MAKING GOOD YOUR VOWS BEFORE GOD DEUT 28:1, DEUT 30:20

Dear Members in Christ,

Making Good Your Vows before God Deut 28:1, Deut 30:20

Dear readers, as the opening days of the New Year pass us quickly, it is a good time to think about how we would like the rest of the year to be like in terms of our walk with God. We remember the dedication oath by all members and session members just a week ago. The dedication vow we have made is collective. It is a vow by all those serving in the church, and every member should be engaged in some form of service. We need to be conscious and aware that we must do our utmost during the year to carry out that which we have vowed. How do we do make sure that we carry out these vows? How do we make sure that we do not neglect our pledge to perform our duties? Let this be our meditation for today.

A vow which is pleasing to God

Firstly, the Bible does not prohibit making vows or an oath before God. There are several instances of godly men and women who made vows before God. Just some examples would suffice. E.g. Hannah’s vow in the temple, in 1 Samuel 1:11, where she “vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life…” Another example would be the Nazarite vow instituted in the Book of Numbers (Numbers 6:2). These are God-honoring vows where a man or a woman vows to perform a duty or service to God. In the course of our life, we too make vows, e.g. when we are inducted into the membership of the church, at a matrimonial ceremony, or as we have just done, at the dedication day of the church.

As we consider the vows we have made, we must remember that the Bible warns against those who make a frivolous vow, a vow made without sincerity, and with no intention to carry out the vow before God.

“When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed. Better is it that thou shouldest not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.” Ecclesiastes 5:4,5

The verse is clear about God having “no pleasure in fools.” The displeasure of the Almighty, Omnipotent God is a terrible thing to fall upon any man or woman. Christians, be serious about the dedication vows. The biblical teaching about vows is to be sincere and resolute, to be determined by God’s grace to carry out the oath that has been made.

Remembering our vows before God

Are there Biblical instances of God’s people making a corporate vow? The answer is yes. The Bible does have Moses commanding the people of God in Deuteronomy chapters 27-30 to make a vow at Ebal and Gerizim when they have entered the Promised Land. In the declaration, the people of God are to affirm with “Amen” to the blessings which accompany obedience and the curses which come with disobedience. The words of the covenant are summarized in Deuteronomy 29:1 which reads, “These are the words of the covenant, which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.” After that covenant, God had a reminder for His people that the vow they made ultimately rests upon their love and obedience to God. 

“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.” Deut 30:19,20

The important message is that God is ever ready to bless His covenant people. The purpose of their vows is not just to place a burden upon them, but it is for their good, that God may bestow great blessings upon them. Thus, in the Deuteronomic vow, the reminder to them is to fulfill their vows of obedience by loving God, and obeying Him, and cleaving to Him.

Love and obey God?

We ought to understand the meaning of these words. What about “to cleave unto Him?” The word has the meaning of being close to someone, even in a figurative way, being fastened stuck to someone. It conveys the meaning of faithfulness and loyalty for instance in serving a master.

Therefore, our vows of dedication are pledge of loyalty to the True and Living God. Our promise on dedication Sunday is to serve God faithfully according to the duties to which we have committed for the coming year. The underlying driver for our love to God is to return the love that He has shown us by the finished work the Lord Jesus has accomplished on the cross for us. By keeping our vows, we demonstrate our gratitude for God by returning our love, obedience, and our loyal service to Him.    

Practical ways to ensure that we carry out our dedication vows

The Bible teaches that in making vows we are motivated by love, obedience, devotion, and loyalty to God. But how do we turn it into practice? There are some daily and weekly routines that can help us be reminded to carry out our duties faithfully. Firstly, service to God is spiritual work and must be aided by prayer. Make prayer for your service an important part of your daily or weekly prayer routine. Pray for wisdom to be able to juggle our already busy schedules of work, family, and church. Pray also for wisdom and perseverance to continue faithfully in service.

Secondly, set aside a time slot every week for reviewing or improving your duty or service. If you are a Sunday School teacher, think about how you can improve your lessons or delivery. A person in the music ministry can think about how he/she can encourage others to sing heartily unto the Lord. If your burden is evangelism – think about yet undiscovered opportunities for sharing the gospel. Whatever service you are in, a short 30 minutes a week of prayer and meditation about your area of service will help in reminding you to give your best for the Lord.

Thirdly, preparation and punctuality are important. Whether, it’s chairing a meeting or setting up the PA system, or choir practice, preparation (with prayer) and punctuality show your readiness to serve the Lord with devotion. After all, in our workplaces or social scenes, we do not habitually be unprepared or be late for appointments – how much more ought we to be vigilant in our service to the King of kings.

Finally, let us be responsible in our area of duty. If we are unable to meet our duty schedule for some reason, do inform the duty group and make arrangements for replacement personnel.  

Let our service for the Lord be the very best! And let us be watchful to keep our vows. In closing, let us remember, that while we are in this flesh, we struggle against all kinds of temptations and testing. Do not be discouraged if, for some reason, you fail in some area of service. Do not give up! Confess your sins to the Lord, seeking His forgiveness – for He is faithful and just to forgive us. And continue laboring on, trusting ad relying on the Lord. May God help and strengthen us for His glory! Amen.

In Christ,
Dn. Lim Seh Beng