If the Lord Allows
Today's Scripture: Numbers 30
1And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.
2If 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.
3If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;
4And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.
5But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.
6And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;
7And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
8But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.
9But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.
10And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;
11And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.
12But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.
13Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.
14But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.
15But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.
16These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.
Today's Scripture Meaning:
Vows to be kept. (1,2) The cases wherein vows might be released. (3-16)
Verse 1,2: No man can be bound by his own promise to do what he is already, by the Divine precept, forbidden to do. In other matters the command is, that he shall not break his words, through he may change his mind.
Verses 3-16: Two cases of vows are determined. The case of a daughter in her father's house. When her vow comes to his knowledge, it is in his power either to confirm it or do it away. The law is plain in the case of a wife. If her husband allows her vow, though only by silence, it stands. If he disallows it, her obligation to her husband takes place of it; for to him she ought to be in subjection, as unto the Lord. The Divine law consults the good order of families. It is fit that every man should bear rule in his own house, and have his wife and children in subjection; rather than that this great rule should be broken, or any encouragement be given to inferior relations to break those bonds asunder, God releases the obligation even of a solemn vow. So much does religion secure the welfare of all societies; and in it the families of the earth have a blessing
Today's Scripture Application
Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the book of Numbers with Chapter 30 and in today's text we see rules about making vows. A vow was simply a promise between 2 or more people. The Lord takes our vows seriously as they reflect on our character and our testimony unto the Lord. In making application today we see that many don't keep their word. They buy with a promise to pay and don't think twice about not keeping their word. People promise to do things without following through with the attitude that everyone breaks promises. Others try to enslave people into vows knowing they don't have the ability to keep their promises. The Bible gives us wisdom on vows to let our yea be yea and our nay be nay in not promising or vowing to do any task. If someone is trying to force you into a vow think twice about your decision and if you vow then keep your promise for your testimonies sake. How about you? Do you half heartily enter into vows or contracts? Let us learn from today's text and not vow but simply let our yea be yea giving the promise to only inter into an agreement with the promise "if the Lord allows me" since we know not what the future might hold.