Revcort's Ramblings

Scripture Focus

“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.” — Deuteronomy 23:21–23 (ESV)

Devotional Thought

Here in Deuteronomy 23, Moses reminds Israel that God takes our words seriously. If someone voluntarily made a vow to the Lord, that person was expected to keep it. Once the promise had passed his lips, he couldn’t simply forget about it when keeping it became inconvenient. Moses says, “You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips.”

But there’s another important statement tucked into these instructions: “If you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin.” In other words, God wasn’t requiring His people to make elaborate vows and promises. If you make one, keep it. But there’s no need to make one in the first place.

Jesus returned to this principle in the Sermon on the Mount. People had developed complicated ways of swearing by heaven, earth, Jerusalem, or other things in an attempt to make their words seem more trustworthy. Jesus cut through all of that and said, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’” (Matthew 5:37). James later repeated essentially the same instruction: “Let your ‘yes’ be yes and your ‘no’ be no” (James 5:12).

Why do we feel the need to swear by something in the first place? Usually, we’re trying to convince someone that this time we really mean what we’re saying. We add something to our words because we’re afraid our words alone won’t be believed.

I sometimes talk to our students about this when discussing profanity and the constant use of extreme language. Some people seem to believe that adding stronger words makes what they’re saying more convincing. But if you’ve developed a reputation for exaggerating, lying, or failing to keep your promises, stronger language isn’t going to fix the real problem. The problem isn’t that your words aren’t strong enough. The problem is that your words aren’t trusted.

Of course, there are occasions when solemn vows or oaths have an appropriate place. We make vows when we marry. We may be required to swear an oath when giving testimony in court. In those situations, the biblical answer is remarkably simple: tell the truth and keep your promise.

There was once a common saying that “a man’s word is his bond.” The idea was that a person’s character should be so trustworthy that giving his word was as good as signing an agreement. Whether anything was written down or not, if he said he would do something, you could count on him to do it. That’s very close to what Moses, Jesus, and James are teaching us.

Imagine developing the kind of reputation where people don’t need you to say, “I swear,” “I promise,” or “You have to believe me.” They simply know you tell the truth. When you say yes, you mean yes. When you say no, you mean no. When you say you’ll be there, you show up. When you make a commitment, you keep it. And when you discover that you’ve said something that isn’t true, you admit it and correct it.

For followers of Jesus, truthfulness shouldn’t be something we turn on when the circumstances are serious enough. It should simply be who we are. Your word doesn’t need to be strengthened by an oath when it has already been strengthened by a life of integrity. Live in such a way that your word is enough.

Reflection Questions

1. When I tell someone I will do something, can they generally trust me to follow through?
2. Have I ever used promises, oaths, or exaggerated language to make myself sound more believable?
3. Are there commitments I have made that I have delayed or neglected to fulfill?
4. What would need to change in my life for my simple “yes” or “no” to be enough?

Closing Prayer

Father, You are always truthful and faithful to Your promises. Help me reflect Your character in the words I speak and the commitments I make. Forgive me for the times I have been careless with my words, failed to keep a promise, or been less than truthful. Teach me to speak with honesty and live with integrity so that my yes means yes and my no means no. May the way I speak and the way I keep my word bring honor to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.