Let Your Yes Be Yes and Your No Be No!
Psalm 74:18-23
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
Reflections: As the psalmist continues to reflect on the primary cause of their hatred of their enemies, that they had mocked God, he continues to show trust that God will honor them in His covenant with them. Importantly, the psalmist trusts not in his own ability to overcome the darkness that surrounds him, but in God’s power and God’s promise in His covenant with them.
As we fight evil today and the forces arrayed against God, we must remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. Although we are called to resist our enemy and engage in the disciplines that prepare us for that, God will overcome His enemies in due time. Though they may seem to prosper for a while, those who mock God and those who carry His name, will one day be accountable for what they have done.
Numbers 30:1-31:12
Vows
30 Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. 3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her. 9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.
In regard to vows that Israelites made to God see the following commentary:
http://parablemania.ektopos.com/archives/2007/10/numbers_30_and.html
“Numbers 30 deals with Israelite vows to God, i.e. declaring something to be dedicated to God. This would usually involve vowing something to God that one would give to the tabernacle or temple system much later, e.g. a certain percentage of the harvest that hasn't arrive yet or something of that nature. Some of the Pharisees in Jesus' time abused this system by vowing things to God that were necessary for caring for their parents, and thus they used these laws to get out of more important ones like honoring father and mother.
The regulations in Numbers 30 relate to girls and women making vows when under the authority of someone else. Normally a man would be responsible for his own vows. A girl under her father's authority would also normally be responsible for her own vows, provided that her father, when hearing about it, said nothing. But he did have the authority to cancel her vow. The same is true of a husband of a married woman. The father or husband would have to cancel the vow immediately when hearing about it, but the authority to cancel the vow came with being the father of a minor girl or the husband of a wife.
What interested me in reading this chapter recently was how it treats widows and divorced women. There were cases of widows and divorced women going back to live with their father, but there were also cases of widows retaining the property their husbands had inherited and serving as a head of household. These cases would have to have involved children, since otherwise the property might leave the clan, and property ties to tribes and clans was a very big deal in ancient Israel. But what's notably absent in this chapter is any statement about such women being under the authority of their father in terms of vows. As far as this chapter is concerned, a widow or divorced woman was simply responsible for her vows, and no one had the authority to cancel them.”
This reminds us of the importance of the vows we make to God, and by application to each other in ceremonies like marriage. Today these can be taken lightly, and lead to the breakdown of so many aspects of society. In regard to this, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:37, “Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”, anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Luke 1:67-80
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.”
Reflections: We see Zechariah now able to praise God and in thanksgiving to God fulfilling His promise to he and Elizabeth. Zechariah is able to see the fulfillment of this promise in the context of the Promise of God to bring a Messiah through the line of David. He connects his own story Abraham’s story. See the similarities in their both waiting a long time for the promise to be fulfilled in their sons, and ultimately in the Son!
We see also the time of waiting for John in the desert as he grew and became strong in spirit until his appointed time to appear publicly. This reminds us that God’s purposes take time. Often we want to see things happen on our timetable, but as we wait on the Lord we will be renewed in our strength. Where do you need to wait on the Lord? Where are you anxious to see what He is going to do? Spend time in prayer leaving your burdens at His feet and in His time.
I made the earth, and created humankind upon it. Isaiah 45:12
Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Revelation 14:7
We delight in the wonder of the world that you, our divine Designer, have made. May we worship you by tenderly cultivating all of your creation. Amen.
18 Remember how the enemy has mocked you, Lord,
how foolish people have reviled your name.
19 Do not hand over the life of your dove to wild beasts;
do not forget the lives of your afflicted people forever.
20 Have regard for your covenant,
because haunts of violence fill the dark places of the land.
21 Do not let the oppressed retreat in disgrace;
may the poor and needy praise your name.
22 Rise up, O God, and defend your cause;
remember how fools mock you all day long.
23 Do not ignore the clamor of your adversaries,
the uproar of your enemies, which rises continually.
Reflections: As the psalmist continues to reflect on the primary cause of their hatred of their enemies, that they had mocked God, he continues to show trust that God will honor them in His covenant with them. Importantly, the psalmist trusts not in his own ability to overcome the darkness that surrounds him, but in God’s power and God’s promise in His covenant with them.
As we fight evil today and the forces arrayed against God, we must remember that the battle belongs to the Lord. Although we are called to resist our enemy and engage in the disciplines that prepare us for that, God will overcome His enemies in due time. Though they may seem to prosper for a while, those who mock God and those who carry His name, will one day be accountable for what they have done.
