42 MATTOT (tribes); Num 30-32, John 18&19

[Bruce Bertram]

This passage starts off with an outline on vows. If a man makes one, he must be careful to discharge it properly. If an underage woman makes one, she can have it nullified by her father when he hears of it, otherwise she must fulfill hers too. A married woman can also have a vow annulled by her husband on the day he hears of it. A widow or divorced woman must also deliver on her vow; there is no annulment for them because there is no authority to override her decisions.

In chapter 31 Moses sends out 1,000 men from the 12 tribes to take vengeance on the Midianites for the trickery they used on advice from Balaam. Balaam is also killed in the battle. They destroy the cities and kill the men, but bring back the women, children and plunder. Moses is upset with them because the women were the ones who tricked Israel with harlotry and idol worship to stray from God. A plague had started amongst the Israelites because of bringing the women back, so Moses orders all males and non-virgin women slain. The soldiers and the virgins were to stay outside the camp for a week, and after they and the plunder are cleansed they may come back into the camp. All of the people, livestock, and plunder was to be divided equally between the soldiers and the people in general, with one in fifty going to the Levites. The soldiers found out that no one had died in the encounter, so they gave an offering of the plunder to the Levites as an atonement.

Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh have a lot of livestock and so want to stay on the west side of the Jordan where the pasturing is good. At first Moses is angry, thinking that they mean to do the same thing as Israel did forty years previous to this and refuse to enter the Land. But they reassure him by saying they will fight with the rest of Israel, then come back when all is over. Moses agrees to this and the deal is made. All the land of Gilead is given to these three tribes and they build and inhabit cities.

John 18 we read of Judas’ betrayal of Jesus into the hands of the Jewish leaders using a Roman cohort to do the arresting. They arrest Him after falling back a couple of times when Jesus says, “I AM” and Peter cuts off the ear of one of the servants. Jesus goes before Caiaphas and the Sanhedrin, where they are going to give Jesus a fair trial before His execution. A ‘disciple whom Jesus loves’ (presumably John) and Peter follow Him to the place where He has His trial, and Peter denies Jesus three times. Jesus tells the Sanhedrin that He spoke publicly, and in reply to questioning about His teachings says that they should ask the people who heard Him what He said. Jesus is taken to Pilate, who doesn’t want to deal with this, but is forced to because the crowd alleges Jesus is claiming to be king and they will not rest until Jesus is dead. Pilate asks if Jesus is a king, and Jesus answers that His kingdom is not of this world. Pilate can find no guilt in Jesus and wants to release Him but the crowd demands a murderer be released instead. Reluctantly Pilate goes through an elaborate routine to get Jesus released if he can, but the crowd is insistent and in the end Pilate sends Jesus to be executed on the stake.

The Roman soldiers take Jesus out to Golgotha and crucify Him, with a thief on each side. They nail up a sign at Pilate’s orders reading ‘Jesus of Nazarene, King of the Jews’ and gamble for His garments. The Jewish leaders are upset by the sign because they want it to read that ‘he said,’ but Pilate won’t change it or take it down. As Jesus is dying He commends His mother to the care of John, says that He thirsts so someone offers Him wine, then He gives up His spirit. The Jews don’t want to get unclean for the Feast day so ask that the legs of the criminals be broken (to speed up the dying). The Roman soldiers break the legs of the thieves, but Jesus to their surprise is already dead. One of the soldiers pierces Jesus with a sword, and blood and water flow out. John notes that all these things were done because of prophecy, and quotes the relevant sections. Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus take Jesus’ body and sort of get it ready for burial and lay it in a tomb to wait for after the Sabbath so they can finish the preparation.

Shalom

[Bruce Bertram]

Mattot; Numbers 30:2(1)-32:42; Jeremiah 1:1-2:3; John 18 and 19

Numbers 30 has some detailed instructions concerning vows. A man must do as he vows, but a young girl or a married woman can have her vows nullified by a father or husband. A vow is when someone says he or she will do something or accept a penalty (usually death) or some other punishment if they don’t do what they vowed. It is related to swearing, which can include some action, like a vow, or even a testimony, such as when a person swears on the Bible in court that what they are going to say is “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” It is also related to the idea of a covenant, where two parties agree to do something for each other, such as when a king swears to protect a vassal and the vassal swears to obey the king in return.

