Read Numbers 30 at Bible Gateway.
If a man makes a vow to YHVH, or swears an oath to bind his soul with a bond, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth. Num 30:2
A phrase that Repeats throughout this chapter is “bind his (or her) soul.”
To bind is Strong’s H631, אסר asar, meaning, “to tie, bind, yoke.” The Hebrew is hiding a beautiful Parable in plain sight:
aleph א = ox head (strength, power, leader)
sin ס = thorn (grab, hate, protect)
resh ר = head of man (head, first, top, beginning, man)
Picture strong oxen (aleph) yoked together. They get turned (sin, in the sense that when one encounters thorns in the way, one turns aside to avoid them) to go in a direction they would not have chosen on their own, being bound to the driver’s (resh) will.
When a man or woman vows a vow, they are binding their own soul to the keeping of that vow. That’s serious business! Vows should be few and far between, made only after careful consideration. Wedding vows, ministry vows, courtroom oaths, public office vows, and military service vows are some of the rare times a vow carries the right weight.
This is why Jesus taught so plainly,
“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ 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.” Mat 5:33-37
WHY THIS MATTERS.
When we consider the gravity of oath-taking, then, we must remember that God obeys His own Word. He bound His own soul to the keeping of the vow He has vowed to us, that of salvation in His name for all who place their trust in Him.
For when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself, saying, “Surely blessing I will bless you, and multiplying I will multiply you.” And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. For men indeed swear by the greater, and an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. Heb 6:13-18
Our Father is so faithful! When we keep our word, we are simply walking in the footsteps of the One who keeps His Word, who has bound Himself to us forever.
Patterns and Repetition, Hebrew Root Words
30:1-16 {p} Law concerning vows
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