it's not
a thing about something self-righteous. It's not that at all. It's not
legalism. But it's a sincere promise made
to God that I will do this. I will do it for your glory.
I'll do it for your honor. Now, that's the first thing.
It's done throughout the Scriptures, in the Old Testament especially,
even in the New Testament. Now, most vows, as you read them
in the Scripture, most vows that I've read in the Scripture, are
made in times of trouble. I want to show you these things.
Hold your Bible. I want you to turn to these Scriptures with
me. Look at Psalm 66 and verse 10. Psalm 66 and verse 10. Most vows are made in the time
of trouble. And really, and honestly, that's
why they're made. Lord, if you will deliver me,
then this is what I'll do. I read where Charles Spurgeon
was in some kind of a trouble, and he told the Lord. He made
a vow to the Lord. If you'll deliver me, then by
your grace, I'll start another work for your glory. And the
Lord delivered him, and he did that. Hannah, I just spoke to
her. Remember why she made her vow?
She didn't have any children. Her adversary was tormenting
her because the Lord had closed up her womb, and in the grief
and bitterness of her spirit, she made her vow. We all know
what happened to Jonah. Where he was when he made his
vow, he was down in the belly of the fish, and he called it
hell. He said, out of the belly of
hell, that's where he made his vow. Lord, you deliver me, and
this is what I'll swear the rest of my life, salvations of the
Lord. And I'll go tell the men about that too. salvation is
of the Lord. But here, David, we see clearly
why David made his vow and when he made it. In Psalms chapter
66, and look in verse 10. For thou, O Lord, hast proved
us, thou hast tried us, as Silver is tried, in a furnace of fire,
melting the dross away. Thou broughtest us into the net,
Thou laid affliction upon our loins. You have caused men to
ride over our heads. We went through fire and through
the water, and Thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place."
Boy, he's in affliction, wasn't he? Trouble. In verse 13 he says,
"...I will go unto thy house with burnt offerings. I will
pay thee my vows, which my lips have uttered, and my mouth has
spoken. when I was in trouble. So that's the place when the
saints of God usually make their vows to the Lord, usually make
their solemn promises in the time of trouble. I want to show
you in Judges chapter 11. I'm going to exercise your ability
tonight to find something. Judges chapter 11. I want to
show you the most notable vow, Judges chapter 11, in the
Scriptures. It's probably one of the most
talked about when you talk about vows. This was a man by the name
of Japheth. Most of you remember Japheth
if you read the Old Testament Scriptures. He had been brought
up pretty rough. He was the mother of a harlot.
His own people had rejected him. He went off into the land of
Syria and the coast and borders of Syria and surrounded himself
with vain men. But the Bible talks about this
man of being a man of faith. Hebrews chapter 11, he's one
of the heroes of faith. But he made a vow to the Lord.
And you talk about a time of trouble for him to do this. But
he made a vow to the Lord. He was going against the children
of Ammon. They'd come against him. They were going to whip
him. And boy, he was in a strait. He was in a strait. And here
in verse 30, when he got ready to go against this great company
of soldiers, here's the vow that he made. Now look at this. In
verse 30 of Judges chapter 11, And Japheth vowed a vow unto
the Lord, and said, If thou shalt withal, without fail, deliver
the children of Ammon unto mine hand, Then it shall be that whatsoever
cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return
in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's,
and I will offer it up for a burnt offering." Man, that's a pretty
tough vow, isn't it? That's a pretty tough vow. He
had to know, he's trained a little bit in the law, you find that
in the context, he had to know that God never accepted human
sacrifices. It's against the law. And some
tell us here in this that he never really offered her a burnt
sacrifice, that he purchased her, redeemed her,
but she stayed a virgin the rest of her life. Some have different
opinions, but either way, read on. Japheth passed over unto the
children of Ammon to fight against them, and the Lord delivered
them into his hand. And he smote them from Arrear
even till thou comest to Minneth, even twenty cities, and to the
plain of the vineyards with a great slaughter. Thus the children
of Ammon were subdued before the children of Israel. And Japheth
came to Mizphe, unto his house, and behold, his daughter came
out to meet him with trembles and with dances, and she was
his only child. Beside her he had neither son
nor daughter. And it came to pass, when he
saw her, that he rent his clothes and said, Alas, my daughter,
thou hast brought me very low, And thou art one of them that
trouble me, for I have opened my mouth unto the Lord, and I
cannot go back. And she said unto him, My father,
if thou hast opened thy mouth unto the Lord, do to me according
to that which hath proceeded out of your mouth, forasmuch
as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enemies, even
the children of Ammon. And she said unto her father,
Let this thing be done for me. Let me alone two months, that
I may go up and down upon the mountains, and bewail, lament
my virginity, and I, and my fellows, my companions. And he said, Go. And he sent her away for two
months, and she went with her companions, and bewailed her
virginity upon the mountains. And it came to pass at the end
of two months, that she returned to her father, who did with her
according to his vow which he had vowed, and she knew no man. And it was a custom in Israel
that the daughters of Israel went yearly to Laman, the daughters
of Jephthah, the Gileadite, four days in a year. If he actually
offered her up, which I sort of doubt myself, He probably
purchased her, redeemed her, but she knew no man. She was
dedicated to the Lord. He had no grandchildren, therefore,
and she remained a virgin the rest of her life. That's the
two options that you have. But what I was looking at, what
a vow to make. You wonder why he would have
made this vow, and the only thing I know that motivated him to
do that, provoked him to do that, he was in trouble. And if you
read the context, he was in trouble. And that's when most people make
their vows is when they're in trouble. And I want to make a
point out of that just in a minute, okay? This brings me to something
else. Brings me to something else.
