Bible Studies

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Vows to God
Jacob’s stunning dream and his reaction to it are recorded in this chapter. God made promises to Jacob in the dream, and Jacob made a vow when he awoke:

God: I am with you. (v 15)
Jacob: If God will be with me. (v 20)

God: Keep you wherever you go. (v 15)
Jacob: Keep me in this way that I am going. (v 20)

God: Bring you back to this land. (v 15)
Jacob: Come back to my father’s house. (v 20)

God: I am the LORD God. (v 13)
Jacob: The LORD shall be my God. (v 21)

Regardless of how you view Jacob’s subsequent behavior, it is undeniable that on that day Jacob vowed to do what was in God’s will. He did so out of awe, amazement, and gratitude that he’d been chosen to carry out God’s promises to Abraham. More often, vows are made out of desperation: “God, if You will get me out of this tight spot, I promise to pray/give/worship/serve/avoid in return.” The Bible records a desperation vow which ended in tragedy in Judges 11, where a girl was sacrificed to fulfill an unthinking vow made by the girl’s father.
Humans are so likely to make vows like this, that God actually set up rules for them. “If you make a vow to the LORD your God, do not be slow to pay it, for the LORD your God will certainly demand it of you and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from making a vow, you will not be guilty. Whatever your lips utter you must be sure to do, because you made your vow freely to the LORD your God with your own mouth.” (Deuteronomy 23:21-23 NIV) These rules couldn’t be clearer, but adhering to them can still bring many difficulties. Jesus said the final words on the subject:
“Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not break your oath, but keep the oaths you have made to the Lord.' But I tell you, Do not swear at all: either by heaven, for it is God's throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King…Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No ,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37).
At the core of a vow is the idea that God needs something from us in order to fulfill our request. But Christians have already given their lives to God; there is nothing else to give. Instead of making a vow, simply rely on what you already know: “And whatever you shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14)

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