Skip to main content

Curses

 The next morning some Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. More than forty men were involved in this plot. They went to the chief priests and the elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. (Acts 23:12-14)

             Now the Israelites were in distress that day, because Saul had bound the people under an oath, saying, “Cursed be anyone who eats food before evening comes, before I have avenged myself on my enemies!” So none of the troops tasted food. (I Samuel 14:29)

             It is a trap to dedicate something rashly and only later to consider one’s vows. (Proverbs  20:25)

             Today’s passage is thanks to my sister’s pastor, who included it in a sermon but didn’t camp out on it as much as I want to. I doubt they meant to miss even one meal, but it’s pretty certain they didn’t intend to miss more than one. But can you imagine making a public and official vow to not eat until you accomplished something? Worse yet, can you imagine making a vow that nobody else was allowed to do something?

            There are some passages that talk about people making rash vows. Daughters’ and wives’ vows could be nullified by fathers and husbands. I’m sure I’ve read something dealing with rash vows made by a more general person, but I can’t find them now.

            In Deuteronomy, the people of Israel stood on two mountains, and they responded to promises of blessings if they obeyed the Law, and curses if they didn’t. And that’s the challenge, because if you made a vow and you didn’t follow through on the vow, you incurred a curse. Returning to the vow not to eat anything until something was accomplished, I have to shake my head because such a vow is so obviously unwise.

            And that is where we have to turn from the “foolish folks” in Bible times to our own lives. What sort of vows do we make? What sort of promises? What sort of decisions do we make that we know aren’t good ones, but we make them anyway? Why do we do these things to ourselves? And yet we do. And this is where we need open our eyes and look at what we’re doing. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

A Virgin?

           Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)           This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 1:18)           But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end.”            “How will this be,” Mary asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Higher Thoughts

  “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the  Lord . “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:8-9)           The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments,   for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord      so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:15-16) If you read about the ancient gods of the various peoples, you’ll find that they think just like people. In fact, they think just like the sort of people we really wouldn’t want to be around. They think like the most corrupt Hollywood producer or, like hormone overloaded teens with no upbringing.   It’s embarrassing to read. I have a friend who argues that because God is not just like us, He is so vastly dif...
2 comments
Read more

Saved?

  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” (John 10:28-30) “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ ” (Matthew 7:21-23) Not at all! Let God be true, and every human being a liar. As it is written: “So that you may be proved right when you speak and prevail when you judge.” (Romans 3:4)   What conclusion do you draw when someone who was raised in a Christian family and church, perhaps even playing a significant role in a chur...
Post a Comment
Read more