Sacred Vows

You may be seated and children you are free to go to your class. We pray that the Lord would be with you as He is with us this morning.

Good morning, Exodus. It is wonderful to come to Mount Zion with all you this morning. What a joy and delight to worship with the saints in the presence of God. This truly is the highlight of my week, of my families, to come together and sing and pray and study the word and to feast at the Lord’s table.

I now have a three-year-old, and I have been just floored at how different a three-year-old is from a two-year-old. My daughter and I can now have full conversations. She has begun to tell us her likes and dislikes. Three years is when I feel like I am beginning to see the start of the personality that my daughter will continue to grow into.

What I have also learned about three-year olds is they have the memory of a steel trap, when they want to. They may forget what they did, or the name of their babysitter or to do the chore you told them to complete. But you better believe that if you told a toddler that you might, MIGHT, go to the park in on Saturday, that you are going to wake up to a three-year old, already dressed staring deep in your eyes, saying she is ready to go to the park now.

One thing that my daughter has started doing as well is trying to make deals with us. She will begin to speak, stumbling over her own words because she talks so fast, trying to make an arrangement that if she picks up her toys then you will take her to get ice cream or whatever her little mind is trying to come up with. And she will always end it by saying deal? with her thumbs up and then before you can even respond she says deal? deal and runs off to do whatever her part is of this agreement that no one has agreed to.

Even at three years old, my daughter understands the solemn nature of promises and vows. She wants to get this agreement official; she wants to know that she will receive what has been promised and that this conversation has taken on a solemn nature. With her thumbs up and ritualistic repeating of deal. my daughter now views this vow as binding.

And we all laugh at this, and it is adorable. But this is what we are going to be looking at in our passage this morning. Jesus is speaking about vows, and how people have abused and used this kind of thinking to elevate themselves and to portray a false sense of holiness. We are going to be looking at Matthew 5:33-37, if you have your bibles please turn there and we are going to examine what Jesus says about vows, how the pharisees had twisted the word of God, and how we are to now vow in the New Covenant. And as we look at our passage this morning it is important that we remember what we have studied prior to this. We looked at anger and how anger is sinful, but their are times where righteous anger exists. We looked at lust and how lust is sinful, but there is a proper avenue for sexual activity in marriage. And now as we look at vows, we must understand who Jesus is speaking to, and what Jesus is speaking against. We can read our passage and think that all vows are sinful, but this is not the case. So lets look at Matthew 5 and see what Jesus says about vows.

Matthew 5:33–37 ESV

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

This is the word of the Lord.

Jesus begins by addressing the Law, you have heard it said, you shall not swear falsely but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn. This is true, the Bible is full of language around what it means to vow and how to properly vow. The Law teaches us that vows are something that must be taken seriously. These are solemn proclamations that must be considered as binding. If someone is to make a vow by the name of the Lord what you are saying is that what I am saying is so certain, that it is as if the Lord himself has said it. This an extremely grave issue. For to break a vow, is to say that God breaks vows. Therefor vows are something that must not be taken lightly, for if we break a vow not only do we do harm to the person we vowed to but we also risk angering God.

One of the best places to go to read about this is actually in Ecclesiastes 5:4-6 where Solomon is giving wisdom about how to view vows.

Ecclesiastes 5:4–6 ESV

When you vow a vow to God, do not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?

We see here that the Bible is not against vows but has caution for make rash vows or making vows that one does not plan on keeping. It is better to not make a vow than to make a vow that you end up recanting of. And Jesus is referring to this teaching when he is speaking to the crowds. He is echoing what Solomon and Moses have taught the people. That to vow is very serious business. If you vow, you must be prepared to fulfill what you have promised unto God.

We see this in story of Hannah. Hannah was a woman who had her womb closed. And so, she goes to the temple and begins praying so fervently that the priest actually believes that she is drunk. And she tells the Lord that if he gives her a child, a son, she will dedicate him to the Lord. That this child would spend his entire life serving the Lord. And she departs and becomes pregnant, and she gives birth to a son, named Samuel, which means God has heard. From his birth, Hannah is remembering her vow to the Lord. And she gives him to the temple to become a servant of God. Samuel became one of the great men in the bible. All because his mother cried out to God and remembered her vow. Hannah, the one who was barren, was so committed to her vow that she was willing to give up her first born. This is how important a vow is. It means that we must be willing to make sacrifices to fulfill our promises.

This is how the bible tells us to make vows. When we call upon God and swear an oath to do something we must be faithful to our vows. We must be honest to our word. We cannot backslide or turn our back on our promises, for if we go back to Ecclesiastes, we see that to do so is to make God angry with us. We must not take vows lightly; we must not flippantly promise something that we are not prepared to fulfill. To vow is a very significant occasion.

