"The Law and Oaths"
Notes
Transcript
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”
4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die!
9 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? 10 “Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 “But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
3 The wicked are estranged from the womb; These who speak lies go astray from birth.
4 They have counseled only to thrust him down from his high position; They delight in falsehood; They bless with their mouth, But inwardly they curse. Selah.
3 “They bend their tongue like their bow; Lies and not truth prevail in the land; For they proceed from evil to evil, And they do not know Me,” declares the Lord. 4 “Let everyone be on guard against his neighbor, And do not trust any brother; Because every brother deals craftily, And every neighbor goes about as a slanderer.
6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down; for it is written, ‘He will command His angels concerning You’; and ‘On their hands they will bear You up, So that You will not strike Your foot against a stone.’ ”
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Go, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and serve Him only.’ ”
11 Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him.
44 “You are of your father the devil, and you want to do the desires of your father. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back some of the price of the land?
9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders,
Let me remind you of where we have been In Matthew 5:21–32, Jesus dealt with murder, anger, adultery, lust, and divorce. Now, Our Lord transitions and addresses something that may appear less serious but reveals something very important about the heart - that is Our words.
The issue is not simply whether someone tells a lie. Jesus is confronting a culture in which people had learned to manipulate their words so they could appear truthful while avoiding honesty.
The religious leaders had developed elaborate systems for determining which promises were binding and which were not.
12 ‘You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
2 “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. 22 “However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. 23 “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.
Jesus cuts through the fluff of their religiosity.
Proposition - As we continue in Matthew chapter 5 this day we will examine : 1) the command about words, 2) the correction about words, 3) the character of words, and 4) the call for our words.
Interrogative question - What steps can we take to avoid manipulating our words to escape responsibility?
1. The Command about Words - vs. 33
1. The Command about Words - vs. 33
33 “Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not make false vows, but shall fulfill your vows to the Lord.’
Jesus is referring to principles found throughout the Old Testament.
12 ‘You shall not swear falsely by My name, so as to profane the name of your God; I am the Lord.
2 “If a man makes a vow to the Lord, or takes an oath to bind himself with a binding obligation, he shall not violate his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the Lord your God will surely require it of you. 22 “However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. 23 “You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God, what you have promised.
4 When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! 5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
The Old Testament principle was clear:
God expects His people to keep their word.
Historical Background: Vows and Oaths
In the ancient Jewish world, an oath was a solemn declaration intended to establish the truthfulness of one's statement or the seriousness of one's promise.
The Old Testament did not prohibit every use of an oath.
For example, God Himself sometimes used an oath to emphasize the certainty of His promises.
13 For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
The problem Jesus confronts is not simply the existence of oaths.
The problem is using religious language to manipulate people.
By Jesus' day, some religious teachers had developed distinctions between different types of oaths. The reasoning could become:
“I swear by this...”
“I swear by that...”
“This oath counts.”
“That oath doesn't really count.”
“I didn't technically swear by God's name, so I'm not obligated.”
This enabled people to use it as a loophole system.
People could make statements that sounded extremely serious while still finding ways to escape responsibility. (think about this have you ever promised your spouse something, your kids, and or even your grand kids and never followed through?)
Jesus exposes the heart behind it.
The question is not -
“Did I use the correct correct formula?”
On the other hand the question is -
“Am I telling the truth?”
2. The Correction about Words - vs. 34-36
2. The Correction about Words - vs. 34-36
34 “But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 36 “Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black.
Jesus corrects the religious leaders - (Remember Matthew 5:17 -)
“But I say to you, make no oath at all...”
He mentions:
heaven
earth
Jerusalem
one's own head
The question is why are the people making promises like this. The reality was people were treating these things as though they could create different levels of commitment.
But Jesus says that none of these things are independent from God.
Heaven belongs to God.
1 Thus says the Lord, “Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest?
Earth belongs to God.
1 The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, The world, and those who dwell in it.
Jerusalem belongs to God.
Jesus calls it:
1 Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, His holy mountain. 2 Beautiful in elevation, the joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion in the far north, The city of the great King.
“the city of the great King.”
Even your own life belongs to God.
Jesus says:
“Nor shall you make an oath by your head...”
30 “But the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
You cannot even control something as simple as whether one hair will become white or black.
Jesus' point is out of this world - Our Lord’s point is -
You cannot separate your words from God.
God is sovereign over everything.
Therefore, don't imagine that changing the wording of your promise somehow removes God from the situation.
3. The Character of Words - vs. 37
3. The Character of Words - vs. 37
37 “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil.
This is the bread and butter of Jesus point.
Jesus calls His disciples to straightforward truthfulness 24/7 -
If you mean yes - Say yes.
If you mean no - Say no.
Don't manipulate.
Don't exaggerate.
Don't create verbal loopholes.
Don't say something you don't mean.
Don't make promises you have no intention of keeping.
25 Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another.
9 Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
22 Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight.
What are your words reflecting?