Numbers 30:1-31:12
Vows
30 Moses said to the heads of the tribes of Israel: “This is what the Lord commands: 2 When a man makes a vow to the Lord or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. 3 “When a young woman still living in her father’s household makes a vow to the Lord or obligates herself by a pledge 4 and her father hears about her vow or pledge but says nothing to her, then all her vows and every pledge by which she obligated herself will stand. 5 But if her father forbids her when he hears about it, none of her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand; the Lord will release her because her father has forbidden her.6 “If she marries after she makes a vow or after her lips utter a rash promise by which she obligates herself 7 and her husband hears about it but says nothing to her, then her vows or the pledges by which she obligated herself will stand. 8 But if her husband forbids her when he hears about it, he nullifies the vow that obligates her or the rash promise by which she obligates herself, and the Lord will release her. 9 “Any vow or obligation taken by a widow or divorced woman will be binding on her.
In regard to vows that Israelites made to God see the following commentary:
http://parablemania.ektopos.com/archives/2007/10/numbers_30_and.html
“Numbers 30 deals with Israelite vows to God, i.e. declaring something to be dedicated to God. This would usually involve vowing something to God that one would give to the tabernacle or temple system much later, e.g. a certain percentage of the harvest that hasn't arrive yet or something of that nature. Some of the Pharisees in Jesus' time abused this system by vowing things to God that were necessary for caring for their parents, and thus they used these laws to get out of more important ones like honoring father and mother.
The regulations in Numbers 30 relate to girls and women making vows when under the authority of someone else. Normally a man would be responsible for his own vows. A girl under her father's authority would also normally be responsible for her own vows, provided that her father, when hearing about it, said nothing. But he did have the authority to cancel her vow. The same is true of a husband of a married woman. The father or husband would have to cancel the vow immediately when hearing about it, but the authority to cancel the vow came with being the father of a minor girl or the husband of a wife.
What interested me in reading this chapter recently was how it treats widows and divorced women. There were cases of widows and divorced women going back to live with their father, but there were also cases of widows retaining the property their husbands had inherited and serving as a head of household. These cases would have to have involved children, since otherwise the property might leave the clan, and property ties to tribes and clans was a very big deal in ancient Israel. But what's notably absent in this chapter is any statement about such women being under the authority of their father in terms of vows. As far as this chapter is concerned, a widow or divorced woman was simply responsible for her vows, and no one had the authority to cancel them.”
This reminds us of the importance of the vows we make to God, and by application to each other in ceremonies like marriage. Today these can be taken lightly, and lead to the breakdown of so many aspects of society. In regard to this, Jesus said in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:37, “Let your “yes” be “yes” and your “no” be “no”, anything beyond this comes from the evil one.”
Luke 1:67-80
Zechariah’s Song
67 His father Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit and prophesied:
68 “Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
because he has come to his people and redeemed them.
69 He has raised up a horn of salvation for us
in the house of his servant David
70 (as he said through his holy prophets of long ago),
71 salvation from our enemies
and from the hand of all who hate us—
72 to show mercy to our ancestors
and to remember his holy covenant,
73 the oath he swore to our father Abraham:
74 to rescue us from the hand of our enemies,
and to enable us to serve him without fear
75 in holiness and righteousness before him all our days.
76 And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High;
for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for him,
77 to give his people the knowledge of salvation
through the forgiveness of their sins,
78 because of the tender mercy of our God,
by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven
79 to shine on those living in darkness
and in the shadow of death,
to guide our feet into the path of peace.”
80 And the child grew and became strong in spirit; and he lived in the wilderness until he appeared publicly to Israel.”
Reflections: We see Zechariah now able to praise God and in thanksgiving to God fulfilling His promise to he and Elizabeth. Zechariah is able to see the fulfillment of this promise in the context of the Promise of God to bring a Messiah through the line of David. He connects his own story Abraham’s story. See the similarities in their both waiting a long time for the promise to be fulfilled in their sons, and ultimately in the Son!
We see also the time of waiting for John in the desert as he grew and became strong in spirit until his appointed time to appear publicly. This reminds us that God’s purposes take time. Often we want to see things happen on our timetable, but as we wait on the Lord we will be renewed in our strength. Where do you need to wait on the Lord? Where are you anxious to see what He is going to do? Spend time in prayer leaving your burdens at His feet and in His time.
I made the earth, and created humankind upon it. Isaiah 45:12
Worship him who made heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water. Revelation 14:7
We delight in the wonder of the world that you, our divine Designer, have made. May we worship you by tenderly cultivating all of your creation. Amen.
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