2005-02-04
Good Morning Faithful Readers,
Once again the Holy Spirit brings me to write about the subject of taking vows before God. This time we will look at it from the point of view of Christ’s teaching in the NT. Now, let’s take a look at Christ’s teaching on the taking of vows from MT 5: 35-37, “You have also heard that people were told in the past, ‘Do not break your promise, but do what you have vowed to the Lord to do.’ But now I tell you: do not use any vow when you make a promise. Do not swear by heaven, because it is God’s throne; nor by earth, because it is the resting place for His feet; nor by Jerusalem, because it is the city of the great King. Do not even swear by your head, because you cannot make a single hair white or black. Just say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’-anything else you say comes from the evil one. Christ’s purpose for wording His will this way was in response to the Jewish habit of avoiding the impropriety of swearing falsely by God’s name by substituting “heaven,” “earth,” “Jerusalem,” or on their “head” as that by which they swore. This kind of hypocrisy was condemned by Christ and forbade by Him. For the believer in Christ, an oath is unnecessary. His “yes” should mean “yes” and his “no” should mean “no.” To use stronger language is to admit that Satan rules our lives. It is never proper for a believer to lie or shade the truth or deceive. This does not forbid the taking of an oath in a court of law. Jesus testified under oath, before the High Priest [MT 26: 63].
In a recent Sunday school session in the one-year course on the Psalms that I’m taking, our senior pastor discussed PS 110. This very short but powerful and important Messianic song is often cited in the NT. PS 110: 1, 4 are two key verses in it that have a connection to Christ’s teaching on vows above. “The Lord said to my lord, the king, ‘Sit here at My right side until I put your enemies under Your feet…The Lord made a solemn promise and will not take it back: ‘You will be a priest forever in the line of succession to Melchizedek.’” We can see the basis for Christ disallowing the taking of vows by Earth or anywhere else where God’s enemies might be, as it is prophesied that these enemies will be brought into submission or will be overcome by the Lord Jesus Christ in the end times. Vows in that circumstance are made null and void, useless. This eschatological statement is backed up in the book of Revelation. PS 110: 4 is foundational to understanding God’s attitude toward the making of promises and certainly extends to any promise made in His name. While the word “Lord” in PS 110 is clearly referring to God, we must remember that Christ is the second personality of God. That is further made clear by the king referred to here, who is Solomon (the inspired author of PS 110, David’s, son), the very same king in whose line Christ will arise [2 SAM 7: 12-13; IS 11: 1; MT 1:1-17]. That should make us think twice before shouting out in anger, “By God…….!”
In case there is still any equivocation about the end times application of either Christ’s teaching on vows in the Sermon on the Mount or its basis in OT teaching as in PS 110, let me mention the significance of Melchizedek and the priesthood that bears His name. Melchizedek first appears in GN 14: 18 and is identified as the king of Salem (later to be called Jerusalem) and a priest of the Most High God, who takes the first tithe paid by Abraham. I am convinced that Melchizedek is a theophany, a manifestation of a heavenly being with great rank. My reasons for feeling this way are solidified by the discussion of the Melchizedek priesthood HE 7: 1-28. This priesthood differed markedly from the Aaronic priesthood in which there was considerable imperfection reported in the Scriptures. It was not as high in heavenly ranking as the Melchizedek priesthood, to which we only have been told Melchizedek and Christ belong in the Scriptures. [This is not meant as an affront to my Mormon readers, but is a reminder that nowhere else in the Bible is anyone other than Melchizedek and Christ mentioned as belonging to this priesthood].
I would be remiss if I didn’t say anything about a problem that I am finally getting a handle on in my own life, the tongue that as JAS 3: 10 so clearly points out, must be brought under control. “Words of thanksgiving and cursing pour out of the same mouth. My brothers, this should not happen.” For years I have struggled to stop using swear words when provoked by habit and my immediate circumstances. My father used to put a “swear box” on the table, to which my brothers and I had to add coins from our allowances when there was a slip. At one point, I had my mouth washed out with soap for a particularly bad slip. Later, as an adult, these words issued from my mouth when something didn’t go my way or someone made me angry. James put it in the line in JAS 3: 5b-6, “Just think how large a forest can be set on fire by a tiny flame! And the tongue is like a fire. It is a world of wrong, occupying its place in our bodies and spreading evil through our whole being. It set on fire the entire course of our existence with the fire that comes to it from hell itself.” Whew! That made the need to stop issuing this kind of oath, even when disappointed or angry, a real necessity, if my sanctification was ever to be advanced. I’m sure Christ looked down from heaven when his half-brother, James (who only came to faith after the Lord’s crucifixion, death, and resurrection) wrote these words. Our Lord must have enjoyed a deep sigh of relief then! Needless to say, all of us can have a deeper understanding for why we should take the Lord’s teaching on vows more seriously in the future from these verses.
PRAYER: O Lord, when we take the time to look at what you say and examine it in the light of the cross-references in the Scriptures, You make it so very clear. Each time we revisit a topic, You give us more insight on it and motivation to align our thoughts and practices with Your will. Being thoughtlessly careless about the ideas that lead to wrongful words is one of those subtle sins that You call us to expunge. This takes self-discipline, Dearest Abba. We need Your help to achieve this kind of discipline. We can’t do it alone. If we slip, we must take responsibility for our own actions; we can’t blame it on You. EPH 1: 18-20 reminds us that we have the power to battle the devil to victory in Christ’s name, the same power that You used to raise Him from death to eternal life. In the ancient world, the right hand was considered a place of strength. EPH 1: 20 clarifies that Christ is at Your right side, in a position for You to put all His enemies beneath His feet as a footstool. We too, must humbly acknowledge what is only too true. We can’t become truly sanctified (perfected) without Your help, because we have a poverty of spirit without You. It is Your righteousness imputed to the faithfully obedient believer which can pull us out of the morass of sinfulness [GN 15: 6, MT 5: 3; GA 3: 6 & 4: 3; RO 6: 6]. We are in no position to be judgmental of others either. JAS 4: 12, “God is the only Lawgiver and Judge. He alone can save and destroy. Who do you think you are, to judge your fellow-man?” We stand before You today to confess our imperfection in the area of taking vows, swearing, and being judgmental. We ask for Your forgiveness and Your direction in leading each of us out of this kind of sinfulness. We offer You our thanks and praise for being the mighty, compassionate, patient, and wise Presence in our lives that You are. In Christ’s holy name, amen.
Before leaving the subject of vows, there is one part of it which is mentioned many times in the Scriptures, that of bearing false witness. That, when done, especially under oath, has caused much turmoil in people’s lives. It has delayed, or in some cases, prevented the truth from coming out. People’s lives and reputations have been destroyed on account of these lies. These lies are told in God’s presence. Whether or not one has taken an oath before God, they are sinful. This will be the subject of next week’s message. The messages I’ve been writing in the last few weeks have dealt with difficult subjects, ones fraught with emotion. Before we can extricate ourselves from the snare of sin that Satan sets for us, we must discover and understand what is going on inside us with God’s help. PS 31: 3-5 gives us comfort in knowing that God is right with us in the arena of battle, rooting for us to be victorious. “You are my Refuge and Defense; guide me and lead me as You have promised. Keep me safe from the snare that has been set for me; shelter me from dangers. I place myself in Your care. You will save me, Lord; You are a faithful God.” What we understand, we can combat successfully. Our loving Abba is right with us to help us. Remember, He gave his only begotten Son, so that we could be saved [JN 3: 16; RO 3: 24-25]. He wants nothing more that to have us by His right side for eternity [JN 6: 39-40]. Praise be to His name!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn