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Serving the Saints

Tag: Vows

  • Vows

    VOWS, OATHS, AND PROMISES

    If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.
    Numbers 30:2 (KJV)

    This is an outline and link to the audio file from a message preached at North 56th Street Gospel Chapel (Tampa, Florida) on 1-4-2015

    http://mrsteve.me/2015Vows [28 minute mp3 / 5MB]

    Introduction:  The Law concerning vows.

    A. Biblical

     Numbers 30:1-2
    Deuteronomy 23:21-23
    Matthew 5:33-37

    B. Rabbinical Law (extra-Biblical)

     Three Times
    Vows (things/others)
    Oaths (personal)

    I. Examples of Vows
    A. Wedding

     Intent (I will), Vow (I do), Ring (I wed)

     B. Peter’s oath.

    Found in all four gospels
    Matthew 26:34
    Mark 14:30
    John 13:38
    Luke 22:34 (see 31-34, 54-62)

    II. Foolish Vows
    A. Jacob  Genesis 31:30-32

        Rachel steals dad’s idols 31:19
    Rachel dies on the journey 35:19

     B. Jephthah Judges 11:1, 30-40

    Daughter is “sacrificed” to God

     C. Saul  1 Samuel 14:24-32

        37: God does not answer
    39: To curse added death
    43ff: Saul fails
    1 Samuel 31:2 Jonathan dies

    III. Permanent Vows
    Vows, Oaths, and Promises cannot be “unsaid”

    A. Jacobs irreversible blessing (Genesis 27)

    B. Even God is bound by promise

      Numbers 23:19-20

     C. Promise to Jacob (Genesis 28:15)

      Promise to Israel (Deuteronomy 31:6,8)
    Promise to Joshua (Joshua 1:5)
    Promise to Solomon (1 Chronicles 2:20)

     D. The promise is passed forward to believers.

      John 6:37-40, 47
    John 10:28-29
    Hebrews 13:5

    αὐτος γαρ εἴρηκεν· For He Himself said (perfect,active,indicative)
    οὐ μή σε ἀνῶ Double Negative + To loose “I will never let you go”
    οὐδ᾿ οὐ μή Triple Negative +
    σε ἐγκαταλίπω· “I will never leave you behind” (in a bad sense)

    Conclusion:
    May your only vow be that of the man who brought his son to the Lord to be healed in Mark 9:24

    “Lord I believe, help thou my unbelief”

  • I can go to her

    GUEST BLOG

    Thought for the morning – written with tears

     2 Samuel 12:22-23  And he (David) said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23  But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

    When a loved one is going through the final steps of leaving this world, we who love this one agonize before the Lord with many tears, prayers and supplications. We may plead with the Lord, but we always know it is not our will but His that is to be done.

    David fasted and wept for his newly born son who was deathly ill; born of Bathsheba, the son who would have been king after David (we know the story – 2Sam 12.13-23). But when the Lord took this young one from him what did he do? He no longer fasted but he looked forward to the time when he would go to him. There would be a day when David would join his son in heaven.

    All of us have lost loved ones and it may be that the one whom you loved struggled for a long time before entering into the presence of the Lord. There were times of anguishing prayers but now this one that is loved is gone. They have gone to a better place!

    And one day you shall go to the one you love and both of you shall rejoice in the presence of the King. No more pain, a new body, a realized Hope, all because of what Christ has accomplished on the Cross

    2 Corinthians 5:8  We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

    My dear wife, Cathy, of so many years has gone to be with her Lord (November 26, 2015) and there have been many tears on my part. But I have the same “hope” as David. One day I shall join her in heaven. We will be a new creation, we will be in the hallelujah choir praising our Lord, we will enjoy our new homes in the mansion He is preparing.

    I think of my dear wife. At the time of creation, Eve led her husband Adam into sin. My dear wife by her witness helped in leading me to Christ. Thank you Cathy.

    Please forgive me for being so personal today. But, it’s just as a thought for the morning.

    Carl