Oaths: December 13, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR THURSDAY DECEMBER 13, 2012.

OATHS

DEFINITION:

A solemn statement with God as the witness.

SCRIPTURE:

Keep the king’s commandment for the sake of your oath to God. Ecclesiastics 8:2

You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord. Matthew 5:33.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

An oath is not to be made lightly. As Webster defines an oath, it is a solemn statement with God as the witness. It is a sad commentary on our times that oaths are so often broken. It does not seem important to most people that God is the witness when one makes an oath.

We see this happening with marriage vows today, more than at any time in history. In America the oath of marriage is broken more than 50% of the time. The marriage oath is two people making their vows to one another. This is a sacred promise to be honored for a lifetime. We read in Matthew 5:33 (above) that God condemns taking oaths and then breaking them.

Even though oaths are meant to be kept, every day oaths are made with no expectation by one or both parties to keep the oath. People break their oaths because they have a change of heart or something better comes along. Most often that “something better’ never becomes a reality. There is an old adage that says: “The grass always looks greener on the other side of the fence.”

Oaths are promises made that are considered unchangeable. Probably one of the saddest oaths recorded in the scripture was when Peter was asked if he knew Jesus when Jesus was arrested and taken to trial. In Matthew 26:72 it reads: “But again he denied with an oath, ‘I do not know the man.”’ And in the following verses, Peter denied that he knew Jesus three times and then Peter remembered the words that Jesus said to him (verse 75), “Before the rooster crows, (in other words, before morning), you will deny Me three times.” Earlier that night Peter had promised Jesus that he would never disown Him even if he had to die for Him. Peter broke this oath and swore with another oath that he did not know Jesus. Not only did he break his first oath but he lied in his second oath. Peter then went and wept bitterly because he was truly repentant for what he had done. We know Peter’s repentance was genuine because he went on to do great things for the Lord. 

In Matthew 23 when Jesus was talking to the Scribes and Pharisees, He said “Woe to you” several times because of their hypocrisy in their swearing of oaths along with other “things” they were doing that were against God’s teachings. In Hebrews 7:21, the author quotes from Psalm 110:4: “The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind.” Unlike us, when God makes an oath He keeps His word.

Oaths are to be made with a commitment to keep them. God is a witness to our oaths and God will honor those that keep their oaths.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Isaiah 53:6.

All we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned, every one, to his own way, and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquities of us all.

PRAYER:

Thank You God for the promises You have made to me. For the salvation that I have because I have accepted into my heart the promise of eternal life given me through Your Son, Jesus. Help me to honor the oaths/promises that I have made. Bless my family and keep us strong in our commitment to You that we made when we accepted You as our Savior.