(Day 23)
The next commandment Jesus mentioned during
the Sermon on the Mount is this:
* Law: You shall not swear
falsely
(Matthew 5:33) Again you have heard that it was said to those of
old, 'You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have
sworn.'
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| Truth |
The Torah teaches us to speak with
the truth, and not to profane the name of God by swearing falsely.
(Leviticus 19:11-12) You shall not steal; you
shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another. You shall not swear
by my name falsely, and so profane the name of your God: I am the LORD.
Concerning the swearing of an oath or
a pledge, the law states:
(Numbers 30:2) If a man vows a vow to the
LORD, or swears an oath to bind himself by a pledge, he shall not break his
word. He shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.
(Deuteronomy 23:21-23) If you make a vow to the LORD
your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the LORD your God will surely
require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. But if you refrain from
vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. You shall be careful to do what has
passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God what you
have promised with your mouth.
What makes this a delicate subject is
that people make vows and oaths in God’s Name. That is why Jesus said:
(Matthew 5:34-37) But
I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the
throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem
Why do people feel the need to swear?
Maybe because they don’t always tell the truth. Therefore, they must make sure
to tell others that now they are telling the truth. What is right is to ALWAYS speak with the truth.
(James 5:12) But above all, my brothers,
do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or by any other oath, but let your
"yes" be yes and your "no" be no, so that you may not fall
under condemnation.
The Bible tells us that it is better
not to swear, than to fail whenever we do.
(Ecclesiastes 5:4-7) When you vow a vow to God, do
not delay paying it, for he has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you vow. It is
better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay. Let not
your mouth lead you into sin, and do not say before the messenger that it was a
mistake. Why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your
hands? For when dreams increase and words grow many, there is vanity; but God
is the one you must fear.
PRAYER
Lord, Your Word says that among the
things you hate are a lying tongue and a false witness who breaths out lies.
Lying lips are an abomination to you, but those who act faithfully are your
delight. I want to do that which pleases you, therefore, I want to determine
myself to speak the truth. I will keep my tongue from evil and my lips from speaking
deceit.
Your Word says that “death and life
are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” I
choose life. Deliver
me, O LORD, from lying lips, from a deceitful tongue.
[Psalms 34:13; 120:2; Proverbs 12:22;
6:16-19; 18:21]
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