What the Bible says about vows and oaths
Nowadays, the expression "I swear by God" has become quite widely used. It is uttered by young and old alike, even not always in topics related to faith. Because of overuse, the holiness of the Lord is disregarded. What the Scriptures say about swearing by God.
Leviticus 19.12 "And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD."
Matthew 5.33-37 "Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil."
James 5.12 "But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation. "
As we read in Matthew and the epistle of James, we should renounce all oaths made "to God." Such mindless fashionable oaths are blasphemy in the eyes of God. Also in the Decalogue, in one of the commandments we read:
Exodus 20.7 "Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."
Vows in the Bible
Touching on the topic of oaths, it is worth mentioning the vows. It is very helpful, for people who want, for example, to perform a certain action, break a certain habit, etc.
Deuteronomy 23.22-23 " But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth."
When you are struggling with an addiction, such as gambling, smoking or drinking alcohol, and you feel that with God's help you will be able to get out of it, it may be a good idea to make a promise to the Lord that you will not return to a bad habit again. Such a vow must be very thoughtful and not made under the influence of inspiration or a given moment. It is best to make such resolutions when you are not overcome by emotion.
Vowing to the Lord God, is extremely important, you are giving your word to the Creator Himself that you will not let Him down, it is incomparably more important promise than the one you give to another person. Since quitting smoking is not so easy, at first you can vow abstinence for a week. After that period, when you see that you can do it, you vow again, this time for a longer period.
