The Ninth Commandment: Statutes and Precepts (3)

Deuteronomy 23.21-23
²¹ “When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you. ²² But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you. ²³ That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform, for you voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you have promised with your mouth.”

Ecclesiastes 5.4-6

A vow is a declaration of intent, made before and unto the Lord, to fulfill certain obligations, based on blessings or the promise of blessing God has provided.

So Jacob, as he went to the land of his forebears, vowed to give a tithe to the Lord of everything he acquired, given that the Lord had promised him in a dream to give him the land of his fathers (Gen. 28.10-22).

So also we, given the promise of a loving spouse to care for us as none other, vow our faithfulness and love to the Lord in return. Given the promise of a caring and nurturing community of fellow believers, and the oversight of loving shepherds, we vow faithfulness and fruitfulness in church membership. Called to the ministry and given thus the promise of caring for the flock of God, church officers vow faithfulness in duty and devotion.

We must be careful to fulfill our vows, or we will be condemned by them. Dealing truthfully with the Lord means being serious about what we vow, and living each day before the Lord in an effort to fulfill all that we have promised.

T. M. Moore

The Law of God is the soil which, fertilized by the rest of God’s Word and watered by His Spirit, brings forth the fruit of Christian life. If you’d like to understand this process better, and how to make best use of the Law in your walk with and work for the Lord, order the book, The Ground for Christian Ethics, from our online store.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.