When a vow is made or somebody swears about something it is generally understood that a higher power is going to regulate the actions or the words if the person vowing or swearing does not follow through.

16For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute. (Hebrews 6:16 NASB95)

The idea is that the higher power will force completion or act as a judge to punish the person who breaks the vow. People tend to want vows or swearing from each other because deceitfulness is a regular occurrence when making agreements with one another other. Since we tend to ignore our words so readily, some greater assurance is frequently needed to make both parties confident that the other person will do what is promised. It’s one of the reasons why we try to have ‘ironclad’ legal agreements in modern times. The problem is, even a vow is just words to a person who does not intend to honor his or her word in the first place.

Vowing or swearing is not always accompanied by the word vow or swear. It can be just a flat statement also, such as when God promises the seed of the woman will crush the head of the seed of the serpent in Genesis 3:15.

God takes vows very seriously. That is why in Numbers 30 He speaks of ‘binding obligation’ and commands that a man must do as he vows. Even a person who “swears thoughtlessly” (Leviticus 5:4) is guilty of a grave sin and must confess along with paying restitution. Taking the Father’s name in vain (Leviticus 19:22) is referred to as ‘swearing falsely’ and profanes God’s name. He expects us to do what we say we will do.

21“When you make a vow to the LORD your God, you shall not delay to pay it, for it would be sin in you, and the LORD your God will surely require it of you. 22“However, if you refrain from vowing, it would not be sin in you. 23“You shall be careful to perform what goes out from your lips, just as you have voluntarily vowed to the LORD your God, what you have promised. (Deuteronomy 23:21-23 NASB95)

Notice, though, that the reference above also points out that a person does not have to vow. Implied in this, in my opinion, is the idea of just doing what you say you will do. In other words, we don’t have to drag in a higher authority to police our tongues. Simply being determined to follow through should be enough.
Jesus continues this thought and says simply to just let our ‘yes’ be yes and our ‘no’ be no.

33“Again, you have heard that the ancients were told, ‘YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FALSE VOWS, BUT SHALL FULFILL YOUR VOWS TO THE LORD.’ 34“But I say to you, make no oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, 35or by the earth, for it is the footstool of His feet, or by Jerusalem, for it is THE CITY OF THE GREAT KING. 36“Nor shall you make an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. 37“But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil. (Matthew 5:33-37 NASB95)

See also James 5:12.
Anything more than being a person of our word is considered to be evil. Indeed, the usual reason for a vow is due to the deceitfulness inherent in man, or pride.

Our Higher Authority expects us to do as we say, without the need for threatened punishment. A man and a woman exchange vows for a marriage ceremony. A new driver vows to obey all of the driving laws for a driver’s license. A soldier or a politician vows to uphold and defend the laws of our land. Judas in John 18 breaks an implied vow when he goes to betray Jesus. Peter makes a false vow in John 19 (read about it in Matthew 26:74 and Mark 14:71). In all these instances a promise or vow or swearing is part, and God holds us to our word. Just because we can divorce or go to court or get discharged or impeached or forgiven does not mean that God releases us from what we said. Sooner or later, one way or the other, we will have to answer for our words.

11For it is written, “AS I LIVE, SAYS THE LORD, EVERY KNEE SHALL BOW TO ME, AND EVERY TONGUE SHALL GIVE PRAISE TO GOD.” 12So then each one of us will give an account of himself to God. (Romans 14:11-12 NASB95)

When we confess and repent of our worldly ways by accepting the sacrifice of His Son Jesus, He gives us eternal life and we give Him our life.

5For You have heard my vows, O God; You have given me the inheritance of those who fear Your name. (Psalm 61:5 NASB95)

This exchange is like a vow or a covenant. We accept Him as God and Father, and He gives us life in return. God requires that we perform our vow, and gives us the necessary energy to do so. All that remains is to do what He says. No swearing, no threat of destruction, no punishment.

Just do it.

Shalom