So, when Jesus speaks about vows, he is speaking about something grave and solemn and holy. But if look back at our passage we will see that the pharisees and the religious leaders have corrupted what it means to make a vow. Look with me at Matthew 5:34-36

Matthew 5:34–36 ESV

But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.

The pharisees of the day had taught on this passage and Jesus actually addresses what they were teaching. It was common practice to swear an oath based on heaven, or earth, or Jerusalem, or even by their own head. The teaching of the day was based upon the third commandment. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Now we must understand what this commandment means. For most of us we place the emphasis on in vain. Thou shalt not take the name of God in vain. If you are going to make an oath, to promise something to God, if you are going to take the name of the Lord and use it as a binding oath you must not do it in vain. You must not do it without realizing the seriousness of what you have promised.

But the pharisees instead took this and placed the emphasis on the name of the Lord. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord in vain. You shall not vow at all on the name of the Lord. Which sounds holy and righteous, this sounds like a good thing. But Jesus actually tells us that this has turned into a corrupted practice. Instead of swearing on the name of God the people of the day were swearing on anything else.

The pharisees were attempting to make themselves appear holy, by swearing on these great and powerful things. But their oaths had no backing. They were vain and empty oaths. The were trying to appear holy, oh no we must not swear an oath to God, instead we will swear by heaven or earth or Jerusalem or their own heads. They were projecting a sense of holiness that was false. The Pharisees would swear oaths by these things and then back out of their promise. Claiming that since they didn’t make an oath to God that it wasn’t a true oath. This is a masquerade. This the pharisees being whitewashed tombs where they attempted to glorify their outer appearance while in their hearts was sin and corruption that stunk of death. By attempting to circumvent the Law, they actually broke the Law. This was a grave sin, and something that we saw Solomon tells us that incurs the wrath of God.

Jeus is speaking out against them, God himself has come to speak out against the wicked practices of the pharisees. Here we see a glimpse of the anger that God has for those who make false vows. Especially those who try to do so in righteous manner by swearing on something other than God.

For Jesus tells them, how are you going to swear by heaven it is the throne of God. The earth is the footstool of God, Jerusalem is the city of the great King Jesus, and your own head is part of the wonderful creation of God. You cannot escape from God when making an oath. Instead let your word stand, if you are going to say something then do it. This is simple.

I remember as kid being taught this by my parents, if you said you were going to do something then you better do it. This isn’t a complicated strategy, but it works. If you make a promise keep it, if you shook hands then you better do what you said you would do. And if we follow this idea then we become much more cautious about what we agree to. Christians should not be a people who go back on their word. This is what Jesus is preaching against, that this is a wicked sin. Jesus talks about this again in his parables. Matthew 21:28-32

Matthew 21:28–32 ESV

“What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him.

Jesus is going back to this principle in his parable. The son who did not do what he said he would, did not do the will of the Father. He lied, he said he would go and broke his word. He lied, he made a promise in vain, and he did not do the will of the one who loved him. And Jesus here says that those who say they love God but do not do his will be behind the prostitutes and the tax collectors, the people who are not righteous by outward appearances but decide to follow Christ. The pharisees who have made bold proclamations about how much they love God have not actually loved God with their actions.

This is what Jesus is preaching against, against high and mighty hypocrisy. Against the pharisees who put on airs of righteousness by swearing on Jerusalem or the gold of the tabernacle or by heaven itself and then turning around going back on their promise because those don’t really count.

Instead, Jesus teaches that the new covenant, the kingdom of heaven, is not built upon pompous airs or formality, but instead it is built upon honor and integrity, and the Christians duty to keep their word. Jesus tells us this in the verse 37.

Matthew 5:37 ESV

Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Let your yes be yes, and your no be no. You don’t need elaborate rituals to make a promise, instead your word is your vow, it is your oath. If you promise to do something, even when faced with difficulties, then as a Christian your duty is to fulfill your promise. This is the simple truth of what Jesus is saying. That those in the new covenant do not need to go through elaborate ceremonies to make a promise, instead in the new covenant, in the kingdom of heaven, our word is enough. This is the glory of the kingdom of God that Jesus is inaugurating, that just as Jesus goes on the mountain to speak truth, so too will his followers speak truth in all their interactions.