It's a very serious thing to vow unto the Lord because it's
a binding thing. I've opened my mouth to the Lord. I cannot go back." Well, that's
a binding thing, isn't it? A binding thing. I want to show
you two Scriptures concerning how binding a vow is. And I've
got a reason for showing you these. I want you to look in
Deuteronomy chapter 23. Just go back to your left. Fast Joshua. When you fast Joshua, you'll
come to the book of Deuteronomy. Look in chapter 23. In verse
21, to show you how binding a vow is, chapter 23 of Deuteronomy,
and look in verse 21. Here we have some instructions
and we also have some warnings. When thou shalt vow a vow unto
the Lord thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it. Don't be slothful. Don't wait.
Do it now. For the Lord thy God will surely
require it of thee, and it would be sin in thee. But if thou forbear to vow, it
shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy
lips thou shalt keep, and perform, even a freewill offering, according
as thou hast vowed unto the Lord thy God, which thou hast promised
with thy mouth." Now that's the first thing. If we vow, God will
require it of us. Now look at another passage.
Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 5. Go to the book of Psalms. Then keep going to your right
through the book of Proverbs and that will bring you to the
book of Ecclesiastes. Look in chapter 5. Here are some instructions and also
some warnings about vows. In Ecclesiastes chapter 5, look
in verse 2. Be not rash with your mouth,
and let not your heart be hasty to utter anything before God.
For God is in heaven, and thou art on earth, therefore let thy
words be few. Verse 4. When thou vows a vow
unto God, delay not to pay it. For he hath no pleasure in fools,
pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldst
vow than that thou shouldst vow and not pay. Suffer not thy mouth
to cause thy flesh to sin, neither say thou before the angel that
it was in an error. Wherefore should God be angry
at thy voice, at your excuse, and destroy the work of your
So He requires it, doesn't He? He requires the vow be fulfilled.
And He says here that He takes no pleasure in fools. And people
make a vow and then say, Lord, I made a mistake. I should never
have promised that. Now that being said, let me give
my advice. And I think my advice is Scripture.
Okay? First of all, think long and
think hard. before we ever make a vow. Before we make any solemn promise
to God, think long and think hard, because it's so important.
I know a man that made mention to me that he had made a vow
to God early in his Christian life, and it was a vow, he said,
that was timely. He had to do it on a timely basis,
and he forgot it. He said, And the reason he forgot
it was he made this vow too quickly, too hastily. And he said it bothers
him today. These young people and old people,
middle-aged people, marrying, standing before God and promised
that through sickness and health I'll stay with this woman. I'll
stay with this man. I promise before God. God's going
to require that, isn't He? He requires that. And so often
I like to set people down, especially young people, and tell them,
do you realize the seriousness of what you're entering into?
