ALPHA MAAMA (A.M.)

Tu’apulelulu ‘Aokosi 19, 2021

Ko e me‘a kuo ‘alu atu mei ho ngutu te ke tokanga ki ai ke fai

You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips  

Teutalōnome 23 (Deuteronomy 23)

(v. 21-23) “If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

(v. 21-23) Ka kuo ke fai ha‘o tukumo‘ui kia Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, ‘e ‘ikai te ke fakatotoka ‘i hono fakaai: he kuo pau ke ‘eke ia kiate koe ‘e Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, kae‘uma‘ā te ke hia ai. Ka ‘o kapau te ke faka‘ehi‘ehi mei he fai ‘o ha tukumo‘ui, tala‘ehai te ke angahala ai. Ko e me‘a kuo ‘alu atu mei ho ngutu te ke tokanga ki ai ke fai; pe ko e hā ho‘o tukumo‘ui kuo ke fai kia Sihova ko ho ‘Otua, ‘a e me‘a‘ofa kuo ke lea ki ai ‘aki ho ngutu.

 

G. Campbell Morgan's Exposition on the Whole Bible

Under the Mosaic law certain persons were excluded from worship and others from the camp. Any who in any way violated the requirements of personal perfection in physical matters were not to be allowed to stand among the worshipers. Both the actually maimed and such as were the direct issue of sin were excluded. The Moabite and Ammonite were excluded to the tenth generation because of their refusal to help the people of God in the time of their need and their attempt to harm them in the matter of Balaam. The Edomite and Egyptian were to be excluded to the second generation only. In the case of the first, help had not been rendered in time of need; and in that of the second, Israel must never forget benefits received

With his eye ever on the future of the people in the land, Moses proceeded to touch upon various subjects to the end of this chapter and through the following two chapters seemingly without any system. Israel was to be a refuge for the oppressed slaves of other people. Usury among brethren was forbidden. Vows, it was plainly declared, must be kept, but it was also made perfectly clear that there was no necessity for making vows. In the case of need a man might eat in his neighbor's vineyards or pluck his standing corn, but no man was allowed to carry away from vineyard or cornfield anything for trade or personal enrichment.

 

David Guzik :: Study Guide for Deuteronomy 22

A vow before God is no small thing. God expressly commanded that Israel should be careful to keep its vows and to fulfill every oath made, for the LORD your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to.

In many circles today, the breaking of an oath is just standard business practice - but before God, it is simply sin.

If you abstain from vowing: Many wonder if vows or oaths are permitted for a Christian today.

Some think not, because of what Jesus said in Matthew 5:34-37: But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No.' For whatever is more than these is from the evil one. (See also James 5:12)

But, in context of the rest of Scripture, we see that Jesus was not forbidding oaths, as much as telling us that we should be so filled with integrity in our words that an oath is unnecessary.

Jesus answered under oath in a court (Matthew 26:63-64), and God Himself swears oaths (Luke 1:73, Acts 2:30, Hebrews 3:18, 6:13, 17).

But if you abstain from vowing, it shall not be sin to you: Vows are never required by God; many times it is better not to make a vow.

That which has gone from your lips you shall keep and perform: This shows how important it is to keep a vow once made. As it says in Ecclesiastes 5:4-5, When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed. It is better not to vow than to vow and not pay.

Many vows are just plain foolish - "I'll never do that again" is a foolish vow, and it is foolish and unwise to demand such a vow from someone else.

Of course, there is a vow we all can and should make - a vow to praise God: Vows made to You are binding upon me, O God; I will render praises unto You (Psalm 56:12). So I will sing praise to Your name forever, that I may daily perform my vows (Psalm 61:8).