Truthfulness reflects God's character -
2 in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ages ago,
18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
17 “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.
As a result God’s children should be people of truth.
Illustration: A Family Name
Imagine a father telling his children:
“Your word matters because when you say something, people should be able to trust you.”
Why?
Because a person's reputation is built one word at a time.
If someone repeatedly says:
“I'll do it.”
“I'll be there.”
“I promise.”
“I'll take care of it.”
—and repeatedly doesn't—
eventually the words become meaningless.
The same principle applies spiritually.
Your words reveal your character.
4. The Call for Our Words -
4. The Call for Our Words -
One of the great temptations of human nature is to make our words sound more convincing than they really are.
At times we might say something like -
“I promise!”
“I swear!”
“I absolutely guarantee it!”
“I swear to God!”
“I would never do that!”
The stronger the language becomes, the more people may think or conclude -
“They must really mean it.”
But our Lord teaches something different.
Believers do not need dramatic language to make the truth believable.
Our character should make your words believable.
Illustration: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
The classic story of the boy who repeatedly cried “wolf” when there was no wolf illustrates the danger of abusing words.
Eventually, when the warning mattered, nobody believed him.
The lesson is simple:
When words are repeatedly misused, words lose their power.
That is why Christian integrity matters.
If people know that you exaggerate, manipulate, or routinely break promises, your testimony suffers.
But if people know:
“When he says yes, he means yes.”
“When she says no, she means no.”
“When they give their word, they keep it.”
that is a powerful testimony.
34 “You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.
The problem with dishonesty is ultimately not a vocabulary problem.
It is a heart problem.
Jesus isn't merely saying:
“Use better words.”
He is saying:
Have a heart that loves truth.
2 For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well.
Our speech is difficult to control because our words reveal what is inside us.
In Matthew 5:33–37 our Lord reminds us that our words affects everyday life.
Our promises -
If you say:
“I'll do it.”
Do it.
4 In whose eyes a reprobate is despised, But who honors those who fear the Lord; He swears to his own hurt and does not change;
That means a person keeps his word even when keeping it becomes inconvenient.
Our excuses -
Sometimes we aren't technically lying, but we are attempting to make ourselves look better.
We blame someone else.
We leave out important information.
We exaggerate.
We tell only the part of the story that benefits us.
Truthfulness means being honest even when honesty makes us look bad.
Our commitments -
5 It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.
Don't make commitments carelessly.
It is better to honestly say:
“I don't know if I can do that.”
than to confidently promise something you may not fulfill.
Our everyday conversations -
Christian integrity includes -
telling the truth
avoiding exaggeration
refusing gossip
keeping confidence
admitting mistakes
correcting false statements
not manipulating people
not saying whatever is necessary to get what we want
The Pharisees were interested in - “What technically counts as a binding oath?”
Jesus’ point is - “Are you a truthful person?”
That's the difference between external religion and internal righteousness.
The Pharisees wanted to know how close they could get to dishonesty without technically breaking the rule.
Jesus calls His followers to something completely different.
Don't ask:
“How much can I get away with?”
Ask:
“What would honor God?”
Illustration: The Contract
Imagine two people making a business agreement.
Person A says:
“Don't worry. I don't need a contract. You can trust me.”
Person B says:
“I'll sign whatever you need because I want you to know I intend to keep my word.”
The issue isn't really the paper.
The issue is character.
A contract may establish legal obligations, but Christians should have integrity whether or not anyone is forcing them to keep their word.
Jesus isn't giving us a lesson in etiquette.
He's teaching us how God's people should live before a watching world.
15 so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,
12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Our honesty matters because people are watching.
If Christians talk constantly about truth but cannot be trusted, our testimony is damaged.
If Christians consistently tell the truth—even when it costs them—that gets people's attention.
Jesus didn't only teach truth.
He is truth.
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
“full of grace and truth.”
Jesus never manipulated truth.
He never lied.
He never needed to exaggerate.
He never needed clever wording to deceive.
Everything He said was completely trustworthy.
20 For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.
And when we belong to Christ, our lives should increasingly reflect His character.
SO WHAT?
1. Can people trust my word?
2. Do I exaggerate?
3. Do I make promises carelessly?
4. Do I use technicalities to escape responsibility?
5. Do my words match my heart?
2 He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, And speaks truth in his heart.
How does our understanding of God's sovereignty over our words impact our daily communication with others?
In what ways can we cultivate a heart that truly loves truth as Jesus teaches?
How can we identify when our words may be manipulated or exaggerated to escape responsibility?
What steps can we take to ensure our promises reflect integrity and align with God's character?
How should our commitment to truth influence our relationships with family and friends?
What practical changes can we implement in our conversations to avoid exaggeration?
How can we teach our children the importance of honesty in their words?
In a world that often values manipulation, how can we stand out as truthful individuals?
What are some examples of how honesty has positively affected your life or someone else's?
How do you personally assess the trustworthiness of your own words before making a commitment?
