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Dave Burnette's Commentary

Numbers Chapter 30

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Moses
Date Penned: (1450-1410 BC)
Overview: A Record of A New Generation (c 27-36)
Theme: A Second Approach to the Promised Land (c 22-36)
Message: Rules About Vows (v 1-40)

Numbers 30 Commentary

(30:1-2) Keeping Your Word - Moses reminded the people that their promises to God and others must be kept. In ancient times, people did not sign written contracts. A person's word was as binding as a signature. To make a vow even more binding, an offering was given along with it. No one was forced by law to make a vow, but once made, vows had to be fulfilled. Breaking a vow meant broken trust and a broken relationship. Trust is still the basis of our relationships with God and others. A broken promise today is just as harmful as it was in Moses' day.

(30:3:5) The Parents Wisdom and Authority - Under Israelite law, parents could overrule their children's vows. This helped young people avoid the consequences of making foolish promises or costly commitments. From this land comes an important principle for parents and children. Young people still living at home should seek their parents' help when they make decisions. A parent's experience could save a child from a serious mistake. Parents, however, should exercise their authority with caution and grace. They should let children learn from their mistakes while protecting them from disaster.


Dave Burnette's Life Application

If the Lord Allows

Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today we continue the book of Numbers with Chapter 30 and in today's text we see rules about making vows. A vow was simply a promise between 2 or more people. The Lord takes our vows seriously as they reflect on our character and our testimony unto the Lord. In making application today we see that many don't keep their word. They buy with a promise to pay and don't think twice about not keeping their word. People promise to do things without following through with the attitude that everyone breaks promises. Others try to enslave people into vows knowing they don't have the ability to keep their promises. The Bible gives us wisdom on vows to let our yea be yea and our nay be nay in not promising or vowing to do any task. If someone is trying to force you into a vow think twice about your decision and if you vow then keep your promise for your testimonies sake. How about you? Do you half heartily enter into vows or contracts? Let us learn from today's text and not vow but simply let our yea be yea giving the promise to only inter into an agreement with the promise "if the Lord allows me" since we know not what the future might hold.

 

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Numbers 30

Numbers 30

 1And Moses spake unto the heads of the tribes concerning the children of Israel, saying, This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded.

 2If a man vow a vow unto the LORD, or swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond; he shall not break his word, he shall do according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth.

 3If a woman also vow a vow unto the LORD, and bind herself by a bond, being in her father's house in her youth;

 4And her father hear her vow, and her bond wherewith she hath bound her soul, and her father shall hold his peace at her; then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she hath bound her soul shall stand.

 5But if her father disallow her in the day that he heareth; not any of her vows, or of her bonds wherewith she hath bound her soul, shall stand: and the LORD shall forgive her, because her father disallowed her.

 6And if she had at all an husband, when she vowed, or uttered ought out of her lips, wherewith she bound her soul;

 7And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her in the day that he heard it: then her vows shall stand, and her bonds wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

 8But if her husband disallowed her on the day that he heard it; then he shall make her vow which she vowed, and that which she uttered with her lips, wherewith she bound her soul, of none effect: and the LORD shall forgive her.

 9But every vow of a widow, and of her that is divorced, wherewith they have bound their souls, shall stand against her.

 10And if she vowed in her husband's house, or bound her soul by a bond with an oath;

 11And her husband heard it, and held his peace at her, and disallowed her not: then all her vows shall stand, and every bond wherewith she bound her soul shall stand.

 12But if her husband hath utterly made them void on the day he heard them; then whatsoever proceeded out of her lips concerning her vows, or concerning the bond of her soul, shall not stand: her husband hath made them void; and the LORD shall forgive her.

 13Every vow, and every binding oath to afflict the soul, her husband may establish it, or her husband may make it void.

 14But if her husband altogether hold his peace at her from day to day; then he establisheth all her vows, or all her bonds, which are upon her: he confirmeth them, because he held his peace at her in the day that he heard them.

 15But if he shall any ways make them void after that he hath heard them; then he shall bear her iniquity.

 16These are the statutes, which the LORD commanded Moses, between a man and his wife, between the father and his daughter, being yet in her youth in her father's house.