This is a solid promise before God. And there's ways to relieve
us of our marriages, but I think it's not just going and doing
it because you're tired of the person, is it? We've made solemn
vows before the Lord. That's the first thing. That's
the first thing. You may make a vow that you're
not able to keep. You may make a vow that you're
not able to keep. Be careful. Thank long and hard
before you make a solemn promise to God, because you may make
a vow that you cannot keep. We are not God, are we? Listen
to what David said in Psalm 132. David swore unto the Lord, and
vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob, saying, Surely I will
not come unto the chambers of my house, nor will I go up to
my bed to rest, I will not give sleep to my eyelids until I find
out a place for the Lord and habitation for the mighty God
of Jacob." He said, I'm not going to do this or that until I've
built the Lord a house to dwell in. You know, son, he never got
to build that house, did he? God didn't let him build that
house. He said, David, I know what's in your heart, and it's
a good desire. I don't need it. I feel the heaven. But it's in your heart. But it's
not my will that you build it. Your hands have shed too much
blood. Your son is going to build it. So there was a vow that David
could not keep. He could not keep. I think it's very telling in
verse 11 of that very same chapter. The Lord Himself makes a vow.
The Lord Himself swears to something. He takes an oath. And here's
what He says to David. The Lord has sworn unto David
And I will not turn from it. Of the fruit of thy body will
I sit upon thy throne. Now, he can make that oath, can't
he? That was Christ, wasn't it? God's
speaking of the resurrection of Christ. Raised him from the
dead, Acts chapter 2, and set him on the throne of David. God
said, I swear to you, this is what I'm going to do. And I can
do it. I can do it. I've got the will. I've got the
power. I've got the wisdom. I've got
the determination. And Isaiah chapter 45, here's
what the Lord Jesus Christ said. Here's an oath that He took.
Here's something that He swore to. I have sworn by myself. The Word is going out of my mouth
in righteousness. He said, here's the vow I've
taken. Here's an oath that I bind myself
with. What is it? Unto Me. Every knee
shall bow unto Me. Every tongue shall swear. Surely
shall one say, I am swearing to this. As surely as I am the
Lord, I am swearing to this. Surely shall one say, in the
Lord have I righteousness and strength. In the Lord shall all
the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory. Has He held
good to that? Was you righteous? In whom are
you justified? In Him. In whom do you glory? In Christ. He swears to something,
and He brings it to pass. You and I have to be so careful,
because we're nothing but mere creatures and fallen creatures. Thirdly, my advice is this. If
you vow, if you make a solemn promise to God, Don't include
somebody else in your vow. You see this sometimes, not very
often, but you see it sometimes. Japheth got himself in trouble,
didn't he? He not only broke his own heart,
but what did he do to his daughter? How did his wife feel about him? If you get in such a place and
you're going to make a solemn promise to God, Exclude everybody
else from it but you. It's going to be what you promise
the Lord that you'll do. Boy, I'd hate to think that I
made a vow including my wife. I don't know if I can keep it
or not. Make a vow to take my wife up to Alaska somewhere,
Wayne. Lord, I promise you I'll take
my wife. You do this for me and I'm taking my wife to Anchorage.
I'd probably wind up there myself, what I do. But don't include
anybody else. Don't let it affect anybody else.
That's where you may get yourself in trouble. Fourthly, my advice
then, and I think this is the conclusion that I would reach.
This would be my advice. Don't make vows to God at all. That would be my advice. After
all these vows in the Scripture? Yeah, after all those vows. What
about the marriage vow? That would be the only thing
that I would exclude. The marriage vow. I read that verse of Scripture
to you. If thou shalt forbear, if you refrain from making a
vow, it shall be no sin indeed. God doesn't require us to make
Him solemn promises. It's better not to make a vow,
Solomon said, than to make it and break it. Not to pay. That's your vow. James was speaking
of something that's very much akin to this subject when he
said this, Above all things, brethren, swear not at all, neither
by heaven, neither by earth, neither by any other oath, by
any other oath. Don't even take an oath at all.
Don't make a vow to God at all. But let your yea be yea, and
your nay, nay. Lest you fall into guilt and
condemnation. So that would be my advice on
that. If you're in trouble, plead mercy. Mercy. And just be honest, Lord. There's
no sense in me promising you anything. Deliver me and give
me grace. to live for you. Where I need
to mend my ways, give me grace to mend my ways. But if I make
you a promise, I've got no confidence in myself, but I can keep it. And He don't require it. He don't
require it. Come boldly to the throne of
grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in the
time of need. Now I want us to turn back to
our text and finish this chapter. very confident what we find in
the rest of chapter 30 of Numbers. I'm so thankful that making a
vow and breaking it, though it's so serious, is not an unpardonable
sin. And I tell you, if you read a
little bit about history in some of the people, this is something
that's burdened saints desperately in time past. made a vow in their
haste and then failed to keep it. But look in verse 3. This is a blessing. If a woman
also vows a vow unto the Lord, and bind herself by a bond, being
in her father's house in her youth, and a lot of these vows
are made by young people or young believers. Here is a woman that
still lived at home, probably a young teenager. She has made
a vow. Verse 4, And if her father hear
her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and
her father shall hold his peace at her, then all her vows shall
stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall
stand. She is going to fulfill her vow
Are she going to be guilty? I'm going to hold her to it.
