The vows we make to God have spiritual implications and we breach same at our own peril. A vow has implications because it is made for an undeserving favour from God. It is a spiritual contract with the highest of deities who is our Lord and master, our King and commander in chief. How do we understand the character of the vows we make to the Lord God Almighty?
It is a binding oath
A vow is an irreversible assurance or undertaking to fulfill a promise apart from what else the promisor can afford, Numbers 6:21. It is in the nature of an oath, swearing, promise, pledge or undertaking. It is irrevocable after the vow to what we say we will do. It binds the person who made the vow.
Numbers 30:3 says when a man vows or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge he shall not break his word, and has to do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. One who makes a vow is bound to fulfill the totality of the vow and not partially. Shall we continue to renege on our vows?
It must be without slack
A vow should be redeemed forthwith or without slack. Slack means it must not be relaxed, floppy or loose. In effect it must be taken seriously and not for a joke. Deuteronomy 23:21, 23 say that when you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not be slack to pay it; for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you.
Is the Lord undeserving of our vows simply because he gives us beyond our expectation yet does not punish us immediately because of his grace when we break our vows? Do we begrudge God because of his generosity towards us, Matthew 20:15? Is the Lord evil because he is good, merciful, slow to anger and full of grace? How often do we not slack on our vows to the Lord after he has blessed us?
It must be without delay
We must honour our vows to the Lord without delay when God honours his promise to us. Psalms 56:12 says that my vows to thee I must perform, O God; I will render thank offerings to thee. Fulfilling our vows soon after blessing is saying thanks to God Almighty. It is an appreciation of his goodness, presence and involvement in our lives upon which we made the vows.
Delay does not honour God. 2 Corinthians 9:7 says each one must do as he has made up his mind, not reluctantly or under compulsion, God loves a cheerful giver. Do we honour our vows to the Lord cheerfully? In the sight of God, we become fools when we delay honouring their vows. Ecclesiastes 5:4 says that when you make a vow to God, you should not delay paying it; for the Lord has no pleasure in fools and you must pay what you vow.
Breaking a vow is a curse
It is a curse to dishonor a vow made to the Lord because we become cheats against God. A curse from God on us as cheats is fearful. Malachi 1:14 says cursed be the cheat who has a male in his flock, and vows it, and yet sacrifices to the Lord what is blemished, for I am a great King, says the Lord of hosts, and my name is feared among the nations.
How often do we short change God and give him less than what we vowed to give. We do not honour our vows if we give to God what has no value to us or what we do not need or what is less than the vow we made. We then become accursed.
It is an oath of reciprocity
The Lord God said I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you, Genesis 12:3; 27:29. In the same vein if we bless the Lord with meeting our vows, he will continue to bless us with his substance. However if we fail or break our vows to him, he will equally curse us by withdrawing his involvement in our lives. God does not condone sin and unfaithfulness. If we cannot honour our vows to the Lord, we cannot expect him to honour his to us.
Jesus said he who is faithful in a very little is faithful also in much; and he who is dishonest in a very little is dishonest also in much, Luke 16:10. God rewards only the faithful. Revelation 2:10 says be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. A curse is a total rejection by and cut off from God which leaves us in the enemy’s domain where we become exposed to his control over us. We always need God’s protection and so we must not take our vows to the Lord for granted.
Do not a vow if you cannot fulfill it
Because the breach of a vow attracts God’s reprimand on account of sin, the bible says that it is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay, Ecclesiastics 5:5. In that wise Jesus says in Matthew 5:37 that let your yes be yes and your no be no. God does not force us to make vows against how we exercise our free will. However, he expects that when we make a vow to him, we must discharge it in its fullness or entirety.
We have no excuse after we have received from God prior to a voluntary vow to him. We must confess our breaches and ask for God’s forgiveness. If we do, he is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from our sins, 1 John 1:9. We have dishonoured our vows to the Lord as cheats and sinful men who are unworthy of God’s protection but rejection as cursed people. May Christ redeem us all in his holy name.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, as the owner and giver of all good things, we cannot deny you our vows. So, lead us to honour our vows to you with cheerfulness of heart. Blessed be your holy name, Amen!!
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