Week 31:
Topic: The Vow – Part 2
Bible
We
shall continue by focusing on the Biblical laws concerning the vows.
Law Concerning Vows
There
are several laws in the Bible that are connected with vows and we shall discuss
them in detail.
Redemption
of gifts offered to the Lord: You can redeem any gift dedicated to the Lord
through/by vow, most especially if the dedicated gift is human being or
property.
Redemption
of Humans:
The Lord instructed Moses to inform the children of
·
A man between the ages of twenty and sixty will be
fifty shekels of silver, measured according to the sanctuary shekel and thirty
shekels for a woman of the same age bracket.
·
A male between the ages of five and twenty will be
twenty shekels of silver and ten shekels of silver for a female.
·
A boy between the ages of one month and five years
will be five shekels of silver and three shekels of silver if it is a girl.
·
A man older than sixty years will be fifteen shekels
of silver and ten shekels of silver for a woman older than sixty years.
The
previously mentioned funds are what must be paid by anyone who makes a vow to
dedicate someone to the Lord by paying the value of that person. Nowadays,
shekels of silver are not common currency; therefore the money must be paid in
the equivalent currency of the Nation Leviticus 27: 2-7.
Since
our God is a considerate God, who always considers the poor. If you desire to
make such a vow but you are poor and cannot afford to pay the required amount,
you need to take that person to the priest who shall determine the amount which
you will pay based on what you can afford Leviticus 27: 8.
Redemption
of properties:
If someone dedicates a house to the Lord, the priest will come to assess its
value. The priest’s assessment will be final, whether high or low. If the
person who dedicated the house wants to buy it back (or redeem it), he must pay
the value set by the priest, plus twenty percent (or one fifth). It is then
that the house will again be his property Leviticus 27: 14-15.
Nazirite
Laws:
The Lord commanded Moses to give the following instructions to the children of
They
must never cut their hair throughout the time of their vow, for they are holy
and set apart to the Lord. Until the time when their vow has been fulfilled,
they must let their hair grow long Numbers 6: 1-5.
Binding and Invalid Vows
The
following are the commandments of the Lord which can either make a vow to bind or
become invalid.
·
If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath
to bind himself by an agreement, he must not break his word; but do according
to everything that proceeds out of his mouth.
·
If a young woman makes a vow to the Lord or a
pledge under oath while she is still a virgin at her father’s home and her
father hears of the vow or pledge and does not object to it, then all her vows
and pledges will stand. But if her father refuses to let her fulfill the vow or
pledge on the day he hears of it, then all her vows and pledges will become
invalid. The Lord will forgive her because her father would not let her fulfill
them.
·
If a young woman makes a vow or binds herself with
an impulsive pledge and later marries. If her husband learns of her vow or
pledge and does not object on the day he hears of it, then her vows and pledges
will stand. But if her husband refuses to accept her vow or impulsive pledge on
the day he hears of it, he nullifies her commitments and the Lord will forgive
her. However, if a woman is a widow or is divorced, she must fulfill all her
vows and pledges.
· If a woman is married and living in her husband’s home when she
makes a vow or binds herself with a pledge. If her husband hears of it, and
does not object to it, her vow or pledge will stand. But if her husband refuses
to accept it on the day he hears of it, her vow or pledge will be nullified and
the Lord will forgive her. So her husband may either confirm or nullify the
vows or pledges she makes to deny herself. But if he does not object on the day
he hears of it, then he is agreeing to all her vows and pledges. If he waits
more than a day and then tries to nullify her vow or pledge, he will be
punished for her guilt Numbers 30: 1-15.
Praise and Thanksgiving
must Accompany Vows
Christians
should realize that whenever they are paying or fulfilling their vows, it must
be accompanied by praises and thanksgiving because of what the Lord has done in
their lives, most importantly for preserving their lives and making it possible
for them to keep or redeem their vows.
I
want us to know that whenever anyone makes a vow/pledge before the Lord, Satan
and his agents will tempt the person. They will put lots of spiritual stumbling
rocks in the path of such person, so that it will be difficult or impossible
for the person to pay or fulfill his/her vow. It is the grace of the Lord that
always prevails and makes it possible for people to keep or redeem their vows.
Therefore, one needs to show appreciation by praising and thanking the Lord
whenever you pay or fulfill your vow.
The
scripture stated that “For you, O God, have heard my vows; You have given me
the heritage of those who fear Your name”. If God heard your vows and gives you
the inheritance reserved for those who fear His name then you need to praise
and thank Him Psalm 61: 5. Show appreciation to the Lord by
praising and thanking Him because He heard your vows and gave you a favourable
reply. So sing praise to His name forever and fulfill your vows day by day
because He has endowed you with the blessings of those who worship Him Psalm
61: 8. For this reason, declare that praise and thanksgiving is waiting
for the Lord your God in His house or the holy mountain whenever you are
performing your vows Psalm 65: 1.
The Place to Pay Your Vow
The
places to pay your vow are the churches or the holy mountains in the midst of
the congregation of the people of the Lord. It was written that everyone must
bring their offerings and vows to the place where the Lord our God chooses as a
dwelling for His Name, the place where His name will be honored and abide
forever Deuteronomy