What she's promised me that she'll do, it's going to stand. If her
father, who is responsible for her, held his peace when he heard
the vow. Look in verse 5. But if her father
disallowed, if he overruled her in the day that he hearth, Not
any of her vows or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her
soul shall stand. And the Lord shall forgive her,
because her father disallowed her." Isn't that wonderful? Here she was foolish. Probably
got in trouble. Maybe it was done out of arrogance.
But she vowed. She took this solemn promise.
God in heaven, I'm going to do this. And her father stepped
in and said, No, child, that won't stand. I disallow such
vows. Now, when David made that vow
before the Lord that he wasn't going to give his soul any rest
until he had built that house for God to dwell in, I wonder
how he felt when that vow was broken. He didn't keep it. You wonder if the heavenly Father,
David's Father, didn't step in when he heard that vow and said,
I disallow that. And not only do I disallow that,
my child, but I forgive it. As soon as it come out of your
mouth, I knew you weren't going to be able to fulfill that vow.
So, no, I've disallowed it, and I forgive you. Well, ain't that
a comfort? I told this fellow about this
Scripture. I talked to him about this Scripture. He made the vow
and it was still upon his conscience. And he said, That's my hope.
He said, That's my hope. That when the Lord heard my vow
that I broke, He disallowed it. My Father in Heaven disallowed
it and forgave me. Look on in verse 6. Look at this
in verse 6. Here's something else. Here's
another aspect. not of a young lady, but of a wife, verse 6. And if she had at all none husband,
when she vowed, or uttered aught out of her lips, wherewith she
bound her soul, and her husband hear it, and held his peace in
her in the days that he heard it, then her vows shall stand,
and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand. And if
her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it, then
he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered
with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect. And the Lord shall forgive her.
Look in verse 10. And if she vowed in her husband's
house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath, and her husband
heard it and held his peace in her, and disallowed her not,
then all her vows shall stand, and every bond with which she
bound her soul shall stand. But if her husband hath utterly
made them void on the day he heard them, then whatsoever proceeded
out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond
of her soul, shall not stand. Her husband hath made them void,
and the Lord shall forgive her. every vow and every binded oath
to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband
may make it void." Ain't that a wonderful thing? Ain't that
a wonderful thing? A foolish wife. She got herself
in trouble probably. And she made a vow. And her husband
heard it. And if he held his peace, then
boy, she better be careful that she fulfilled that vow. The Lord's
going to require it. But if her husband says, why,
why, why? I know better than that. I know
you. That's why I married you. I love
you. And you've just got yourself
in trouble, you foolish woman. And what I'm going to do? I'm going to disavow your vows.
They're not going to stand before God, and He's going to forgive
you. Aren't you glad you've got a
husband? Aren't you glad that Christ Jesus is your husband?
Some of the foolish things that you've vowed, some of the foolish
things that you've said and done, and your husband is there in
the presence of your Heavenly Father, your advocate. and says,
Father, she's my wife, and she's so foolish. I disavow this. This will not stand. Forgive
her. And all is clear. Isn't that
wonderful? Isn't that wonderful? Well, we
should never make vows, and how solemn they are. Yet many have, and many have
carried it on their conscience. But boy, here's a hope for a
vow that's been made, that the Father in heaven, even when the
vow was made, unknown to the one who made it, hears the husband,
the Lord Jesus, and He disavows it all the time. And while you
may be carrying it on your conscience, He's already said, it didn't
stand anyway. I forgive it. I forgive it. I tell you, it'd be a sad state
not to have a husband, wouldn't it? It'd be a sad not to have
a father, wouldn't it? When somebody made a vow, what if you didn't
have a husband? He'd be held against you, wouldn't he? How
much would be held against you if Christ wasn't your husband?
Everything. Everything. He's removed everything
that was against us. Look what he said in verse 9.
But every vow a widower And I've heard that his divorce, wherewith
they have bound their souls, shall stand against them." If
you don't have a faithful, wise, gracious husband, everything
you've ever done, everything you've ever said, including the
silly vows that you failed to make, is against us. Against us. But if Christ is
our husband, nothing is against us. How wonderful.