Promises & Vows

[cyberev]

Recently an interesting discussion came about between me and some brothers in Christ. The discussion focused on promises and vowels. One brother led off the conversation by stating he used to smoke cigarettes, however, he no longer smokes cigarettes because he made a vow to stop smoking. Interestingly enough, he will on an occasion smoke a cigar When I asked him why he would make a vow to quit smoking cigarettes, but continue to smoke cigars, very infrequently, he replied he had to make the vow in order to quit smoking cigarettes. He believed if he made a vow to God to quit smoking cigarettes he would have to stop. Apparently, cigars are not an issue.

Another brother raised the question about alcohol consumption and a promise to God. This brother stated that while he was younger he made a promise to God to quit drinking beer, if God gave him what he desired. Turns out he got what he wanted, but has had beer since that time.Of course, I believe he would got what he wanted regardless of his perceived negotiating skills. He was trying to negotiate with God or attempting to manipulate God; which we know is impossible. The man shares with us about his struggles concerning beer. He is not a drunkard and only occasionally will have a beer, but he is constantly battling on whether he is in sin by doing this act.

Are promises valid, when someone is trying to manipulate God? God cannot be manipulated and it sounded like the brother was very misguided in his youth, but he is in anguish over this decision made many years ago. Opinions about the promise have varied and I would love to read what others have to say regarding this issue

 

[raekwon]

Josh beat me to it.

 

[VictorBravo]

Yes, sometimes vowels are important.

There is the act of vowing, in Hebrew generally pointed to sound like "nadar", and the thing vowed, often pointed to sound like "neder". . . .

 

[VictorBravo]

The man shares with us about his struggles concerning beer. He is not a drunkard and only occasionally will have a beer, but he is constantly battling on whether he is in sin by doing this act.

To answer your question, a vow before God is a very serious thing. God ought not to be mocked with foolish vows. The question is not whether God was responding to your friend's "deal" and now payment is due, but whether your friend was serious in his address to God.

It seems like he wasn't and that he had taken the Lord's name in vain. Sinners that we are, we all do that in one way or another. I trust that he repents of the act and flees to Christ for forgiveness.

A harsh but sober lesson can be found here. Maybe he can be mindful that whenever he wants to have a beer, he would remind himself of how serious it is to stand before God and to invoke his name upon any human endeavor.

I am not arguing that he can never drink beer again, nor am I advising him to have a beer with a clear conscience. Rather, I believe that this conviction of his conscience itself will be of great use in his sanctification by causing him to contemplate God's holiness and our helplessness before sin.

 

[cyberev]

My mistake on the vowels vs vows. I must have been in idiot mode. I had been grading essays all morning.