Chapter 136 of 1163

NUMBERS 30

The power of words. God takes our promises and pledges seriously, and so should we (Ps. 50:14; Eccles. 5:4–5). If we promise God that we will do something, or not do something, we must keep our word. We must also recognize that willing and doing are two different things (Rom. 7:18–25). We need the wisdom of God in making our promises and the power of God in keeping them (Phil. 2:12–13). Words are powerful things and must be used carefully. The Quakers say, “Of your unspoken words, you are the master; of your spoken words, the servant; of your written words, the slave.”

The power of authority. God acknowledges the presence of authority. A wife’s vow may be canceled by her husband and a daughter’s vow by her father. The wife and the daughter should consider this before making promises to God. Although Moses does not instruct the man of the house this way, certainly the husband and father would want to consider the whole family before making any promises to God.

The power of silence. If the father or the husband says nothing, this is considered to be approval of the vow. Silence can sometimes be more powerful than words and have much greater consequences. (See Psalm 141:3.)

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