There’s a beautiful scene in the Lord of The Rings that shows this so well. As Frodo, the ring bearer, is attempting to leave behind his companions to go on the quest alone, his friend and companion Samwise, jumps into the river chasing after Frodo and his boat. But Samwise cannot swim. And as he begins to drown Frodo finally pulls him out of the water. And Frodo says, “Sam what are you doing?” and the response is “I made a promise Mr. Frodo, to Mr. Gandalf, don’t you leave his side. And I don’t mean to.” Facing drowning, death, being lost, hunger, and unspeakable monsters, Samwise kept his promise. Till the very end of the quest, you do not read about Frodo without seeing Sam by his side.

This is the Christian response to making a promise. To keep his word no matter the circumstances. This is what the kingdom of heaven is built upon, men and women who live simple lives and are measured by their word.

Now one thing that must be addressed as we read this passage, are there any circumstances where vows and oaths are still appropriate? If we continue to read the new testament we can find two places where a vow takes place after Jesus’ teaching on the sermon on the mount. In Acts Paul takes a nazarite vow - Acts 18:18

Acts 18:18 ESV

After this, Paul stayed many days longer and then took leave of the brothers and set sail for Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila. At Cenchreae he had cut his hair, for he was under a vow.

And then we see again in Revelation -an angel vows in the name of God - Revelation 10:5-7

Revelation 10:5–7 ESV

And the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land raised his right hand to heaven and swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets.

What are we to do with these passages in light of what Jesus has taught? Is Paul or the angel in sin because of the teaching of Jesus? And we answer of course not. For Jesus is not speaking against all vows, Jesus is preaching to a very particular people in a particular context. Vows are not a bad thing, The Bible tells us vows are actually good, they are meant to protect someone from lies or men who spoke flippantly.

Numbers 30:1-2 says

Numbers 30:1–2 ESV

Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded. If a man vows a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.

Jesus did not come to abolish the Law. Instead, he is bringing vows back to their proper place. No longer will vows be made as an act of hypocrisy, instead vows must once again be viewed as a holy and righteous thing. We take vows when we get married, if we go to court, even when you click that button that says you have read and agreed to terms and conditions, that is a type of vow. These are not bad things, Jesus does not condemn them, but Jesus does condemn the man who commits perjury on trial, or the man who signs a legal agreement and backs out of it without just cause, or the man that promises to be there to help a brother and never shows up. Jesus condemns the hypocrisy of those who make grandiose promises and then turns his back on his word.

And this our duty Church. We must be a people who are known for their commitment to keeping their word. We must be a people who say they will do something and then go and do it. This is who we must be, for when we make a vow we are acting as type or a shadow that is actually pointing others to God. God is the one who makes promises, the one who makes covenants, the one who speaks out his word and his word is truth. Jesus himself says he is the way, the truth and the life. His very existence is truth, and no lie can come from truth. This is the glory of the new covenant, that truth itself came to earth to bring the kingdom of heaven, to bring his people in the glories of the new covenant. Jesus has spoken to us to promise us the forgiveness of our sins, the hope of the resurrection, and the truth that you are a new creature in Christ.

So, we must be conformed in the image of Christ to be a people who speak truth. Who image God by speaking into creation and making sure our words are good and right and true. We must be a people who are careful with what they say, who are quick to listen and slow to speak. A people who actually pray for someone when they say they will. People who promise to come help with a house project and show up on time, or to cut up a massive tree that fell on a shed. A people who are wise enough to say no and mean because they know they cannot commit to something. A people who keep their word. For Christ has spoken to us, he came and spoke on the mountain and promised us the coming of the kingdom of heaven, the coming of the new covenant. And we as Christians, a term which means little Christ, must follow the example of our Lord and only speak truth.

Exodus Church, be a people who keeps their word. Who does not rely on pomp and circumstance to appear holy but instead be simple. Have your yes mean yes and your no mean no. This is enough. You do not need to swear on heaven or earth, make an oath by God or by anything created, instead you are a new creation. A new creation where your word is as binding as the most elaborate pharisaical ritual. For you bear the name of Christ, the one who spoke truth, and so now you must speak truth. Do make a promise you do not intend to keep, do not be a people who say they will do something without thinking it through. Instead understand that in the new covenant you must be true to your word, treating is as binding, for this is how Jesus speaks of our words.

I will end with a quote by a great man who said, “Words are what people live by, words that say and mean.”

In the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.

Let Us Pray.

Almighty God, graciously grant that Your Word, which we have heard, may be inscribed inwardly on our hearts. As we receive Your Word meekly with pure affection, may our hearts be filled with love and reverence for You. Cause us to bear the fruit of the Spirit and to live in holiness, diligently following Your commandments. And may it please You to use us to lead those who are lost, wandering, and confused into the way of truth. All this we pray for the honor and praise of Your name, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit reigns now and forever, age after age. Amen