All About Vows

According to the Pharisees, someone could make an oath by swearing by the temple and yet not be required to keep it. A husband could tell his wife that “by the altar in the temple, I promise to cook dinner tonight;” but because he did not swear by the offering on the altar, his oath was meaningless. These religious leaders did not care about truth. They did not care about personal integrity. It is not surprising that Jesus rebuked them. It is not surprising that Jesus’ next words in the Sermon on the Mount were as follows:

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. (NASB) Matt. 5:34-35

And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. (NASB) Matt. 5:36

How does this verse fit with vows and oaths? The answer is found in the fact that all of their oaths or vows appealed to God or some religious item. Now Jesus adds that they cannot swear by themselves either. Jesus told them to not swear by the temple, altar, heaven, or themselves.

Men will always look for a way to escape God’s wishes and to do what they want. Men and women do not like being told, “No.” Jesus’ listeners must have been very surprised. If you had been there, what would you have thought? Would you have wondered if Jesus was wrong and your pastor was correct? Would you have wondered what the Old Testament really said? It is clear that God had told the Israelites they could swear by Himself. So what was Jesus’ message?

Simply let your “Yes” be “Yes,” and your “No,” “No”; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (NIV) Matt. 5:37

Jesus’ message was direct - be direct and honest. Do not be deceptive. Do not lie. Tell the truth. This is the message of James 5:12,

But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment. (NASB) James 5:12

Making Vows. Some have used Jesus’ statements to teach that God does not want us to make an oath, vow, or make a promise. That is an easy conclusion to reach from Matthew 5:33-37 if we ignore other parts of the Bible. For example, in the Mosaic Law God told them that they could make a vow to God, but first we need to read the fine print,

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. (NASB) Num. 30:2

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. (NASB) Deut. 23:21