Word of Encouragement (07/13/2023)

And she vowed a vow and said, "O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your servant and remember me and not forget your servant, but will give to your servant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall touch his head." (1 Sam. 1:11)

This is Hannah’s prayer. It is a votive prayer (a vow-making prayer). A vow is generally a solemn promise one makes to God. Both in Judaism and Christianity, there is a Vow (with the capital V) that every member of the covenant community must take, promising to live according to the terms of the covenant. So, all of you, who are communicant members, have taken the membership vow. The Bible has many commands, both in the Law of Moses as well as in the Psalms, to “pay” (or carry out) one’s vows to the LORD. Because God is a covenant-keeping God, His people are expected to keep the covenant in His likeness.

But there are also “smaller” vows God’s people make to express their gratitude to God. These are voluntary, not mandatory. This is what Zacchaeus did when the Lord showed His interest and mercy to him despite his despised status as a chief tax collector: “Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor. And if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I restore it fourfold” (Luke 19:8).

Another type of vow can be described as conditional: you promise to do if God does something for you. That’s what Hannah is doing here. This seems only logical, right? If you want something badly, you feel like you must do more than just ask God. So, you promise to do something you think God would like in return if He answers your prayer. It is a type of bargaining with God. Some may think that, while this may seem natural and logical, it is beneath the biblical religion. You are not supposed to bargain with God as if your relationship with God were just a business transaction! If you want something so badly, it may be an idol of yours. How absurd and wrong it is to ask God to grant you an idol! So, you must examine your heart that you are not asking for an idol. But the Bible does not forbid God’s people from making vows. Hannah’s vow is an example, and the LORD honored it by granting her, not just a son but other children!

We said that a vow is voluntary, not mandatory. But once we make a vow, its fulfillment is not voluntary but mandatory. There are many warnings given: “If a man vows a vow to the LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth” (Num. 30:2); “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” (Deut. 23:21).

God made a vow to save His people from all eternity. And in the fullness of time, He fulfilled His vow even though it required the sacrifice of His only begotten Son (Gal. 4:4-5). It shows how seriously He takes vows. Let us strive to be true to our words with the help of the Holy Spirit.

‍