Continuing on along with the Sermon on the Mount, we come next to a section where Jesus addressed the topic of oaths. Read today’s text in Matthew 5:33-37.
Jesus began teaching the people, during the Sermon on the Mount, about how we should be careful of what things come out of our mouths. Here, He reminds His followers that the Old Testament Scriptures had a number of things to say about oaths and encourages them to be certain that they do not break their oaths, but that they be sure and fulfill whatever things they may have promised on oath at one time. Christians need to be people of such honesty and integrity that people feel they can trust what they say to always be dependable and believable.
Leviticus 19:12 tells us that we should not swear falsely by God’s name or profane His name. The word of a believer should be trustworthy. We are not to use God’s name to back up untruth or as part of vulgar expressions. God’s name is holy and needs to be treated as such. This teaching is in line with one of the Ten Commandments – Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain (Ex 20:7).
Jesus then goes on to say that we must fulfill any oath we have made (Num 30:2). If you swear on an oath that you will do something, you must make certain that you do it. We must be as good as our word. And we must also not be slow about getting it done (Deut 23:21-23). God holds us accountable to the things we have vowed, and the Bible says it is sin if we do not fulfill our vows. The Old Testament actually teaches us three very specific things about vows:
- They are optional.
- They must be fulfilled, once made.
- God will hold us accountable.
Ecclesiastes 5:2-7 tells us clearly about God’s position on vows. We must remember to be very careful of what vows we make. Only fools talk a lot and quickly throw vows out. God will hold us to our vows and only a fool would make one lightly.
Jesus continues on, in our text, to say that we should not swear by the things in Heaven above or by things below. We should restrict our words to the simpler “Yes” or “No” (James 5:12). When we go the step further with “Heavens yes” or “Hell no” we are using language that Jesus has warned us against. God does not care for us to use these types of expressions and Jesus is telling us here that we must avoid them. We can take this even further and say that believers should be avoiding ALL types of vulgar words and expressions because the use of these does not bring honor and glory to God.
In Matt 23:16-22, Jesus went on to teach about using manipulative words to talk your way around things. This is not an honest approach to communication and is not pleasing to God. God’s people should never be involved in these kinds of manipulative discussions (Prov 17:20). The Bible teaches us very clearly that we are to keep our tongues under control (Prov 21:23).
What does the Psalmist teach us about wicked men in Psalm 10:17? Hopefully, these words will never be descriptive of one of God’s believers. What instructions do these verses from the Psalms give us concerning what comes out of our mouths:
- Psalm 34:13
- Psalm 39:1
- Psalm 52:2
Psalm 73:9 tells us a concerning trait about the foolish and wicked. Contrast this with what Prov 10:31-32 tells us about the just.
Hebrews 6:13-18 gives us an excellent example of the trustworthiness of God’s word. We can look to this for a role model of what someone’s word should be. James 1:26 summarizes for us the man who does not live up to this expectation.
The Bible teaches us clearly, in many locations, how important it is for God’s people to guard what is coming out of their mouths. It is so easy to get carried away and blather on in an unacceptable manner, but how much more honor does it bring to our Lord when we remain vigilant to guard what we are saying.
Responding to God: Praise God and worship Him for the purity and trustworthiness of all things which He says. Seek His help in maintaining constant integrity in your speech. Commit to always keeping your word.
Add comment
Comments