Should Christians Make Vows? Series

They very much needed a hall sufficiently spacious for the increasing numbers being added to the local church.

They had very limited funds available for the church expansion project.

The sick brother then made a vow that, if the Lord would restored him to health, he would provide a commodious hall for the local assembly.

When he recovered from his sickness, Satan tempted him to break his vow and withhold the money.

But the Lord had the victory and the hall was built and it was called `Bethany'

It simply means 'the house of the poor'.

It not only provided what was so much needed for the assembly but became, as the years passed, the birthplace of many souls won for Christ.

In addition, the brother who was healed by the Lord and fulfilled his vow by being generous was richly blessed.

He was a man of his word.

He fulfilled his vow.

No wonder, God gave him renewed health and he prospered in his business.

It is good to make a vow but we are to be men and women of our words.

3. HE HAD NO CHOICE BUT TO FULFILL HIS VOW.

Judges 11:36-40(NIV) 36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the Lord. Do to me just as you promised, now that the Lord has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.” 38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never marry.39 After the two months, she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed. And she was a virgin. From this comes the Israelite tradition 40 that each year the young women of Israel go out for four days to commemorate the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite.”

It is amazing to see that Jephthah’s daughter encourages her father to do all that he has promised the Lord he would do.

She submits herself to the will of God.

There was no sign of anger, there was no rebellious spirit, just humbly acknowledging what must be done.

She did not even blamed her father for making such a foolish vow.

She knew how much her father has suffered already emotionally.

She only asks for some time to mourn her virginity.

This girl was willing to make a huge sacrifice to help her father fulfill and honor his vow to the Lord.

She willingly gave up the joy of becoming a wife and mother.

She goes away with her friends for two months and they “bewailed her virginity”.

That is, they mourned with her that she would never be a wife or a mother.

For two long months, they wept, they wept and they wept.

It was a weeping party full of sadness and misery.

When she returned home, her father fulfilled his vow to the Lord and did with her the thing he promised to do.

In the same manner, we are to be careful of what we promised to God.

DO NOT DELAY IN FULFILLING IT.

Ecc. 5:4-5 (NIV) “4 When you make a vow to God, do not delay to fulfill it. He has no pleasure in fools; fulfill your vow. 5 It is better not to make a vow than to make one and not fulfill it.”